October 15, 2018 · 8:51 pm

Ipswich edges Triton 1-0 on second-half Justin Foye goal

Very busy afternoon for Triton goalie Mark Anthony Glickman against Ipswich

John Werner (15) lines up a shot

(Byfield MA) You knew it wasn’t Triton’s day when the best chance they had all game never happened.

The Vikings were awarded a direct kick from close to the right sidelines in the closing minute.  Everyone moved in close to the goal, including the entire Ipswich team.  The kick was about to be taken when the whistle sounded ending the game.

“They had that great opportunity at the end,” said a relieved Ipswich coach Greg Scruton afterwards.

The Tigers were winners 1-0 in Cape Ann League boys soccer on an overcast Monday afternoon.  Rain was predicted but never happened.

Ipswich (3-8-2) had chances galore throughout this one but the combination of misfires and the goalkeeping of Mark Anthony Glickman frustrated the visitors.

The Tigers broke the scoreless tie eighteen minutes into the second half.

Chase Gagnon sets up the only Ipswich goal.

Justin Foye kicks the game winner

Tigers celebrate their only goal

The goal scorer (Justin Foye) drove home a shot that he never thought would go in.  “I wasn’t expecting it to go in,” he told me afterwards.  “I saw a kid in front of me and the goalie was behind him.  I shot it anyway and it went through the defender’s legs and past the goalie.”

Senior Chase Gagnon set Justin up.  Chase broke down the right side and put the ball back into the middle where Justin was wide open to receive the pass.

“We practice getting the ball to the winger and then cutting it back,” said Coach Scruton.  “It was a great set up and a good finish.  That was the first assist for Chase this season.”

Mark Anthony Glickman goes down for a shot by Justin Foye

The loss was a tough one for the Vikings (1-11-1) especially the way it ended with them missing out on the best chance they had all day.

“I thought we worked hard,” said Triton coach Dave Mitchell.  “They had more of the advantage of play, but we hung in there well.”

Both coaches marveled at a second-half sequence in which sophomore defender Brendan Dennis refused to allow Ipswich a second goal.  Justin Foye put a shot over junior goalie Mark Anthony Glickman that was heading for the net.  Brendan kept that out and then blocked two other shots to deny the Tigers.

Defender Brendan Dennis (5) saves a goal

“He (Brendan) made three stops in a row,” said Coach Mitchell.  “We practice situations like that.”

“We had plenty of opportunities to score,” added Coach Scruton.  “Their goalie made some amazing saves and #5 (Brendan Dennis) kept the ball out of the net as well.”

Coach Dave Mitchell

Coach Mitchell is trying to bring back a soccer program that has won only four times in the last 2+ seasons.  “We need to work on our first touches and our technical skills.  Most of this group will be back next year and so we’re optimistic.”

The Vikings hustled and encouraged each other throughout the game.

Coach Scruton was pleased with his team’s defense: “We were disciplined today.  Jacob (Eliopoulos) did well at center back and our two outside backs cut down any through balls for us.”

One thing there were plenty of in this game were corner kicks.  All of them were by Ipswich and they were all taken by Jake Scruton.  The Ipswich sophomore had the skill to put the ball right where teammates were in the middle of the box.  GK Mark Anthony Glickman somehow managed to keep those Ipswich chances out of the net.

I like the turf field at Triton.  It is fast with true bounces.

I asked senior goal scorer Justin Foye about his college plans: “My top two right now are Merrimack and Endicott.  I am interested in engineering.”

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

Mark Anthony Glickman up for a corner kick

Tangled

Brendan Atherton (21), Jacob Eliopoulos (2), Alphonso Lopez (8)

Brendan Dennis takes one in the face

Cam Mallette heads

Chase Gagnon (12) and Ayden Jacobs (17)

Efrem Johanson

A shot gets past Ipswich goalie Nico Roesler…..in practice

Jake Scruton gets set for a corner kick

Jason Finkst

Justin Foye elevates for a header

Loose ball in close

Mark Anthony Glickman

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October 13, 2018 · 10:25 pm

Emma Curtis leads Newtown by Cheshire 3-0 in girls soccer

Emma Curtis had a goal and an assist for Newtown

Emma Curtis shoots past GK Seymone Rosenberg

(Newtown CT) It was all that Cheshire coach James Luis would talk about afterwards: Emma Curtis.

“We played against a very special player. She (Emma Curtis) dominated the game and beat us.  That’s it.  End of story.”

Emma Curtis had a goal and an assist in Newtown’s 3-0 win over Cheshire under the lights on Saturday night.

The Nighthawks (8-1-2) have now won five straight and are unbeaten in their last seven games.

Julia Hendrick in on GK Julianna Stavola

The shutout went to sophomore goalkeeper Julianna Stavola.

“Our ability to defend has been a staple of the program over the last 10-12 years,” said Newtown coach Marc Kenney.  “I don’t think as much about the defensive part of the game because I have confidence in what we can do.”

The Rams (5-3-3) did put some pressure on Julianna Stavola after the 3-goal cushion was in place and NHS had shifted in reserves.

Senior Emma Curtis had everyone’s attention from the get-go.  Two minutes into the game she broke loose down the right side for a clean, low shot that gave the home team the quick lead.

Kayla Agostinelli (16) and Katie Sailer (10)

“She took advantage of us from beginning to end,” said Coach Luis.  “We were aware of her coming into the game (Emma was all-state last year) but despite our efforts she was able to turn on us and get good shots on goal.”

It was a perfect start as far as Emma Curtis was concerned. “Cheshire is a team we’re not as familiar with.  We wanted to set the tone right away.”  Mission accomplished.

The Rams didn’t go away despite the one-goal deficit.

Ten minutes into the second half, however, the Rams were put away by two Nighthawks’ scores in little over a minute.

Both second-half goals were off set pieces.  “We’ve been really, really good on set pieces this season,” explained Coach Kenney.  “We’ve scored a bunch of goals off corner kicks and we’re not afraid to head the ball.”

Sydney Howard heads for the right corner

Junior Sydney Howard unleashed a textbook cross from the right corner.  The cross was far enough out that Cheshire GK Seymone Rosenberg couldn’t reach it.  Past her it went and onto the wide-open, waiting foot of freshman Ally McCarthy.  This was at 31:31 of the 2nd half.

More textbook offense in the third Newtown tally.  This time it was a corner kick.

“We work a lot in practice on corner kicks,” explained Emma Curtis.  “We always look for certain players in the center to get a head on it.”  Emma failed to mention the actual corner kick which was her doing and which landed in the middle of a cluster of her onrushing teammates.

One of the teammates was junior Karsen Pirone who drove a header into the net.

Karsen Pirone (6) gets her head on a perfect corner kick

Karsen Pirone (6) after heading the ball in

The third score was at 30:21.

Pressure on Newtown GK Julianna Stavola

Newtown GK Julianna Stavola was tested point-blank late in the game but stood her ground to keep the shutout.  NHS has allowed only five goal in eleven games.

Can Newtown stay on the good roll they’re on?  Check back next Friday.  Why?  The Nighthawks have games Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday.  “Next week is rough,” said Coach Kenney.  “We just have to roll up our socks and play hard.”

When I interview seniors I usually ask them about their college plans.  This is what Emma told me: “I was looking at schools for soccer, but I may just not play.  I’ll have to see what’s out there.  If I go to a smaller school I would probably play but at a big school I would do club soccer.”

Keeley Kortze (5), Paige Perez (7), and Katie Sailer (10)

Coach Kenney: “Emma is super talented.  Her ability to create separation and get in on breakaways for goals has been a key to our success this season.”

Newtown was 13-2-1 last year while Cheshire had a 10-6-3 record.

Both teams are in the LL Division.  Newtown is in the South-West Conference.  Cheshire is in the Southern Connecticut Conference.

Cheshire had won four straight before tonight’s loss.

It was a fast-moving game with few whistles on a crisp night.

The surface at the Blue-and-Gold Stadium is fast.

Cassidy Keaney (3) blocks an attacker as Seymone Rosenberg saves

One of the adventures of covering high school games is identifying players.  Those of us taking pictures WANT to get the names right.  Sometimes the help we get is minimal.

Rosters online often say one thing while the rosters at the game say another.  Cheshire’s roster online tells me that #5 is Julia Hendrick.  The roster I got at last night’s game doesn’t have a #5.  #5 of Cheshire had a direct shot on GK Julianna Stavola and I had a picture of that action. I’m going with the shooter being Julia Hendrick.

Newtown has a roster online that has Hannah Daly listed as #10.  The roster at the game has her as #2.  That roster online has duplicate numbers.

Cheshire has uniforms without numbers on the front.  Imagine the difficulty that creates for a photographer trying to identify a picture.

Despite all that, a game was covered, and pictures were taken.  I hope with a degree of accuracy.

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

Shot wide

Newtown celebrates a goal two minutes into the game

Loose ball

GK Julianna Stavola dives for a ball in close

Izzy Dziura (4), Emma Curtis, GK Seymone Rosenberg

Hannah Daly

Emma Curtis shoots at Seymone Rosenberg

Emma Curtis in the middle of two Cheshire defenders

Battle for control

Ally McCarthy after scoring the second goal nicely set up by Sydney Howard

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October 10, 2018 · 10:35 pm

Newburyport boys and Triton girls stay undefeated in CAL cross country

(Newbury MA) And then there were two.

Three teams came into this afternoon’s boys/girls cross country meet undefeated.

Now only the Triton girls (7-0) and the Newburyport boys (8-0) are unbeaten.

Both squads dominated the top finishers at Old Town Hill in Newbury on a very hot/sunny Wednesday afternoon.

Ellie Gay-Killeen won by almost a minute

Sam Acquaviva wins another race

Ellie Gay-Killeen and Sarah Harrington were 1-2 for Triton while Sam Acquaviva, John Lucey, and Dreese Fadil were 1-2-3 for Newburyport.

The Triton girls won 25-30 while the Newburyport boys won 22-33.

“Our girls were tough in the heat,” said Vikings coach Joe Colbert.  “The conditions were brutal.  We run this course well.  It was a great win for us because Newburyport (7-1) is a very good team.”

The 3.1 mile course gave the Clippers problems.  “It was super hilly,” said 4th place finisher Ellie Schulson afterwards.  “The sun was in your eyes when you were going up the hill and you couldn’t see your footing.  I fell down.”

Ellie Schulson

“They had those two girls up front that are tough to beat,” added NHS coach Don Hennigar.  “If you go 1-2 it doesn’t seal it but it’s awfully tough to come back.  On another day, at another place, it could all be different since the teams are that close.”

The race winner (Ellie Gay-Killeen) agreed with the consensus about the conditions: “It was a tough, tough race but I have always gained ground on the hills here.  I was not on my best pace at all but we’re still undefeated.” Ellie finished nearly a minute ahead of teammate Sarah Harrington.

Coach Colbert said he wasn’t surprised by the 1-2 finish although he said that Newburyport runners (Lindsey Roberts and Ellie Schulson) pushed Sarah Harrington.

Coach Colbert gave credit to Kylie Lorenzo (5th) and Kerry Powers (7th): “Kylie and Kerry had huge days for us.  They passed some girls in the end and it really made a difference.”

Senior Sam Acquaviva hasn’t lost a race in Massachusetts in a while and that run of top finishes continued today.  “I wanted to get the lead early and keep it,” Sam told me afterwards.  “The course was tough.  As a team we wanted to win this one badly and we did.”

Sam told me that he had just taken a visit to MIT.  “I like the cross country team there,” he said, “but to get into MIT is a task unto itself.  I am interested in engineering, so it would be a good fit for me.”

Dreese Fatil finished 3rd

Getting the top three places was key for the Clippers.  “They all stepped up,” said Coach Hennigar.  “Dreese Fatil getting third was huge for us.  To beat Triton on their course was special.”

Keegan Ritchie, Diego Fernandez, and Tyler Stranc finished 4-5-6 for Triton (6-2) but to win this meet they needed someone to break into the top three and that didn’t happen on this afternoon.

All sorts of side things went on during today’s meet.  The heat caught up to several participants and several ambulances were put to use.  There also was a vehicle accident on Newman Street during the meet.

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

Triton girls team picture

Triton boys team picture

Kylie Lorenzo 5th

Sarah Harrington 2nd

Lindsey Roberts (3rd) and Ellie Schulson (4th) finish together

Keegan Ritchie 4th, Diego Fernandez 5th, and Tyler Stranc 6th

Caroline Walsh 6th and Kerry Powers 7th

Cam Lasson 7th

Ellie Gay-Killeen leads early with Sarah Harrington close behind

 

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October 10, 2018 · 9:25 pm

Triton’s Ellie Gay-Killeen: More than a runner

Ellie Gay-Killeen

(Newbury MA) I went to an important cross country meet today between two of the area’s top teams (Triton and Newburyport) but came away marveling at the wonderful actions of one of the participants.

The grandparent in me said, “What she did is role model material.  Write about it and later do a separate entry on the running results.”  And so I will.

The temperatures were in the 80’s at Old Town Hill in Newbury where Wednesday afternoon’s meet was held.

“It seems as if every time we run this season, it’s been hot, but it doesn’t make it any easier doing it,” said Clippers coach Don Hennigar afterwards.

Most of the Cape Ann League courses are in the woods where, even on a hot day, it’s shady.

So the heat was on. It would have negative effects on many of the participants.

For Newburyport senior Katherine Sheehy the heat turned nightmarish and down she went about fifty yards from the end of the 3.1 mile race.

There were adults quickly on the scene and medical help was soon there.  But beyond that there came a runner from Triton.

I wanted to talk to that runner because she had minutes before won the girls’ race.  But she wouldn’t leave the side of a Newburyport girl stretched out near the finish line.

I then assumed that the Newburyport girl was a friend of hers.  After all there is plenty of interaction between the teams.

Finally an ambulance arrived and the Newburyport runner was lifted to the ambulance with the Triton runner on hand making sure that the Newburyport girl was taken care of.

A few minutes later I was able to talk to the Triton runner (Ellie Gay-Killeen) about what had happened.  This is what she told me: “I didn’t really know the girl very well, but I’ve known her from track.  I think her name is Katherine (Sheehy).  I would always try to help someone in that situation.  It’s good sportsmanship.  Seeing a girl down for forty-five minutes makes my heart throb.  I stuck with her the whole time to make sure she was okay.  I don’t know her well but she’s a talented athlete.  Seeing her collapse before the finish line meant she was obviously hurting, so I had to do something.  Someone said that I shouldn’t touch her, or I’d be disqualified but I didn’t care.  She needed help, so I ran over and helped her.”

Remarkable stuff from a high school freshman, don’t you think?  The young lady is already the kind of caring person you must admire.  I’m quite sure that most of you parents and grandparents out there would agree with that.

Ellie Gay-Killeen – Thanks for exhibiting such care and kindness.  You are indeed a good role model.

 

 

 

 

 

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October 9, 2018 · 9:28 pm

Manchester-Essex scores early defeating Amesbury 3-0 in first-place battle

Dasa Hase (2 goals and an assist) runs with Meg McElaney (3)

Jill Bowen had the second Hornets goal

(Amesbury MA) It didn’t figure to go this way.

Manchester-Essex (8-3-1) jumped on Amesbury (7-3-1) early and defeated the Indians, 3-0, to move to the top of the Baker Division in the Cape Ann League.

Why didn’t it figure to go this way?  (1) The last fourteen times the two teams have met, including this season, the Indians won twelve times.  (2) In the last seven games between the two teams ME had scored only twice.

And then to increase the chances of another bad outing, no team bus showed up in Manchester and the Hornets were forty-five minutes late getting to Cashman Field in Amesbury.

So the stats and the situation suggested strongly that Manchester-Essex would struggle…………but they didn’t.

Alyssa Pettet (5) and Emma Cochand (11) battle

“We knew that we couldn’t control being late on a bus,” said ME coach Luke Cosgrove afterwards, “but we knew that we could control the start.”

And that was where this game was won.  Early.

The visitors tallied a goal in the first forty seconds and by the end of eleven minutes had two more.  Amesbury never recovered.

That lack of reaction bothered Indians coach Adam Thibodeau.  “We gave up.  If the other team gets off to a better start, we give up.  All of our losses have been by big scores.”

Dasa Hase (16) nearly scored in the second half.

The catalyst in the Hornets’ three goals was sophomore Dasa Hase.  She had the opening goal, assisted Jill Bowen on the second, and scored the third.

“We put her (Dasa) in the middle to try and use her speed,” said Coach Cosgrove.  “Sometimes out wide her speed gets hidden.”

Teammate Drew Charlton sent Dasa off in the first minute with a long pass up the middle. Dasa dribbled into space and cashed an open look against AHS goalie Julia Campbell.

Alli Napoli (out with injuries for a few games) was in net for Amesbury in the second half.

“Julia (Campbell) was beaten three times,” said Coach Thibodeau, “but it wasn’t a keeper issue.  All three were wide-open shots.”

Emma DiPietro hit the crossbar in the first half

Amesbury came close twice in the last ten minutes of the first half.  Emma DiPietro hit the crossbar and Alyssa Pettet fired a direct kick over the net.

The three-goal halftime lead changed ME’s approach to the second half.  “In the second half we said let’s not concede a goal,” explained Coach Cosgrove.  “We rested our star players and we got out of here with another clean sheet.”

The Hornets had three defenders stay on their half of the field even when their teammates were advancing on the AHS goal in the second half.

“In the last seven games, we’ve scored a goal each time within the first seven minutes,” said Coach Cosgrove.

The Indians did themselves no favors in Division 4 with the loss.  “We now may have to go to them in the tournament,” said Coach Thibodeau.

Coach Thibodeau: “They’re a great team.  I was hoping for a better battle in a playoff atmosphere but it didn’t happen.”

Drew Charlton (21) clears

The Indians defeated ME 2-0 earlier in the season.  Chelsea Lynch (now out with turf toe) had both goals for AHS.

Amesbury eliminated Manchester-Essex last year in the first round of the D4 tournament.  They would go on to reach the state semi-finals before losing to Millis.

ME’s Jade Cromwell is a two-time CAL All-Star.

Emma DiPietro, Alli Napoli, Chelsea Lynch, and Alyssa Pettet of Amesbury were honored by the Cape Ann League after last season.

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

AHS goalie Julia Campbell punts

Madison Lawler

Rachel Albertazzi chased by Meg McElaney and Bev Browne

Abby Lantz (7) and Maia Esty (15)

Alyssa Pettet

Alyssa Pettet and Jade Cromwell

Ashlee Porcaro shadows Dasa Hase

Hornets goalie Bella Pomeroy

Dasa Hase (16) congratulated by Jade Cromwell on her second goal

Dasa Hase (16) congratulated by Jill Bowen after her first goal

Ella Marinopoulos (8) dribbles

Emma DiPietro (11) and Claire O’Brien (5)

Emma DiPietro tries to get past Drew Charlton

 

 

 

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September 30, 2018 · 9:47 pm

Bridgton Academy races by Norwich JVs 52-6

George Morrice (20) pursued by Victory Wingfield (26) and Jacob Frith (34)

Speedy Jha’mil King scored three times for Bridgton Academy

(Bridgton ME) You can’t teach speed.

Bridgton Academy had plenty of it and sped by the Norwich JV’s on Sunday afternoon, 52-6.

Long gainers were the order of the day for the 2-1-1 Wolverines delighting a large Homecoming gathering.

BA coach Rick Marcella tried to downplay the win a bit afterwards.  “They’re a JV program.  They don’t get all the reps together we do in practice, so we should have an advantage.  Sometimes a team can rise above that but not today.”

Plenty of celebrations for the Wolverines

Jha’mil King (three touchdowns) and George Morrice (two touchdowns) paced Bridgton Academy.

“They were very good,” said Norwich coach Greg Vreeland afterwards.  “Twenty-five (Jha’mil King) ran the ball real tough.”

The Cadets (0-2) first two possessions started near their own goal line.  “It’s hard to go on 99-yard drives,” said Coach Vreeland.

That bad Norwich field position turned into a safety after a bad snap on a punt attempt from the end zone in the first quarter.

Wigs Crowley had two interceptions

The safety began a steady flow of points for the home team the rest of the game.  The Wolverines tallied two TDs in each of the first three quarters and won with ease.

“We’ve got some pretty good athletes,” explained Coach Marcella.  “They work hard in practice.”

Defensive back Wigs Crowley had two interceptions for Bridgton.  “We were in Cover 3 and I was just in the right place at the right time,” said the DB from Milton (MA).  “Our linebackers played good underneath, so the quarterback had to lob the ball over them.  I was just sitting there waiting.”

It wasn’t a perfect afternoon, however, for the BA defender.  “They scored their touchdown on me.  I bit on a screen pass and then couldn’t chase the receiver down.”

“He a very solid college prospect,” said Coach Marcella of Crowley. “I think he has four interceptions this season.”

There were plenty of big plays.  “One of the top ones was by George Morrice (29 yards) early in the second quarter on a first-down play,” said Coach Marcella.  “He made some nice cuts on that touchdown run.”

Jeff Baldassari, Coach Vreeland, and Caleb Bowen

Preston Buchanan caught a TD pass in the 3rd quarter and Elijah Nichols zigged and zagged his way to the end zone in the final quarter.

The Cadets lone score was in the third quarter when QB Jeff Baldassari connected with Levi Gosselin.  Both players are from Nashua (NH) North.

“We’ll enjoy tonight and then be back to work tomorrow,” said Coach Marcella.  “Our next opponent is Navy Prep.  Most of their players will play for Navy next year.  It will be completely different from today.”

BA plays nine of its ten games on the road.  Why?  It’s hard to get teams to travel to Bridgton.  Most of the varsity teams have games on Saturday which makes travel complicated.

The Bridgton playing field is very nice.

Plenty of get togethers after the game.

Covering games is not always easy.  Norwich added to the “excitement” by having players wearing the same numbers.  Try identifying pictures when that happens!

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

Preston Buchanan caught a touchdown pass

Colin Frary (13) surrounded

Wigs Crowley runs back an interception with Adam Briffett looking to block.

Xzabier Weaver reaches for a pass over Connor Foley 16

Ball on the field

battle in the air

Cam Peach

Elijah Nichols (5) looks for defenders

Four Wolverines after Thomas Meadows

George Morrice (20) runs behind Gavin Viera (4)

Jake O’Donnell 82 and Jha-mil King 25

Jha-mil King stiff-arms Ryan Shea (41)

Levi Gosselin scored a touchdown

Loose ball

Luke Hatch 32 and Patrick Duffy 55

 

 

 

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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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September 15, 2018 · 8:12 pm

Fryeburg Academy overwhelms Mt. Ararat 49-7

Fryeburg’s Isaak McKenney with blocker Reese Kneissler

Cal Southwick (20) sacks Mt. Ararat quarterback Nolan Blessington in the first quarter

(Fryeburg ME) Anytime a team causes the adjusted timing rule to kick in, they’re having a good day.

And that was the way it was for Fryeburg Academy as they overwhelmed Mt. Ararat, 49-7, on a sunny/warm Saturday afternoon.

“Any time you can have balance like we did today, it puts defenses in a difficult situation,” said Coach Dave Turner afterwards.

The 1-2 Eagles struggled on both sides of the ball. Blame it on the 70-0 trouncing by Kennebunk last week?  “There was no carryover from that loss,” according to Co-Head Coach Matt Haskell.  “We had a good week of practice.”

The Class C South Raiders (2-1) did almost everything right all afternoon. Very noticeable was their hole-opening and pass protecting.

Nate Knapp escapes the final Eagles tackler

That protection gave FA quarterback Oscar Saunders time to beat Mt. Ararat defenders deep twice in the first quarter.  Senior Nate Knapp was on the receiving end of both scores.

In the second quarter that good blocking keyed a persistent ground game that led to rushing scores by Cal Southwick and QB Oscar Saunders.

A wonderful half of offense and shut-down defense gave the home team a 27-0 halftime advantage.

“They had two big plays over the top at the beginning,” recalled Coach Haskell.  “We were in a zone and they had time to get behind our defenders.”

The Class B South Eagles didn’t make it any easier on themselves by contributing two first-half turnovers.  Raiders Dawson Jones (interception) and Jack Campbell (fumble recovery) capitalized for Fryeburg.

Quarterback Oscar Saunders had plenty of time behind blockers Kempton Maillett (55) and Josh Frye (73)

“We were after a certain matchup on the two passing touchdowns and we got them,” remembered Coach Turner.  “We had very good pass protection on both plays.”

The adjusted timing rule was activated late in the third quarter.  It goes into effect when a team gets down by 35 points in the second half.  The clock only stops thereafter on timeouts, injuries, penalties, and scores.

A two-yard plunge (Cal Southwick) and extra point (Eddie Thurston) made it 34-0.  Later in the 3rd period Liam Harriman intercepted a Nolan Blessington pass and then he was rewarded with a two-yard carry to the end zone.

Austin Damon tallied the Eagles touchdown in the final quarter

Now up, 41-0, the timing rule was activated.  Believe me, things started moving a lot faster for the rest of that quarter.

However, in the first minute of the final quarter Mt. Ararat QB Nolan Blessington connected with senior Austin Damon and suddenly the score was 41-7.  That deactivated the timing rule.

Next series senior Liam Chisari zigged and zagged his way past would-be Eagles tacklers to boost FA back to the timing rule range, 49-7, with 9 ½ minutes left.  That turned out to be the final score.

Coach Matt Haskell: “Fryeburg really limited our offense.  They absolutely shut down the outside.  They applied good pressure on defense.  They changed the looks of where they were coming from and even when we had time their coverage was good.”

Liam Chisari dodged several Eagles on his way to a score

I asked Coach Haskell about how the Co-Head Coach thing had come about and how it was working.  “The head coach resigned the second week of preseason.  On an interim basis, the offensive coordinator and the defensive coordinator are running the team together.  I think it’s working out okay.”

The team from Topsham was 5-11 over the past two seasons.

Some sort of serious situation on Route 302 today.  Coming from Bridgton on that route I was detoured into Lovell at Shawnee Peak.  Later, during the end of the football game, two Fryeburg rescue vehicles went by the football field with sirens on.  Life isn’t all fun and games!

Sophomore Eddie Thurston kicked four extra points.  His first try was blocked by Austin Damon.

Nice crowd on hand.  Plenty of sun for everyone!

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

Nate Knapp beats Hunter Lohr for the first FA touchdown

Liam Chisari scores with Kyle Graffam hanging on

Relaxed atmosphere along the FA sidelines

Eddie Thurston (65) kicked four extra points

Dawson Jones returns an interception

Junior Cal Southwick

Cal Southwick uses a block by Dawson Jones

Cal Southwick scored twice

Cal Southwick (20) escapes Austin Damon (34)

Tucker Buzzell (50)led an excellent Raiders defense today.

Reese Kneissler (51) is part of the pressure on QB Nolan Blessington

Oscar Saunders grabs a face mask.

Oscar Saunders (11) find a huge hole

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September 13, 2018 · 10:09 pm

Will Dieterich hat trick leads Oxford Hills past Skowhegan 7-0

Skowhegan keeper  Zach Carrier faces a free-and-clear Will Dieterich of Oxford Hills

Tomas Mendieta (10) defended by Shawn Hewitt (8)

(South Paris ME) The tough season for Skowhegan continues.

The winless Indians (0-4) were routed by Oxford Hills, 7-0, on a sunny Thursday afternoon.

“It’s frustrating,” said SHS coach Jordan Hale afterwards.  “We went back to old habits that don’t work.  It looked like a U10 game the way we chased the ball.  Like a school of fish.”

Lousy game for the visitors but one to remember for the Vikings (3-2).

Oxford Hills has now won three straight.

Spencer Strong (4) gets the Vikings first goal

“We took care of business,” said Vikings coach Matt Dieterich.  “We came out strong.”

That’s for sure.  Less than two minutes in, Tomas Mendieta cut in from the left and fired a shot at Skowhegan GK Zach Carrier.  Before the shot got to Zach, senior Spencer Strong intercepted it and scored.

The Indians held their deficit to one for the next twenty minutes.  Sophomore Keegan Mantor cleared a loose ball from the goal line to keep SHS close.

The bottom fell out, however, over the last twenty minutes of the first half.  Spencer Strong started it by setting up junior Andrew Binette with a nice pass in front.

Will Dieterich (13) sends a header, off a corner kick, toward the Skowhegan goal

Then Will Dieterich took over.  The OH senior tallied twice in thirty seconds and then completed the 3-goal half with another goal in the last two minutes.  That 5-0 deficit at halftime took most of the mystery out of what the final outcome would be.

“That was my first hat trick,” Will told me afterwards. He now has seven goals on the season.

“I thought we played well,” Will added.  “We controlled the ball and after we got up by a few goals we didn’t get goal hungry.  We still played the right kind of soccer.”

In the second half, Spencer Strong collected his second goal.  Later teammate Colby Ventresca posted the Vikings seventh goal of the afternoon.

Matush Prokop (17) and Will Dieterich (13) chase the ball

The OH passing was impressive.  They kept the ball on the ground and trusted teammates.

The OH finesse made Skowhegan’s lack of same stand out more than it might have.  “Every first touch was up in the air and every pass was ten feet in front.  It was a mess,” explained Coach Hale.  “There were no positives.”

“Our defense was great,” said Will Dieterich.  “Our keeper (Sam Morton) didn’t have much action but he was good as usual.”

Fight for the ball

Will credited teammate Andrew Merrill for a good screen on the Skowhegan goalie on his first goal.  That goal was set up on Will’s header after a corner kick by Daniel Paine.

The Vikings are coming off a 2-10-2 2017 season.  “That was disappointing,” recalled Will.  “This year we have ten seniors and are in a win-now mode.”

Through four games Skowhegan has given up twenty-six goals and scored only one.

I was within hearing range of the players most of the time.  I was impressed with the Indians leaders on the field.  I heard nothing but instruction and encouragement from the players despite the lopsided score.

Spencer Strong (two goals) dribbles between two Indians

Will told me that his dream for next year would be to get into an Ivy League school.  “I expect to play club soccer or intramurals soccer in college.”

I asked Will about being coached by his father.  “It can be frustrating at times because more is expected of me, but it has really been a great thing to have him around as my coach for the past three years.  By him coaching, I know he cares.”

Nice crowd on hand for a sunburn kind of afternoon.

Both teams are in Class A North.

Both schools helped me by emailing their rosters to me.

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

Action in front

Freshman Aiden Clark

Andrew Ireland (16) saves a goal in the first half

Colby Ventresca (11) lines up a goal shot

Mike Rowe

OH goalie Sam Morton sees a shot

Spencer Strong (4) shoots on GK Zach Carrier

Tommy Bancroft

Tommy Bancroft and Abas Al Amiri

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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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