Experience key for unbeaten Washburn girls
this soccer season
By Kevin Sjoberg
Sports Reporter
WASHBURN — Last season ended in disappointment for the Washburn girls’ soccer team, with the Beavers falling short in their upset bid against Ashland in the Eastern Maine Class D semifinals. Despite holding the lead with less than a minute to play, the Hornets tied the game and then won it in overtime.
“The experience that I feel the players took from that game is to play hard until the end,” said third-year coach Marcie Barbarula. “You wouldn’t think that 17 seconds could change a ballgame, but that was the case. It is definitely a game that will always be in the back of my mind.”
The Beavers have charged out to a solid start thus far in the 2011 campaign, winning each of their first five games. Included in the victories was Friday’s 6-2 triumph over Ashland, in which Washburn trailed 2-0 before storming back.
Washburn features plenty of quickness and Barbarula has also been impressed with how this young team has jelled quickly.
“With the upperclassmen’s leadership, we have started out the season heading in the right direction,” the coach said.
“Our strengths are the way the players communicate with one another and their ability of knowing where their teammates are going to be when passing the ball,” she added. “This team knows what it means to hustle and beat their opponent to the ball, which has been the deciding factor for us in our winning streak. We have a lot of quickness up front, which will be the key for us in scoring this year.”
The Beavers in the starting lineup include senior stopper back Kelsey Churchill, who played sweeper last year, along with classmates Tia Dee at fullback and Kristi Sperrey on the wing.
Churchill has a goal and Sperrey two to their credit so far this season.
Junior Rayah Saucier returns for her third season as the starting goalie. Maegan Fitzpatrick, another 11th-grader, was injured much of last season but plays on the wing and has a goal and an assist so far.
The rest of the starting 11 is made up entirely of sophomores and freshmen. Carmen Bragg, a sophomore, plays center midfield and has already chalked up three assists. Speedster Carsyn Koch, who also is a defending state champion cross country runner, returns as another midfielder and has six goals and an assist so far. The other starting 10th-grader is fullback Nicole Olson, also a starter at that position in 2010.
Three freshmen have stepped in immediately, with Mackenzie Worcester playing striker and leading the team in scoring with 10 goals and three assists. Joan Overman starts at midfield, while Catelyn Coulombe plays a key role as the starting sweeper.
Also expected to see plenty of time off the bench will be sophomores Kennedy Churchill and Taylor Thompson, junior Olivia Doody, freshman Mikayla Churchill and senior Marlaina Spooner.
Other team members are freshmen Lucia Bragg and Tyra Shaw and sophomore Caitlyn Roix. Kyle McLaughlin and Mariena Bragg are the managers and Scott Olson returns for his second year as Barbarula’s assistant coach.
“My goals the rest of the season are that we go into each game and play hard for a full 80 minutes and that we continue to communicate with each other,” Barbarula said, “and to make it to the Eastern Maine finals this year.”
