ASHLAND, Maine — One year after Ashland was unable to field a boys varsity soccer team due to a lack of numbers, a new coach has come aboard with 15 players excited to get the 2022 season underway.
The Hornets open at home Tuesday, Aug. 30, at 4 p.m. against the Katahdin Cougars.
Tim Tarr, a 2016 graduate of Ashland District School who was the starting goalkeeper for most of his four seasons, was hired for the coaching vacancy after Trevor Hews stepped down and did some recruiting to help allow for the team to be revived.
“A few of the guys played on a co-op team with Southern Aroostook [last season], but the majority of these boys have not played soccer in the gap,” Tarr explained. “The kids banded together and we managed to get a good group of kids ready to play. This team has plenty of athletes and I think we may surprise some people.”
Seven of the players have previous varsity experience, but Ashland is young with two eighth-graders and three freshmen on the roster.
“With a year off we have started from the ground up,” Tarr said. “Fundamentals, conditioning and formations are huge areas of concentration.”
The team’s captains, seniors Dakota Sutherland and Ben Howes and junior Will St. Peter, are among the starters. Sutherland plays midfield, while Howes and St. Peter are fullbacks.
Juniors Andrew Dotson (wing), Inyas Janoch (midfield) and Blake Vincent (sweeper) also have earned starting roles along with sophomores Larry Burby (midfield) and Hunter Cunningham (goalkeeper). Senior Austin Clark is new to the game but will start at fullback, while eighth-graders Gavin Blair (wing) and Jacob Landeen (midfield) round out the starting group.
Coming off the bench for Ashland will be freshmen midfielders Carter Craig, Kaleb Dotson and Zane Zarate and senior fullback Tyler Trams.
Freshman Dawson Jandreau is the manager and Jacob Sjoberg serves as the assistant coach.
Tarr is anxious for the opening game and is ready to see how the Hornets will compete throughout the season.
“The team made a goal of making the playoffs,” Tarr said. “We have work to do to get there and it won’t be easy, but it is doable.
“I believe in this team and if they can continue to put in the hard work and strive to improve, I believe their ceiling has no limit,” he added.
