Friday and Saturday will be busy days on the soccer pitch for those boys teams that qualified for the postseason. Preliminary playoff games are scheduled for both Friday and Saturday in The County, and for those squads fortunate enough to advance, the quarterfinals await on Wednesday, Oct. 25.
The following is a preview of boys soccer playoff pairings. There are five matches involving local Class D schools and the other is a Class B matchup.
No. 9 Easton boys (7-6-1) at No. 8 Hodgdon (8-4-2), 1:30 p.m. Friday — In a rematch of last year’s preliminary playoff, the Bears and Hawks are set to meet in an early afternoon prelim game. Easton upset the Hawks 2-1 in last year’s prelim game, also played in Hodgdon.
For first-year Hodgdon coach Jason Little, hosting a playoff game was one of the team’s goals right from the start. Playing so early in the day will not be an issue for the Hawks, according to their coach.
“The guys are ready and have waited all week for this moment,” Little said. “We are fortunate to have both teams playing at home and the school has arranged a pep rally before we head out and an early release schedule for all the students to have the option of coming over to watch the games.”
Although the Hawks are the higher seed, coach Little said Easton is not a team to be taken lightly.
“Easton has a solid group,” he said. “I understand they lost a lot with the graduating class, but even in a rebuilding year, they have proven to be successful. Easton has a strong defense, led by their sweeper (Alexander Harvath). He can clear the ball down field with either foot and seems to not make many mistakes.”
The Hawks have mixed up their offensive schemes quite a bit this season depending on their opponent. Today’s game will more than likely be a balanced approach as both teams try to get a feel for each other.
“We are fortunate to have a young, strong defense with the option of moving some of our senior leaders back if needed,” coach Little said. “We are going to keep our normal setup with a few minor changes. We have the option of having two strong goalies, which gives some flexibility for us in the field.”
The Hawks are relatively healthy, but will be without the services of sophomore fullback Seth Tapley due to an ankle injury.
Easton coach Ryan Shaw said his team is playing its best soccer, despite just recently coming off the three-week harvest break
“A few of the guys that were dealing with injuries before harvest are fairly healthy now and we have made a few adjustments to our lineup to what we think gives us our best shot at this point,” Shaw said. “So far, I think it has made us stronger in all areas of the field.”
The veteran coach said that although many players will be competing in their first playoff game, “I don’t see nerves as a big issue for us.”
Shaw has scouted the Hawks and is mindful of their athletic players in the midfield and on the front line that are capable of scoring goals.
“They play a little more conservative on the defensive end, so it is imperative that we make good decisions and possess the ball well,” Shaw said. “We certainly have two different styles of play, so the team that forces the other team into playing their way will win.”
No. 12 Ashland boys (6-6-2) at No. 5 Jonesport-Beals (11-2-1), 2 p.m. Friday — The Hornets had a huge challenge in Fort Kent on Oct. 13, taking on the Warriors, the No. 1 team in Class C. They answered it by playing them to a 1-1 tie which led to Ashland’s berth into the Class D North post-season.
“It definitely was a confidence boost but more importantly it got us into the playoffs where without it we may not have even been in,” said Hornet coach Trevor Hews. “Our guys are excited and ready for the challenge of taking on a higher seed and I feel we are ready for the playoffs.”
The Hornets are a defensive-minded team led by senior goalkeeper Steven Bellanceau, who was brilliant in the Fort Kent game. Ashland has allowed two goals or less in 10 of its 14 games.
Hews said in order to pull off the upset over the Royals on the road, his team “needs to believe they can do it and back it up with their play.”
“I still don’t feel we have played our best soccer yet and the guys don’t either so if we play at our best offensively and defensively, I always feel we can win.”
No. 13 Schenck boys (6-7-1) at No. 4 Fort Fairfield (11-3), 2 p.m. Friday — The Tigers have reached the regional championship game the past three seasons, including the state championship year in 2015.
They enter this year’s playoffs as one of the dark horses as evidenced by their No. 4 seed, but Fort Fairfield will be a threat based on its post-season track record.
Coach John Ala expects a better match from Schenck than last year’s 9-1 quarterfinal victory.
“They are a well coached and hard working and physical team,” Ala said, noting that both squads have much different personnel from a year ago.
Ala likes the way his team has jelled and said they have a better understanding of their roles on the field since early in the season.
“Our scoring is very balanced and we have been able to generate scoring opportunities from a number of players,” he said.
The Tigers feature solid veterans in seniors Isaac Cyr, Jared Harvey, Nick Krause, Dylan Jandreau, Colin Goshorn, Chris Gill and Malcolm Langner and junior Jonah Daigle, and have been bolstered by the addition of Lorenzo Viano, an exchange student from Italy, and senior Alex Sprague, who played three years at Limestone before transferring over.
“We need to play to our ability and focus on one match at a time,” Ala said.
No. 11 East Grand boys at No. 6 Penobscot Valley, 2:30 p.m. Friday — The Viking boys make the 58-mile trek south to take on the Howlers of Penobscot Valley today. It marks the first time in at least 15 years that an East Grand boys soccer squad has qualified for the postseason, according to coach Shaun Beaudoin.
The Vikings have a number of talented players on their roster, led by seniors Thomas Gilman, Brady McEwen, Trevor Noyes, Matthew Potter and Lendin Stoddard.
East Grand did not face Penobscot Valley during the regular season, nor did the two teams play any common opponents. That means coach Beaudoin and the Vikings will be sailing into unfamiliar territory for today’s prelim.
“It will be no different,” the coach said. “The guys all have to do their jobs.”
Beaudoin added that the Vikings will need to have strong, physical play on both ends of the field in order for the team to come away victorious.
No. 10 Madawaska boys (7-7) at No. 7 MSSM (6-2), 6 p.m. Friday — The MSSM boys are excited about hosting a playoff game in their first season as an independent varsity squad.
The team has just four returning players from last year’s LCS/MSSM team, so coach Jon Hamilton said many people counted out his squad before the season began.
“It was a task to find athletes to fill the holes on the field, however we did that and it worked out well,” Hamilton said. “I I believe a goal that every player had in the back of their mind was to prove everyone wrong.”
The team is led by Tobyn Blatt, who scored 18 goals during the team’s abbreviated eight-game regular season schedule.
“A player like Tobyn doesn’t come around very often. He is the backbone of our team and makes everyone on the field better,” Hamilton said. “When opposing teams mark him up closely, he adapts and becomes the distributor and has no problem feeding others on the team. If there is an opportunity for him to score, he will take advantage.”
Hamilton expects a tough challenge from Madawaska, a team his squad did not play during the regular season.
“They are very athletic and have excellent ball control,” he said. “We need to control the ball, shut down the middle of the field and capitalize on crossed balls.”
No. 12 Caribou boys (6-8) at No. 5 Brewer (9-4-1), 2 p.m. Saturday — In the only Class B prelim involving a local team, the Vikes make the trip south on Interstate 95 for a rematch against the Witches.
Caribou coach Scott Hunter said his team enters the game with confidence after being competitive in the only regular season meeting between the teams, played Sept. 8 in Caribou The Vikes spotted the Witches a three-goal lead at intermission before mounting a comeback and falling, 3-2.
“They are a tough team, having competed in Class A until this season,” Hunter said of the Witches. “We played very well against them and really kept the pressure on them the entire second half.”
He said Saturday’s matchup will be a challenge, but feels his Vikings are heading in with a good mindset and is excited to see what unfolds.
“We will have to play aggressive and take the fight to them and put them on their back foot,” he said. “We will need to play our possession and control game and make the most of our opportunities and defensively, we need to play strong, play smart and play together.”
Alex Ezzy, a junior midfielder, is Caribou’s leading goal scorer.
