Drew Hayward’s quest for an individual record has received a big boost from his team’s success.
The Woodland High School senior, who last month became just the sixth schoolboy soccer player in Maine to amass 100 varsity goals, tied a state record Tuesday by scoring the 127th goal of his career during the Dragons’ 4-0 Class D North quarterfinal victory over No. 11 Fort Fairfield in Baileyville.
That equalizer, Hayward’s third goal of the match, came during the second half. It tied him atop the Maine boys soccer ranks with Ian Lee of Madawaska, who scored 127 goals between 2010 and 2013 and who is a senior playing at Husson University of Bangor.
“At the start of the year it was within reach, but it was a ‘I don’t know if it will happen’ kind of thing,” Woodland coach Carl Ripley said. “We knew we had to go into the playoffs and make a pretty decent run to make it a possibility for him.”
The overall state goal-scoring record mark is held by Shelby Pickering, who scored 178 for the Lee Academy girls between 2001 and 2004.
Hayward’s record-tying goal had a familiarity about it, as he received a crossing pass from classmate Sabre Lee Phelps and briefly dribbled before kicking the ball into the net.
“Sabre Lee and Drew have always lived here and played together, so it was cool to have those two connecting on that shot,” Ripley said. “I think Sabre was just as happy to assist on it as Drew was to make it.”
Hayward, also a standout basketball and baseball player at Woodland, began the season needing to tie the Maine boys single-season record of 44 goals — set by Bangor Christian’s Bradley Wilcox in 2010 — to reach Lee’s mark.
His 100th career goal came as the second of six he scored during a victory over Shead of Eastport on Sept. 27.
Hayward finished that match with 104 goals and has scored 23 more in eight matches since then, including seven during Woodland’s first two playoff matches. Four came during a 5-0 preliminary-round victory over No. 14 Ashland that preceded Tuesday’s hat trick against Fort Fairfield.
Hayward also is among his team’s leaders with 10 assists this fall.
“There hasn’t been any sense of urgency with Drew,” Ripley said. “I told him the other day, and it’s the same with a couple of my other forwards, that sometimes you have to be a little selfish because some of my guys look to Drew and give up a better shot that they have, and sometimes Drew looks to pass and he has a better shot than the person he passes it to.”
Third-ranked Woodland, 15-1 and the winner of its past nine matches, faces No. 2 Penobscot Valley of Howland (14-1) in Friday’s semifinals.
“I think as much as Drew wants to get that record, for him that record isn’t as good without a state championship,” Ripley said.
Penobscot Valley, which defeated Woodland 4-1 in last year’s quarterfinals, has allowed just 11 goals this fall against a rugged schedule that includes both Class C and Class D opponents.
The Howlers enter the semifinals riding a 13-game winning streak and with six shutouts in their past seven matches — no easy foe for either an individual record or collective advancement.
“They’re a tough team with some very talented seniors,” Ripley said. “They move the ball very well and have definitely played a tougher schedule than we do. We recognize that. We’ve played them before, and we know they’ve gotten better this year.”
Ripley suspects Hayward’s pursuit of the state goal-scoring record won’t come as a surprise to Penobscot Valley. PVHS baseball coach Ryan Lincoln is a Woodland alumnus whose brother Damon scored 77 goals while playing soccer for the Dragons between 2010 and 2013.
“[1975] was the last time Woodland appeared in a regional championship match,” Ripley said. “So we’re hoping we can upset PVHS, take over the No. 2 spot and go off to the regional championship game next week. That’s the plan.”
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