MARS HILL, Maine — The Central Aroostook Panthers are considered by many as one of the top girls soccer teams in Class D North. Unfortunately for them, they play in the same division and meet up twice a year with Ashland — the defending state champions.
Ashland made the trip south Wednesday and controlled the match, scoring two goals on set plays in the first half, adding an insurance tally after intermission and stifling the offensive attack of the Panthers en route to a 3-0 victory.
The Hornets improved to 2-0, while handing Central Aroostook (2-1) its first defeat.
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- Keara McCrum of the Central Aroostook Panthers, right, dribbles the ball as Ashland’s Amber Chasse defends during the varsity soccer match played Wednesday in Mars Hill. (Kevin Sjoberg)
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- Sydney Garrison of Central Aroostook, left, tries to slow Ashland’s Morgan Doughty attack toward the goal during the girls’ varsity soccer match in Mars Hill Wednesday. Doughty scored a goal and assisted on another in the Hornets’ 3-0 victory. (Kevin Sjoberg)
The Panthers, who fell to Ashland in last year’s semifinal round by an 11-0 final, made it a much more competitive match, but were outplayed once again.
“They are a fantastic team, so what do you do? You tip your hat to them until you can beat them,” said Central Aroostook coach Joe Levesque. “They’re still the best.”
The Panthers had a chance to open the scoring 12 minutes in when Breann Bradbury converged on a loose ball with Hornet goalkeeper Megan Cote inside the box, but Cote was able to scamper toward the goal line and dive on the ball for one of her four saves.
Five minutes later, a Central Aroostook foul allowed Hornet senior Morgan Doughty to take a direct kick from 35 yards out. The wind played with it and the ball sailed into the net, eluding Panther goalkeeper Caitlyn Harris for the game’s first goal.
Ashland freshman Kaitlyn Dotson (2) tries to run through the ball as Central Aroostook’s Janelle Tweedie sticks her leg out to try to slow Dotson down during Wednesday’s varsity soccer match in Mars Hill. (Kevin Sjoberg)
Michaela Pelletier and Bradbury both had contested shots for CA from outside the box within a 90-second span later in the half that were wide left.
With three minutes left before intermission, following a corner kick, Ashland junior stopper back Olivia Tardie controlled a loose ball and ripped a shot from the top of the box that Harris tipped high into the air before grabbing.
Then with 1:01 to play, the Hornets had another corner kick opportunity and this time took advantage. Doughty’s kick reached the near post and teammate Shelby Stolze pounced on the ball and sent it past Harris to make it 2-0.
“I take some of the corner kicks and I know if I put it in the goal mouth, we have forwards that will attack the goal and usually put it in,” Doughty said. “We’re usually very strong in that area.”
Despite holding the lead, Hornet coach Peter Belskis changed his formation from a 4-3-3 to a 4-4-2 in the second half and it paid dividends as the Panthers registered much fewer scoring chances and his team was able to mount more of an attack.
“We put two of our top offensive threats, Morgan and Amber Chasse, back in the middle and it changed the whole complexion of the game,” Belskis said. “It’s the first time we played that way, but we’re fortunate to have versatile players and they created more opportunities from the middle to the outside.”
Stolze added her second goal and the clincher with 21:51 left after battling for possession following a cross, escaping defensive pressure and getting loose for an accurate shot from eight yards out.
Play went back and forth for the remainder of the match, but the Panthers were unable to solve the outstanding Hornet defense, led by talented senior sweeper back Micayla Driscoll.
Cote saved four of eight shots for the shutout and Harris turned away six of 14 for CA.
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- Amber Chasse of the Ashland Hornets, right, shields Sydney Garrison of Central Aroostook away from the ball during the second half of Wednesday’s varsity soccer match in Mars Hill. (Kevin Sjoberg)
