ASHLAND, Maine — Ben Lothrop coached the Hornet girls the last time they reached the Class D regional championship game. That was nearly 13 years ago and it also marked the ninth and final season of his coaching stint.
Lothrop had been pondering a return to the sidelines and when the position opened up after Whitney Flint’s resignation, he applied and was hired this fall.
Last year, Ashland broke a lengthy tournament drought and with only one senior on that squad, most of the team is back and ready to take the next step.
The Hornets, and Lothrop, will rely heavily on the team’s four seniors. Three saw extended playing time last year and the other is back after injuries prevented her from competing the last three winters.
Morgan Doughty is a fourth-year player who will be the primary point guard.
“She is strong, handles the ball well, plays good defense, and will also be able to rebound for us,” Lothrop said.
Megan Cote is another returnee who will see a lot of time at center.
“We hope she will be a force in the middle,” Lothrop said. “She is athletic and strong and will rebound well.”
Micayla Driscoll is another veteran who will see time in the backcourt. Driscoll is one of the quickest players on the team.
“She will work hard, play great defense and should help us a lot when we decide to press,” said the coach.
The team welcomes Amber Chasse to the roster. She has dealt with knee injuries throughout her high school athletic career, but is coming off a strong soccer season and Lothrop said Chasse is deemed healthy and ready to play. She will see a lot of time as a forward and will be counted upon to help with scoring duties.
“Amber is very athletic and excited to finally be able to play on the hardwood,” Lothrop said.
The Hornet roster includes just one junior in Cami Deabay and one sophomore in Shelby Stolze. Deabay also has battled knee injuries but is one of the team’s best shooters and will provide depth at the forward position. Stolze is one of the quickest players and will be a key at the guard slot.
The team’s four freshmen all possess different abilities and skill sets. Jamie Poulin and Hailee Cunningham both saw time as eighth-graders and project to see plenty of court action this season. Poulin will play both guard and forward and Cunningham plays the post. Alli Kenney and Kaitlyn Dotson both have the skill and desire to improve with experience.
Liz Mayhew, who has been the JV coach and now coaches at the middle school level, will assist Lothrop. Morgan Stevens and Brooke Harris are the managers.
“I like to keep things simple, and with this athletic squad we will look to run and press when possible. We should be good defenders and will rebound well,” Lothrop said. “We don’t really have a seasoned scorer yet, so finding girls who will be able to score points consistently will be one of our early-season goals. Hopefully, we will be able to score in transition.”
With only 10 players involved in the program and no JV team, Lothrop said staying healthy is also a must.
He said the Hornets face a difficult schedule with a lot of Class C competition, but feels a return to the tournament is a realistic goal.
“If we can improve throughout the season, another trip to Bangor is where we want to be, and maybe even be in a position to win a game on that floor,” he said. “I know the girls are excited and hopeful to get back to Bangor and so am I.”
