Category Archives: Lake Region

September 3, 2022 · 3:16 pm

Lake Region defeats Fryeburg Academy 1-0 in girls soccer

Margo Tremblay lines up a direct free kick

(Fryeburg) Sometimes the coach knows best.

It seemed to work out that way in Friday afternoon’s girls soccer game between Lake Region and Fryeburg Academy.

The Lakers won the game 1-0.

Margo Tremblay scored the eventual game-winner on a direct free kick with less than three minutes left in the first half.

“The girls wanted to run a play that we’ve been working on,” said LR coach Peter Webb afterwards. “It’s a side play that goes around the wall. They looked at me and I said, ‘Put it on net,’ because Margo (Tremblay) can put it there every time.”

Margo’s shot turned out to be quite remarkable. She chipped the ball over the Raiders wall and it hit the under part of the crossbar behind FA goalie Maya Meehan. Down the ball went from there and into the net behind Maya.

“Coach (Webb) said at halftime that he thought I could make it so that’s why he had me take it,” explained Margo post-game.

Aside from Margo’s goal, the home team Raiders had the best scoring chances.

“I think that they had only one good shot on goal,” said FA coach Dave Hart afterwards, “and that was the one that went in.”

This was the season opener for both teams.

The weather was “typical” early fall Maine weather…….40’s when you wake up and in the 70’s in the afternoon when you’re playing/watching a soccer game.

Both coaches substituted freely because of the heat. There were several moments of confusion as players acclimated themselves to new positions.

“We were in a lot of positions we aren’t normally in,” said Margo, “so it was hard adjusting.”

“We got tired, and people got out of position,” said Coach Webb. “We had people in positions they weren’t used to.”

Hard-luck FA had the best chances to get on the board. Their golden opportunities fell short because of LR goalie Emily Rock, the goal frames, and in-front misfires.

“Their goalie has good hands,” said FA coach Dave Hart. “She made it harder for us today.”

“We did have some good shots,” he added. “Some off the frame. Some off the posts.”

“The posts helped me once or twice,” said Lake Region goalie Emily Rock with a smile afterwards. “Sometimes they helped a lot!”

Both coaches commended the efforts of their respective teams.

“Overall, we’re happy with our first performance,” said Coach Hart.

“The effort was there,” said Coach Webb. “We’ve only had a couple of preseason games to work with.”

Emily Rock: “I love being in goal. I appreciate my field players so much. I’m a very vocal goalie, I’d say. Kaylie Goodwin has the best touch on the ball and she’s only a sophomore. I plan to play softball in college in state for the in-state tuition. If someone wanted me to play soccer, however, I wouldn’t be opposed.”

Coach Webb: “Emily is a senior. She is solid and she kept us in this game today.”

Margo Tremblay: “Emily is amazing. She’s the whole reason we do good. She always has the most positive attitude which really helps us in the games.”

(I am working these days as a MaxPreps photographer. I took plenty of pictures from today’s game that aren’t in this blog entry. They will be posted eventually in the MaxPreps section for both schools. Check them out. I am also on Instagram (McClelland Miscellanea). Some of the pictures on this blog will be directed to players on that site.)

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Filed under Fryeburg, Lake Region

Tagged as Coach Dave Hart, Coach Peter Webb, Emily Rock, Kaylie Goodwin, Margo Tremblay

September 30, 2021 · 10:36 pm

Lake Region defeats Poland 4-2

Sophomore Abigail Roberts scored twice for the Lakers

(Naples ME) Abigail Roberts to the rescue.

The Lake Region sophomore scored twice in the final 8 ½ minutes to give the Lakers (3-4) an exciting, 4-2, win over Poland (1-7) today.

LR coach David Jaeger said of Abigail, “Give her some space. Give her some time and she’s going to put it around the keeper.”

The Lakers scored on long shots by Shelby Sheldrick and Hailey Brewer to carry a, 2-0, lead into the final thirty minutes of the game.

It looked as if the Knights might be heading for another shutout loss.

Not today.

“I was proud of the girls fighting back,” said Poland coach Tyler Connors afterwards. “It was 2-0 at one point.”

The Knights had a pretty good breeze to their backs in the second half.

A corner kick by Gretchen Paradis put the visitors on the board. Gretchen’s kick curled right into the top of the far corner.

“The wind helped that kick,” recalled Coach Connors.

Eight minutes later things were even.

“On that second goal, Lexi Wallingford made a good pass to Ava Anderson,” said Coach Connors. “Ava lined it up from the left from about 20-25 feet.”

So, with fourteen minutes remaining in the game it was, 2-2.

“I was scared a bit when they tied it and it was going downhill,” said Abigail Roberts post-game.

When the Knights pressed to get the lead, Abigail was able to take advantage of weakened Poland defense.

“Abigail is a quick player,” said Coach Jaeger. “If we can get her out wide in space, she has a confident touch.”

Abigail broke in from the right and at 8:38 put LR in front for good. “I snuck it in the corner,” she said.

Abigail Roberts takes the shot which will be LR’s 4th goal

When Poland went all-out to tie the game, Abigail had a second break-in and cashed that with two minutes left to push the LR lead to, 4-2.

“It was nice to come out on top in a home game,” said Coach Jaeger.

Shelby Sheldrick’s goal was off a free kick from the left. The Knights had a wall set up, but Shelby shot right past it into the upper near corner.

Hailey Brewer’s goal was another shot over the Poland GK. “She kicked it with her left foot which is not her favorite,” said Coach Jaeger.

Coach Jaeger had praise for goalie Jordan Blanton. “She came up big when we needed it on that first-half penalty kick that would have tied the score.”

Abigail Roberts goals today were her second and third of the season. “I usually play center-mid so it’s hard to score,” said Abigail.

Coach Connors: “The Lakers possessed the ball very well. They attacked our sidelines which we kind of gave up a little bit. Their strikers made good timing runs and that was the difference today.”

Coach Jaeger: “Poland worked hard, and all the girls gave 100%. They came back and didn’t put their heads down when they fell behind.”

Coach Jaeger: “Both schools are in Class B. We play strong competition. We are on the smaller side of Class B. We don’t have nearly the athletes that the Portland area schools have. But we compete.”

How often does it happen? The referee made a mistake, and a player (Lexi Wallingford) made the correction. The referee was all set to give Poland a direct kick, but Lexi told him the kick was Lake Region’s.

There was rain in the afternoon, but things cleared out for the game.

(All pictures will enlarge considerably if you click on them.)

GK Jordan Blanton denies Madison Valentine (1)

Emma Jenkins 11 (Poland) and Delia Fontana 11 (Lake Region)

GK Jordan Blanton gets in front of a first-half penalty kick

Margo Tremblay, Madison Valentine, Abigail Roberts

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Filed under Lake Region, Poland

Tagged as Abigail Roberts, Ava Anderson, Coach David Jaeger, Coach Tyler Connors, Gretchen Paradis, Hailey Brewer, Jordan Blanton, Kadie Coutts-Farrington, Shelby Sheldrick

September 20, 2018 · 10:40 pm

Yarmouth wins 4th straight downing Lake Region 4-0

Yarmouth brought plenty of pressure to the Lake Region end

Parker Harnett had a goal and an assist for the Clippers

(Naples ME) The scoreboard wasn’t working and senior captain Olivia Feeley was away looking at colleges.

Didn’t matter to Yarmouth as they won their fourth straight defeating Lake Region 4-0 on Thursday afternoon.

“Obviously, Yarmouth is a very good team,” said LR coach David Jaeger afterwards. “When we made mistakes, they made us pay for them.”

The Clippers (4-2) scored only four goals but they had a ton of glittering chances beyond those goals. Credit LR goalie Maddie Rock and the cool, but not too cool, weather.

Maddie kept the score down by surviving some point-blankers in the first half and some dangerous corner kicks in the second half.

The cooler weather kept a very busy LR defense from getting too tired over the constant pressure YHS brought.

Laker goalie Maddie Rock above the crowd

The two-time defending Class B champs were patient and opportunistic. They connected with teammates whether those teammates were ahead or behind. Their passes ahead often led to scoring chances.

“We controlled the game from start to finish,” said YHS coach Chris Coleman.

The Clippers had two goals in each half.

The Lakers (1-4-1) had very few chances to dent Yarmouth GK Hope Olson. Neva Leavitt had several runs for the home team.

“We had some decent possessions, but we just couldn’t find the last pass,” said Coach Jaeger.

Abi Hincks (6) chased by Brianna Sargent (21)

Sophomore Parker Harnett converted a break-in to open the YHS scoring. “It was a great finish” – Coach Coleman.

The Clippers’ second first-half goal was off a corner kick. No surprise to me. Why? The Clippers had all sorts of CK formations and their kickers put the ball where goals could happen.

Twenty-two minutes into the first half Abi Hincks floated a CK far enough out from Lakers’ goalie Maddie Rock that she couldn’t come out to get it. Teammate Ehryn Groothoff rushed into open space in the middle and one-timed a shot past Maddie Rock.

“It was a set piece,” said Coach Coleman. “It is something we work on and nice to get rewarded.”

Sophomore Parker Harnett added an assist in the second half to her first-half goal. Parker found space from the right side and drilled a shot that GK Maddie Rock deflected. Audrey Goessling was quick to knock in the rebound sixteen minutes into the second half giving YHS a 3-0 edge.

Audrey Goessling (17) scored the 3rd Yarmouth goal assisted by Parker Harnett.

Adriana Whitlock tallied the final Clippers goal eleven minutes later. The ball came into the middle and Adriana was able to lift the ball over a LR defender as well as GK Maddie Rock.

The Clippers were without WMCA All-Star Olivia Feeley. “We have a lot more depth than what people think,” explained Coach Coleman. “Not having her wasn’t ideal but we have other players to rotate in.”

Yarmouth started the 2018 season with losses to York and Cape Elizabeth. Coach Coleman: “We had the ball the majority of the time against York (1-0 loss) and hit the bar twice. Against Cape Elizabeth (double OT loss) we missed several one-on-one’s and hit the post.”

The Clippers play both teams again next week. “We’ll be ready,” promised Coach Coleman.

Coach Chris Coleman and the referee discuss jewelry

One thing Coach Coleman and his team weren’t ready for was the enforcement of the “jewelry” rule. Three different times, by my count, Yarmouth players were sent to the sidelines. The game was not rough in any way, so I wondered what was going on at first. It turned out that the sidelined girls had jewelry on. In at least one case, Laker folks in the crowd brought the infraction to the referees attention. “I don’t want to get into that ruling,” said Coach Coleman. “This is the first time this has happened to us.”

Coach Jaeger regarding goalie Maddie Rock: “She was outstanding, but we’re used to it. She kept the game closer than it might have been.”

The Lakers tied Fryeburg Academy (2-2) earlier in the season. This week Yarmouth buried the Raiders, 9-1. I thought LR would be in serious trouble today vs Yarmouth as a result. Wrong assumption, as it turned out.

(All of the pictures above and below should enlarge considerably if you click on them.)

Parker Harnett congratulated by Ehryn Groothoff after first goal

Parker Harnett (27) scored the first Yarmouth goal

Neva Leavitt

Mindy Miller (20) and Maddie Rock (17) meet Ehryn Groothoff pre-game

Maddie Rock up for a corner kick

Sophomore Anna Wallace (four goals this season) eyes a loose ball while GK Maddie Rock tries to corral it.

Isabella Wears

Hannah Dwyer

Ehryn Groothoff

Ashlyn Feeley (1) and Ella Caruso (15)

Adriana Whitlock lifts a shot over Bella Russo (10)

Addison Hounchell (41) and Brianna Sargent (21)

Abi Hincks gets in on GK Maddie Rock

Struggle for the ball

Parker Harnett set to fire

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Filed under Lake Region, Yarmouth

Tagged as Abi Hincks, Adriana Whitlock, Audrey Goessling, Coach Chris Coleman, Coach David Jaeger, Ehryn Groothoff, Maddie Rock, Neva Leavitt, Park Harnett

September 8, 2018 · 5:51 pm

Freeport wears down Lake Region 9-0 in Class B soccer

Will Winter face-to-face with Laker goalie CJ Ferguson

Jesse Bennell with open space

(Naples ME) “Freeport is a great team,” said Lake Region coach Ryan Harlow after watching his team defeated 9-0 by the Falcons on Saturday morning.

Who could argue? The visitors put on a passing clinic on all parts of the field.

Many of the Falcons’ goals were at the end of unselfish setups. Eight different players scored.

“It’s their touches,” added Coach Harlow. “As soon as they touch the ball they know where they’re going. They are two players ahead on where the ball is going to go.”

Logan Parsons (9) and Eriksen Shea (3)

Credit the Lakers for hanging in. Coming off a 2-12 2017 season and a tough 2-1 loss Thursday to Poland, the home team trailed just 2-0 after thirty minutes of the first half. Unfortunately for the Lakers (1-2), in those final ten minutes Freeport cashed four times.

With a six-goal cushion the Falcons (2-1) could play the second half differently.

“We wanted to give everyone minutes,” explained FHS coach Bob Strong. “I was able to put players in different positions to see how they’d do. Some who were usually in the back got to play in the front.”

No matter where the Falcons were positioned their passing was terrific. “We moved the ball around well,” added Coach Strong. “We want to limit our touches and play quick.”

Junior Will Winter paced the Falcons with two goals and two assists.

Jake Dumont (penalty kick), Eriksen Shea, Cam Strong, Griffin Johnson, Gabe Wagner, Jesse Bennell, and Liam Grogan had goals.

CJ Ferguson catches a high Freeport shot

The busiest person in Naples from 10AM-11:30AM? Easily it was Lakers goalie CJ Ferguson. The LR goalie faced 33 shots and few were slow rollers.

The Falcons did score one PK but, with their passing in the box, several times teammates were set up for PK-type scoring chances.

Defender Caleb Arsenault had an assist for Freeport. “We played well in the back,” he told me afterwards. “We got the ball to midfield and the offense connected on passes.” Caleb is looking to attend Unity next year. “I would try to walk on to their soccer team.”

Nice cool weather with morning sun. Good traveling crowd from Freeport.

Caleb Arsenault

Coach Harlow: “Our defense is young. We’re trying to build it. Our sophomore class is very good. We hope to compete with teams like Freeport in the future. We just had a youth clinic earlier this morning for 150 kids so there is an interest in soccer.”

Coach Strong: “We have some horses this year, but we have to execute. We play Yarmouth (defending Class B champs) on Tuesday. That will be a test for us. No one expects us to win (FHS was 9-7 last year) and that’s the position we like to be in right now.”

The scoreboard on the lower field showed the time but not the score.

Covering program-less games is always a challenge. To accurately identify pictures, you must have names and numbers. Today I got some help but as I looked through my pictures I found numbers from both teams that aren’t on the lists I left with. How helpful it would be if each coach brought several up-to-date rosters with numbers, names, and graduating class to each game.

(All the pictures above and below should enlarge if you click on them.)

Gabe Wagner

Griffin Johnson (13)

Jack (Tom Kolofsky) and The Baker (Matt Mayo)

Ethan Prescott and Jason Harlow

Jake Dumond lines up a shot

Jesse Bennell and Jonas Edwards

Jesse Bennell shoots as Matt Mayo defends

Jesse Bennell

Owen Patrick

Will Winter (2 goals) break through

Action aplenty in front of the LR goal on a corner kick

Bill Antoine fires

Cam Strong (20) finishes

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Filed under Freeport, Lake Region

Tagged as Caleb Arsenault, Cam Strong, CJ Ferguson, Eriksen Shea, Gabe Wagner, Griffin Johnson, Jake Dumont, Jesse Bennell, Liam Graogan, Will Winter

February 24, 2018 · 9:15 pm

Lake Region gets Class B South title 42-34 over Freeport

The reality of the Lakers win sets in as Chandler True dribbles out the clock

Chandler True (15 points) get two of them in the first half

(Portland ME) Was it great defense?

Was it off shooting?

Who’s to know for sure but Freeport struggled mightily trying to score against Lake Region in the second half and lost in the Class B South finals to the Lakers, 42-34, on Saturday afternoon.

“I can’t comprehend that were going to be in the states,” said LR coach Paul True afterwards.

While the Falcons (16-5) had shooting woes (2-for-26 in the second half) the Lakers (16-5) had their own problem: turnovers.

The team from Naples had twenty-five miscues, including seven in the 4^th quarter and as a result a comfortable, 37-24, lead with 7:23 remaining in the 4th quarter melted to 38-34 with fifty second left.

Shauna Hancock hits two important free throws in the last minute

But then LR freshman (Shauna Hancock) stopped the Falcons comeback with huge plays on both ends of the court. First, she cashed two pressure-laden free throws and then she created a turnover with a steal. Freeport momentum was ended, and the Lakers settled in for the victory.

Chandler True was chosen MVP in the B South tournament. Chandler led all scorers with fifteen points including ten in the second half.

You may have seen the bumper sticker: Ask me about my grandchildren. We love to talk about them. Just tee us up to do it! When asked about his daughter being MVP, Coach True fluctuated between beaming and being teary-eyed. “She’s a great kid,” were the best words he could put together to describe Chandler.

Both teams applied pressure wherever they could. Freeport coach Mike Hart reportedly said that the Lakers’ defense was “everywhere.”

Shauna Hancock (12) reaches for a pass

Both defenses begged the opponent to throw a long pass, which they often intercepted.

Both defenses also cluttered the middle. Drives met multiple defenders most of the afternoon.

Double-teams showed up regularly.

The Lakers were able to tally several breakaway baskets.

A 14-4 third quarter gave the Lakers separation. Three’s by Chandler True and Rachel Shanks (11 points) were big shots for LR in that segment.

It took the Falcons five minutes before they put up any points in the 3^rd period. Megan Cormier ended the point famine with a jumper.

Coach True marveled at the parity of the B South teams: “Any number of teams from our conference could have been where we are now.”

Caroline Smith paced Freeport with ten points.

Reaching the B South finals was historic for Freeport. Last time they were there? 1977!

Taylor Rinalde (14) tries to turn the corner on Lauren Jakobs

Lake Region and Freeport faced each other on February 2^nd at Naples. The Falcons took that one 59-47. I saw an interview that Chandler True did on that game. She said that LR was up by ten points in the 3^rd quarter and then got into foul trouble and lost.

Freeport’s Allie Goodman had twenty-two points in the first meeting while teammate Caroline Smith recorded eighteen points. Three + weeks later the Lakers defense held Allie to six and Caroline to four.

The Lakers had to defeat the defending Class B state champs (Gray-New Gloucester) to reach today’s finals.

Lake Region will play Winslow in Bangor on Friday night for the title.

Lauren Jakobs had nine rebounds and seven points for LR.

Thanks to Rivalries for supplying me with the stats for this game.

Box from the game

(All of the pictures will enlarge if you click on them.)

Chandler True goes where shots get blocked

Brooke Harriman (3) looks for a pass

Lauren Jakobs on a breakaway

Lauren Jakobs (7 points and nine rebounds)

Lakers celebrate

Lake Region huddle

Aisley Sturk (24), Lauren Jakobs (22), Megan Cormier (13), Allie Goodman (22)

Rachel Shanks (11 points) defended by Allie Goodman (22)

Shauna Hancock back on defense against Caroline Smith (20)

Chandler True (tourney MVP)

Freeport cheerleaders

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Filed under Freeport, Lake Region

Tagged as Caroline Smith, Chandler True, Coach Paul True, Lauren Jakobs, Shauna Hancock

September 30, 2017 · 7:46 pm

Two Tristen Chaine second-half goals spark Lake Region’s 4-2 win over Poland

Tristen Chaine (#2 in white uniform) finds the far right side of the Poland net.

The Knights celebrate their first goal in five games.

(Naples ME) I love these matchups!

Put two hardworking teams together, throw out the records and catch the excitement.

And there was plenty of excitement today as visiting Poland fell to Lake Region, 4-2, on a chilly Saturday morning/afternoon of Class B South boys’ soccer.

Lake Region senior Tristen Chaine was the difference maker in the final outcome with two second half tallies.

The Knights controlled play for much of the first half but opportunistic LR jumped in front, 2-0, on rebound scores by junior Jacob Arey.

Paul Vigna (11) defended by Andrew Frechette moves in on outcoming Poland goalie Matt Thebarge

But Poland, which hadn’t registered a goal in four games, got an answer as sophomore Cooper Keene put in his own rebound with 8:57 left in the first half.

The Knights carried that 2-1 deficit to halftime and the closeness of the score was unfamiliar ground for the visitors. In a season of frequent bulging first-half deficits, here was a game they had a solid chance to win.

Poland tied the score on a lovely corner kick/header conversion with 31:54 remaining. We now had ourselves a ballgame!

I think the chilly weather really helped both teams by lessening the fatigue that the recent high heat brought. And I think the fact that both teams were in a winnable position in the second half was also an inspiration. Take your pick of the reasons. We saw minutes full of back-and-forth runs with a significant number of near misses and goalie stops as the game continued tied.

Tristen Chaine found crucial open space in the second half

But then Tristen Chaine took over. The senior showed the knack of beating defenders off the dribble during most of the game. Twice, with the game tied in the second half, those moves into space allowed him to launch left-footed rockets from the left. One at 14:00 and another at 9:02. Knights goalie Matt Thebarge had no chance on either shot as both were hard-hit and both found the upper right corner of the Poland net.

Those goals turned out to be the difference in the final 4-2 outcome.

Four minutes after the first Tristen goal, the Lakers were awarded a penalty kick when Poland captain Sam Walker took down Giovani Lopez in the penalty area. Giovani took the PK but his low shot was blocked by Matt Thebarge.

I thought, at the time, that Matt’s big save might spark a Knights’ counterattack and a possible tying goal but instead within a minute Tristen tallied his second score to increase Poland’s deficit to two.

Jacob Arey (8) converted two rebounds into goals.

Jacob Arey’s two first-half goals were almost identical. He was on the right side as first Paul Vigna, and later Jason Harlow, had one-on-one’s versus Poland GK Matt Thebarge. Matt made two gutsy blocks but both produced rebounds that went directly to Jacob with open nets to shoot at. Jacob didn’t miss on either opportunity.

Noah Breton’s goal was a beauty. Captain Sam Walker’s corner kick was head high and Noah’s was the head that connected with it. LR goalie CJ Ferguson had the middle of the net covered but Noah’s header went into the left corner. Nice play.

There were no cautions and very little contact.

I was impressed with the Vigna brothers (Paul/Peter). Peter had several key defensive plays to stymy Poland surges.

There were a few raindrops in the first half. A few more and I might have gone to my car and if I had I would have missed a very good game.

Poland (0-9) hosted Lake Region (2-8) on September 12^th and lost 3-1. LR took a 3-0 halftime lead and held off the Knights in the second half. This time around the Knights were in a tie game until the final fifteen minutes.

The Lakers had scored only two goals in their previous six games making today’s four-goal effort a welcome change.

Matt Thebarge blocked Giovani Lopez’s PK

Last time I saw the Lakers’ Matt Mayo in action was during this summer’s, “Wizard of Oz.” Terrific show.

I did the Fryeburg Academy/Leavitt football game at FA last Saturday. That day I was looking for shade (temps in the high 80’s). Today was a bracing 35 degrees cooler. I had four layers on!

(All of the pictures above and below will enlarge considerably if you click on them.)

Giovani Lopez (7) chased by Isaac Austin

loose ball

Tristen Chaine chased by Andrew Frechette and Brayden Gurney

GK Matt Thebarge looks to save

Freshman Logan Parsons pressed by sophomore Cooper Keene

Paul Vigna (11) in on Knights GK Matt Thebarge

Defender/Actor Matt Mayo tangles with Cooper Keene

Sam Walker

Noah Breton gets his head on Sam Walker’s corner kick

Noah Breton’s header sails past CJ Ferguson

Freshman Jason Harlow assisted on the second LR goal

Sophomore Noah Breton

Poland coach David Coyne questions a call

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Filed under Lake Region, Poland

Tagged as CJ Ferguson, Cooper Keene, Giovani Lopez, Jacob Arey, Jason Harlow, Matt Mayo, Matt Thebarge, Paul Vigna, Peter Vigna, Tristen Chaine

September 8, 2017 · 11:07 pm

Gray-New Gloucester gets first win (2-1) on two Alexa Thayer goals vs Lake Region

Emma Woods (8) lines up a direct kick late in the game as Alexa Thayer (4) moves to the front of the net defended by Elaina Sturk (7)

The celebrating begins after the Patriots scored the go-ahead goal late in the game

(Naples ME) The Gray-New Gloucester Patriots came into their meeting with the Lake Region Lakers scoreless and winless after two starts.

That all changed versus LR as second-half goals by junior Alexa Thayer earned the visitors a 2-1 victory in a thunder-delayed game on Friday afternoon.

In a matchup of Class B South opponents, the Lakers scored early in the first half when

Neva Leavitt’s corner kick eludes goalie Chelsea Davis in the first half

GNG goalie Chelsea Davis mishandled Neva Leavitt’s corner kick. It was sophomore Neva’s 2^nd goal of the season.

The Patriots (1-2) controlled play during most of this contest relying on patient passing. LR took the long-ball approach.

By patient passing I mean being willing to pass the ball back and sideways not straight ahead. That patient approach set up numerous scoring chances but this was where Lakers GK Maddie Rock stood out denying several GNG point-blank attempts.

The home team held that 1-0 lead until Alexa Thayer responded to a rebound off an Emma Woods shot from the right side and tapped in the game-tying tally with 18:56 left in the second half. The Patriots were thereby able to end their scoreless streak at 222 minutes.

“We have been focusing on following up on rebounds,” said GNG’s 7^th year coach Kiaran McCormack afterwards. “You don’t score style points. If you can be there for a rebound two yards out it counts the same as a 20-yard rocket to the top corner.”

The Patriots pressure had led to several direct kicks during the game. On almost every occasion the kick had gone over or wide. Finally, late in this match, junior Emma Woods put a hard shot on net from straight away on a direct kick that turned up a juicy rebound for Alexa camped to GK Maddie Rock’s right. Alexa’s tap-in gave GNG the lead and was indeed the game-winner with only 2:28 left.

Alexa Thayer’s game-winner gets past LR goalie Maddie Rock

Neva Leavitt scored the Lakers goal on a corner kick in the first half

The game got off to an ominous start as the rumble of thunder forced a 30-minute delay. After that it was typical Maine weather: sunshine, clouds, sunshine, clouds, but in this section of Naples, no more rain.

I was most impressed with the way Gray-New Gloucester kept control of the ball. Their passing and dribbling forced LR to chase for a high percentage of the game. That can be tiring and it may have caught up to the Lakers in the end game.

Emma Woods was a standout in the center of the field for the Patriots. The senior took control of a number of goal kicks and was a skillful dribbler/passer. Emma also had assists on both goals.

The best player on the field? I would take junior Neva Leavitt of Lake Region (0-2). She beat defenders all game long with clever dribbling.

(All of the pictures above and below will enlarge considerably if you click on them.)

Alexa Thayer (4) moves in on a rebound that will end up as a goal for GNG

Save in traffic

The run back after a goal

Emma Dyer

Lauren Jakobs

Bri Jordan (11), Aisley Sturk (5) and Lauren Jakobs (16)

Bri Jordan (11) and Kenzie Siebert (3)

Chelsea Davis saves

Jordy Grant

Brooke Harriman (23) pushes past Abbey Michaud (6)

Chandler True

Jordy Grant (10), Danica Chadwick (24), and Alexa Thayer )4)

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Filed under Gray New Gloucester, Lake Region

Tagged as Alexa Thayer, Bri Jordan, Emma Woods, Kiaran McCormack, Maddie Rock, Neva Leavitt

August 15, 2017 · 7:52 pm

Wizard of Oz at Lake Region High School

Robin Croce (Dorothy) makes a closing bow at the end of the Wizard of Oz.

The Tin Man finally gets a heart.

(Naples ME) Followed the yellow-brick road to Naples for Sunday’s matinee finale on August 13^th of the Wizard of Oz.

I love local theatre performances. The enthusiasm of the performers as well as the related audience members is refreshing.

The Lake Region Community Theatre put a strong cast together starting back in May. With sixty cast members, there was plenty of directing needed and it got done.

Of course, you had a hat/shoe fall off inadvertently here and there to test the improvising skills of the actors/actresses….much to the delight of the audience.

I thought that Robin Croce was terrific as Dorothy. Looked like a flawless performance by her from beginning to end to me.

It was the pleasure for my wife and I to catch the show at Lake Region High School.

Wonder what they’ll come up with next year. I plan to be on hand without even knowing what the show will be!

(The pictures above and below will enlarge considerably if you click on them.)

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Filed under Lake Region, Robin Croce, Wizard of Oz

Tagged as Lake Region Community Theatre, Robin Croce, Wizard of Oz

September 20, 2016 · 10:43 pm

Greely wins in overtime at Lake Region 3-2 on Elizabeth Brown goal

Elizabeth Brown (2) scored the OT game-winner for Greely

Elizabeth Brown’s game-winning shot

(Naples ME) In case you missed the first meeting two weeks ago, the results the second time around were very similar.

The Greely Rangers (4-3) defeated winless Lake Region, 3-2, in overtime in Class B field hockey action at summer-like Naples on Tuesday afternoon.

Junior Elizabeth Brown scored the OT game-winner in the rematch at 3:41 assisted by first-meeting, game-winning scorer Maddy Perfetti.

What scares me about field hockey

I want to put my cards on the table right near the start: I have never covered a field hockey game before! I will also admit that I had no idea what all the whistles were about.

That being said, this was a game that either team could have won. The Lakers (0-6) twice had the lead in the second half and threatened early in overtime.

I thought that the Lakers ran out of energy in overtime after they pressured early in OT. Why do I say that? Elizabeth Brown got the ball in the Lakers’ end in the middle from Maddy Perfetti and moved in unchallenged for a close, open shot. No defenders in sight for LR goalie Maddie Nelson to help her prevent the game winner.

Kaitlyn Plummer had both of the Lakers’ regulation goals. She was assisted by Paige Davis and Liz Cole.

Sophomore Maddy Perfetti had both regulation goals for the Rangers. She was assisted by Sydney Meredith-Pickett and Wren Payne.

Kylie Rogers gets the blocker on a LR shot

Key to the win for the team from Cumberland was the goal-tending of Kylie Rogers. One time she used her blocker to get a high shot while later made a terrific kick save of a shot heading for the cage.

Impressed by the territory covered by Maddy Perfetti, Paige Davis, and Dessi Berry.

Lake Region won state titles in 1977, 1980, and 1988. Greely notched their lone title in 2003.

Greely was 5-10 last season and already have four wins this season with a lot of schedule left. The team has no seniors.

Sydney Meredith-Pickett (7) set to block an LR rusher

Sydney Meredith-Pickett was listed this season by the Portland Press Herald as one of their “Players to Watch.”

Lake Region did not play like a winless team. Should be some “W’s” ahead for them.

(All of the pictures above and below will enlarge considerably if you click on them.)

Isabelle Bachelder, Maddy Perfetti, Elizabeth Brown

Kelsey Apovian

Kaitlyn Plummer

Maddie Nelson and Dessi Berry

Crowd gathers close to LR goal

Ella Novick (18) fires from close in at LR goalie Maddie Nelson

Hailey Parsons and Elizabeth Brown

Greely goalie Kylie Rogers blocks a shot

Isabelle Bachelder (5) prevents a LR goal in the first half

Kaitlyn Plummer (5) sends a shot past the Rangers defense

Maddy Perfetti and Hailey Parsons (10)

Maddy Perfetti (2 goals) on the move

Air ball near the Greely goal

Kaitlyn Plummer congratulated by Julia Murch after 2nd goal

Kaitlyn Plummer’s shot goes past Greely goalie Kylie Rogers for second goal

Kendyl Ridlon (left) covers Ella Novick (18)

Maddy Perfetti (3) watches as her shot eludes the LR defense for the tying goal

Action in front of the Greely cage

Kylie Rogers (00) kicks away a rebound from Paige Davis (white 13)

Delaney Meserve (1) Kaitlyn Plummer (5), Courtney Rog (8)

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Filed under Greely, Lake Region

Tagged as Dessi Berry, Elizabeth Brown, Kaitlyn Plummer, Kylie Rogers, Maddy Perfetti, Sydney Meredith-Pickett

October 20, 2014 · 10:51 pm

Liam Bell (4 goals) leads Wells past Lake Region 6-1 in WMC Class B boys’ soccer

Liam Bell gets a clean look for his first of four goals for Wells

Freshman Liam Bell

(Naples ME) The Wells Warriors finished the regular season with four straight wins after defeating Lake Region, 6-1, on a cool Monday night of WMC boys soccer.

Freshman Liam Bell lit up the Lakers for four goals despite being on the Wells bench for nearly half of the game. Liam had three goals in the Warriors 4-1 win over LR earlier in the season.

Wells (6-6-2) tallied three goals in each half.

Lake Region (1-13) clicked on a penalty kick in the first half and carried a 2-1 deficit down to the last two minutes of the half. However, Liam Bell finished his first-half hat-trick to boost the Wells margin to 3-1 at the half.

The Warriors added three more goals in the first twenty minutes of the second half and never looked back.

Lake Region honored its seniors before the game.

No question that Liam Bell can finish but in this game his teammates put him into a position to finish all night long.

Lakers GK Michael Rust saw plenty of shots.

Liam’s first goal was nicely assisted by Hatim Sharaf. His second goal was a header off of TJ Wright’s corner kick. The third goal was set up by Alec Pinette who dribbled down the right side and could have taken a shot. Lakers GK Michael Rust moved his way expecting a shot but instead Alec centered the ball into the middle to an uncovered Liam Bell. The net was wide open.

LR picked up its goal after Magnus Holm was tripped in the box. Michael Rust took the kick and put it into the upper left corner.

In the second half, Liam Bell was quick to cash in a rebound (33:42) of Hatim Sharaf’s point-blank shot.

The Warriors would convert two more rebounds in the second half. Both shots were taken by senior Daniel Quint. Peter Valentino put in one rebound while Alex Pinette put in the other.

Chandler Bridge

The aggressive Warriors won most of the one-on-one battles. I thought the big difference between the two teams was Wells ability to be able to face the goal in scoring position over-and-over. Lake Region had very few good looks at Wells GK Chandler Bridge.

I was impressed with LR’s exchange student Magnus Holm. He was very skilled.

Wells coach Sean Bishop was not sure when the last time was that the Warriors made the playoffs.

Lake Region didn’t win a game last year and ended up with one win (Poland) this year. But there was significant improvement statistically. In 2013 the Lakers tallied only 2 goals and gave up 129. This year LR scored 13 goals and gave up 62.

(I can edit this blog so if there is a mistake let me know and I will do it.)

(All of the pictures above and below will enlarge considerably if you click on them.)