The halfway point has arrived in the schoolgirl soccer season, and there aren’t a whole lot of surprises to report atop the Heal point standings.
However, the rankings do suggest a bit of parity in all four classes as only six teams — Bangor, Brunswick, Presque Isle, Winslow, Medomak Valley of Waldoboro and Southern Aroostook of Dyer Brook — take unblemished records into the second half of their respective schedules.
The Rams and Dragons have established themselves as the teams to beat in Class A, as Bangor has outscored its opponents 33-6 while the Dragons have outmatched their foes 42-7 while compiling 7-0 records.
Coach Joe Johnson’s Rams have gotten superior balance offensively, led by senior striker Eliza Estabrook, senior forward Kim Jordan, freshman forward Grace Maclean, senior forward Megan Doucette and senior midfielders Mariah Cassum, M.J. Boyce and Denali Graham.
The Rams have also benefited from strong play in the back from Adrianna Capuano, Liz Hintz and Erin Boulier. They’ve helped goalkeeper Mia Smith record three shutouts.
Bangor has allowed more than one goal only once all season, in a 6-2 decision over Hampden Academy Friday.
The Rams will get to enjoy some home cooking over the second half, starting with tonight’s match at 6 against third-place Messalonskee of Oakland and next Tuesday’s showdown with Waterville, which Bangor defeated 2-1 in the Elm City on Sept. 16.
Presque Isle has picked up where it left off last fall in Class B, when it earned the school’s first regional championship.
The Wildcats are still undefeated at 8-0 and sit atop the standings, but the last two victories haven’t come easy.
Coach Ralph Michaud’s club showed plenty of resolve in those two triumphs, however, rallying from second-half deficits in both.
On Sept. 21, PI trailed John Bapst 2-1 with three minutes to play, before Brooke Long-Postell converted a direct kick and Kayla Richards a penalty kick only a minute a part to give the ’Cats a 3-2 victory.
Saturday against Old Town, PI was in a similar situation, trailing by that same score.
But Chelsea Nickerson scored late in the second half to force overtime, and Long-Postell put home a direct kick 27 seconds into the second extra period.
The Coyotes, who sit sixth at 6-2, certainly have the offensive power, with Katie Deshane up front, to give any team fits.
John Bapst holds down one of the final postseason spots as the Crusaders are ranked eighth. Nine teams will qualify for the postseason. But coach Gary Sinclair’s club should get some key players back soon from injuries in offensive threat Kirsty Moriarty (knee), goalie Laura Jordan (concussion) and forward Sierra Pierce (an-kle).
Bapst will have plenty of time to give those players some more rest, as it doesn’t play until Saturday in Presque Isle.
Fort Kent and Orono have pulled away from the pack in Class C, with both teams having only one loss on their record — each to a Class B contender.
Coach Kevin St. Jarre’s Warriors are 7-1-1, with the lone setback coming to Presque Isle early in the season, and have been bolstered by the return of senior Taylor Boucher, who scored three goals and dished out an assist in a 5-1 win over Dexter on Saturday.
Orono has shown why it is the defending Eastern Maine champ and why many prognosticators pegged coach Cid Dyjak’s club for an encore performance this fall.
The Red Riots, which lost only 2-0 to Class B Old Town, have scored 36 goals in their seven wins and have allowed only three goals during that span.
Goalkeeper Elizabeth Fox has been stout with four shutouts while Chloe Paul and Alex Crocker have been among the offensive catalysts.
Not surprisingly, Southern Aroostook is way ahead of the pack in Class D, as coach Holly Vining’s reigning state champs have steamrolled to an 11-0 start.
The Warriors have been dynamite offensively, ringing up 47 goals over those 11 games while giving up only six.
But the fight for the Nos. 2, 3 and 4 seeds and precious home-field advantage remains up in the air, with four teams still in the running.
Only one of them, Easton, has completed its regular season. And it was a storybook one for the Bears, who sit at 9-4-1 and will be in the postseason for the first time since 1997.
Other contenders include Ashland, whose only two losses have come at the hands of Southern Aroostook, Central Aroostook of Mars Hill and Fort Fairfield.
On the run in N.H.
Maine was well represented at the 34th annual Manchester Cross Country Invitational, held Saturday in New Hampshire.
Kennebunk sophomore Abbey Leonardi recorded the fastest time of the afternoon in the girls race, winning the Large School division in 18 minutes, 21 seconds.
Ellsworth ran to an impressive fourth-place finish in the girls Small School race, compiling 159 points.
Top runner Brianne Dunn finished 13th to lead coach Andy Beardsley’s Eagles, while Rosie Vachon finished 28th, Hayley White 31st, Sara Lyons 39th, Jamie Ford 48th, Mallory Nightingale 64th and Lauren Barkhouse 72nd.
On the boys side, two of Maine’s other top programs had outstanding races in the Small School division, as Greely of Cumberland Center and Cape Elizabeth finished second and fourth, respectively.
Coach Dave Dowling’s Rangers, the defending Class B state champions, were led by Logan Price’s second-place finish while Sam Johnston finished 10th.
Cape was paced by Peter Bringham’s 23rd-place effort while Thomas Bottomley was 23rd and Leo Lidman 29th.
