Michelle Hatch, who has led the Schenck/Stearns co-operative girls soccer team from Millinocket and East Millinocket to the Class D North playoffs in all of her seven seasons as the head coach, has stepped down to spend more time with her family.
“My [three] grown children are going through some changes in their lives and I want to be there for them and my parents are getting older so I want to be around if they need me,” she said.
Hatch guided her teams to a 43-32-5 regular season record in Maine Principals’ Association-sanctioned campaigns. Schenck/Stearns reached the quarterfinals three times during her tenure and won two playoff games.
The 2020 season was wiped out due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Hatch’s team reached the COVID Cup championship game in its pod, losing to Penobscot Valley High School of Howland.
Hatch did more for her players than just help them improve their soccer skills and lead them to the playoffs every year, Schenck Athletic Director John Montgomery said.
“She taught them life lessons and discipline,” he said. “She was tremendous.”
Hatch said she will miss soccer and particularly the players.
“I will miss the connection I had with them. I tried to teach them life lessons. I will also miss the friendships that I made,” Hatch said.
She said she had told Montomery at the outset of the season that she would be stepping down after this season.
Hatch spent two seasons coaching the Medway Middle School girls team before taking over at Schenck/Stearns.
Her team went 6-4-1 during the regular season this past fall and beat Woodland 6-2 in the preliminary round before losing to eventual Class D North champ Wisdom of St. Agatha 6-0 in the quarterfinals.
Her best season came in 2019, when she led her team to a 12-2 regular season record, which was good for fourth place in the Heal Points standings and a first-round bye before they lost to Southern Aroostook of Dyer Brook 3-1 in the quarterfinals.
Montgomery said he will begin a search for her replacement later this month.