WASHBURN, Maine — The Beavers launched into the 2015 soccer season with the bitter memory of the way last year ended still fresh in their minds.
Coach Ben Goodwin’s squad had a solid season, but it ended in disappointment after the Beavers surrendered the game-winning goal with five seconds left in the quarterfinal round against Ashland, who went on to advance to the Class D regional final.
Goodwin will miss the five talented players who graduated — Noah Farley, Cameron Bragg, Kenny Irving, Michael Ericson and Alex Pelletier. However, he feels that plenty of talent returns to help give the team a great chance to compete.
“I am still lucky enough to have a very solid group of returnees and we have the ability to be really successful offensively and defensively,” Goodwin said. “That will all depend on the cohesion of the squad and the success of the boys that will be trying to fill the shoes of the seniors we lost last year.”
The Beaver roster includes Noah Caron, Carter Doak, Brandon Farley, Brandon Cropley, Parker Thompson, McCall Turner, Andrew Gumprecht, Cameron Hartford, Caleb Thompson, Jovanni Tavares, Quinton Thompson, Justin Davis, Keenan Jordan, Kevin Jordan, Benton Plante, Tyler Jardine and Keith McGraw.
“We want to play to our full potential, have fun and put ourselves in the best possible situation to make a strong run at the playoffs,” Goodwin said.
Washburn, idle now until Oct. 15 due to harvest recess, is off to a 6-4-1 start, having lost its opener to Central Aroostook before regrouping and capturing consecutive victories over Wisdom, Van Buren and Southern Aroostook. The team dropped two in a row — to the Panthers and the Fort Fairfield Tigers — before topping Ashland Sept. 1 and Easton Sept. 3.
Following a 3-2 loss to Ashland Sept. 7, Washburn bested Wisdom Friday before tying Easton Monday, 3-3.
Throught the first 11 matches, the offense has been formidable with 33 goals and the squad has surrendered 23 — but 11 of those came in two games (the losses to Central Aroostook and Fort Fairfield).
