The Ashland High School Hornets have a 30-game winning streak and are sitting atop the Northern Maine Class D schoolgirl soccer Heal Points standings.
They are 12-0 this season with two games left including Tuesday’s game with Central Aroostook of Mars Hill. They have outscored their opponents 99-4.
But coach Peter Belskis said even though his defending state champs are better and deeper than a year ago, they may have to play at an even higher level to annex another regional and state title.
“It’s going to be a very competitive (regional) tournament,” said Belskis. “If we go on to win another state championship, it would be an incredible feat.”
He is particularly concerned about 11-0-0 Penobscot Valley of Howland and 10-1-1 Madawaska.
Penobscot Valley has lost in three regional championship games the past four years including last year’s 1-0 loss to Ashland in the Eastern Maine title game.
Madawaska is a newcomer to Class D after going 9-6-1 in Class C last fall, and the Owls are 10-1-1 with the only blemishes on their record coming at the hands of Class C frontrunner Houlton, a 3-1 loss and 1-1 overtime tie.
Madawaska owns a win over a Caribou team that is 8-4 in Class B.
Shead of Eastport is 10-0, and Belskis pointed out that 9-2 Fort Fairfield is another quality team with its only losses coming to his Hornets.
With the exception of a 3-2 win at Fort Fairfield, his Hornets have won every other game by at least four goals and they have nine shutouts.
His team has rarely been tested.
“I’m not worried about it, but I am concerned,” said Belskis. “You want to try to keep an edge and stay sharp. That’s why we play Madawaska and Caribou in our summer league and why we went to a tournament in Castine this summer where we played Sacopee Valley and Erskine Academy.”
Sacopee Valley of South Hiram is 11-0-0 in Southern Maine Class C, and Erskine Academy of South China is 7-3-1 in Northern Maine Class B.
The other way he tries to ensure his players have a competitive edge is he will have his top offensive players go up against his starting backs during scrimmages.
His offensive catalysts have been sophomore Mackenzie Carter, who has 30 goals after notching 22 a year ago including both goals in the 2-1 overtime win over Richmond in the state title game; senior Savannah Flint, the school’s all-time leading girls scorer who has 27 this season, and senior Caitlin Paradis, who has 23.
Danny Cyr’s Madawaska Owls have been led by striker Desiree Belanger, midfielders Aspen Cote, Chelsea Daigle and Hannah Nadeau, and goalkeeper Alexis Levesque.
Ryan Reed’s Howlers from Penobscot Valley have featured career scoring leader Amy Hallett along with Lauren Reed, Ryley Buck, Arianna McKinnon and standout goalkeeper Sami Ireland.
Shead, coached by Dana Bowen, has been sparked by a nine-member senior class that includes tri-captains Brooke Robinson, Cierra Seeley and Samantha Wilder along with striker Taylah Kilby. Robinson, Seeley and Kilby have supplied most of the goals along with junior Holly Preston, and goalkeeper Wilder has backstopped a defense that has allowed just 10 goals.
Seniors Chelsey Pelkey, Alexis Coiley, Taylor Churchill and Morgann Towle have played important roles for Tom Towle’s 9-2 Tigers from Fort Fairfield.