Four defending regional champions and a perennial contender are the five teams to watch this season from the North’s four classes of girls’ soccer.
Despite graduation losses, all five teams return a solid nucleus of talented and seasoned players and have added impactful newcomers.
They are listed in alphabetical order with last year’s final record (including playoffs).
Bangor (10-2-4 in 2022)
The Rams are tired of being Class A North bridesmaids, losing in the A North championship game four times over the past six seasons. Last year they lost 3-1 to Camden Hills in A North semifinals.
Bangor has a new head coach in Jay Kemble, and the Rams are off to a 3-0 start including a 3-0 win over Camden Hills.
Bangor graduated four All Class A North regional players including a pair of dynamic performers in winger Anna Connors, the Class A state sprint champion, and influential midfielder Emmie Streams.
But several Rams have stepped up into more prominent roles and are delivering.
Sophomore striker Clara Oldenburg, who saw limited playing time a year ago, already has six goals and junior midfielder Teagan Atherley has five.
Atherley played a lot last season but is taking on a bigger role with Streams gone and has been a key component in the attack, three assists to go with her five goals.
The return of talented senior Ani Roberts has given the Rams a big lift. Roberts had seen little playing time the past two seasons due to injury but is teaming up with Atherley and Olivia Scott to supply Bangor with an imposing midfield.
Scott, who will play at the University of Maine next fall, had seven goals and eight assists a year ago and has already scored a goal this season.
Oldenburg has two senior wings with her up front in Lily Chandler and Kelsey Kull, and both can score and serve as distributors. Speedy junior Azylnn Gifford also plays up front and has a goal as does Chandler.
The back line features a combination of veterans and emerging players. Senior Mimi Quinn has been a reliable performer throughout her career, and another senior, Izzy Ireland, joins her in the middle. Junior J.J. Williams, sophomore Avery Clark and freshman Jo Jo Clukey have stepped up nicely and been solid in the back, and Bangor will get a boost when Callie Tennett returns from injury.
Eva Coombs, a junior, has moved into the starting role in goal after being a backup for two years, and Coombs and freshman Emily Caulkins have allowed just one goal so far.
“We are balanced. We are good offensively and defensively, and we have quality athleticism, speed, skill and a high soccer IQ,” said Kemble. “We need to continue to grow and develop depth.”
Brunswick (15-1-2 in 2022)
Martyn Davison has guided his Dragons to two consecutive Class A North championships and expects his team to contend for a third straight.
Brunswick lost both state title games, including a double-overtime, 1-0 thriller to Scarborough a year ago.
“My front three is phenomenal,” Davison said, referring to All-KVAC North first teamers Alexis Morin and Molly Tefft along with Hazel Bachman.
Morin suffered a broken leg in the spring but is back on the field, and Davison is upping her minutes every game.
Morin, a junior, was a 25-goal scorer a year ago, and Tefft had 17.
Tefft, who is also a good passer, and Bachman are both sophomores. Bachman saw limited duty a year ago.
Brunswick is off to a 2-0 start with wins over Messalonskee of Oakland, 2-0, and Lewiston, 5-0.
“We’ve created a lot of chances but we haven’t put them in yet,” said Davison.
Senior Emily Doring supplies depth up front.
The midfield is strong with seniors Madeline Chaput and Molly Newell being joined by junior Elysia Palmer.
Chaput had been a left back but played midfield for the first time in the state title game.
“She was outstanding in that game that I’ve kept her there,” said Davison.
Eva Kowsky, a sophomore, is a capable midfielder who will get playing time.
The Dragons did suffer a pair of significant graduation losses in the back: Ella Gustafson and All-North Class A regional selection Hannah Lay.
But senior Hannah Hamilton and junior Makenzie Beal have looked good, and sophomore Solveig Ledwick and track star Kayla Monahan, a junior, have complemented them. Monahan is an outstanding sprinter on the track team.
“We are working on our defense but I don’t have any concerns. We’ll keep improving,” said Davision.
Long-time goalkeeper Sophia Morin has departed, but she has been replaced by her athletic freshman sister Juliana Morin.
Bucksport (18-0 in 2022)
Like Brunswick, the Bucks are defending two-time regional champions.
Last year the Bucks were able to claim their first ever state championship with a 2-1 win over Maranacook of Readfield.
Mike Garcelon’s team has been hard hit by graduation, losing six starters, but the five returning starters are stellar performers with a lot of experience, and there are players who are ready to take on more elevated roles.
The Bucks allowed just three regular season goals in 14 games, and one of the primary reasons is Jetta Shook, who has developed into one of the region’s best goalkeepers.
Shook is now a junior, and she and her teammates picked up a season-opening 2-1 win over Foxcroft Academy from Dover-Foxcroft. Foxcroft Academy was in Class B a year ago.
Bucksport is now 36-1 overall over the past two-plus seasons.
Despite losing Ella Hosford and her 119 career goals, including 61 two years ago and 33 last fall, the team returned senior striker Lily Chiavelli and senior attacking midfielder Natasha Monreal, who scored 24 and 20 goals, respectively, a year ago.
Senior Sammy Cyr has been moved from stopper to the midfield where she will be joined by sophomore Addison Goss, junior Ruby Pereira and Monreal.
Goss will also provide some scoring punch to help compensate for the loss to Hosford.
The back line is a combination of veterans and first-time starters.
Nettie Fox, a senior, will move up to stopper from last year’s sweeper position. Madison Rose, a sophomore, will be the sweeper. Ashley Cyr, a senior and Sammy Cyr’s cousin, will be the left back and junior Laycee Tweedie will be the right back.
Sophomore Haley Rose, Madison Rose’s twin sister, will be up front with Chiavelli.
The Rose sisters, Goss and Monreal are fleet-footed sprinters on the track team and Monreal is also an outstanding jumper.
Hermon (17-1-0)
The Hawks lost three players who combined to score over 200 career goals in Lyndsee Reed, Allie Cameron and Michaela Saulter. All three were All-Class B North selections.
Reed scored 103 goals in her career, 41 coming last season.
But scoring goals hasn’t been an issue for Hermon so far this season as they have scored 18 in their 3-0 start.
That’s because sophomores Madison Stewart and Natalie Tardie have picked up where they left off from a year ago when they scored 29 and 15 goals, respectively ,as freshmen.
The speedy Tardie already has seven goals, and Stewart has five.
Hampden Academy transfer Sam Grover, a junior, has scored two goals as has All-Class B North pick Brooke Gallop, a junior midfielder.
Head coach M.J. Ball feels Tardie, Stewart and Grover are all capable of scoring 20 goals.
Hermon has won 55 straight games against North opponents, including playoffs, and Ball has compiled a regular season record of 116-5-4.
The team is seeking a fourth consecutive Class B North title but has yet to win a state title. Last year the team lost 3-2 in overtime to Yarmouth in the state B final.
Senior Izzy Byram has made the transition from outside midfielder to central midfielder and has also dented the scoresheet with a goal.
Junior Olivia Johnson and senior Eva Benjamin have returned to the soccer pitch this season after doing fall cheering last year and have handled the outside midfield chores.
The Hawks scored 88 regular season goals and only surrendered five in 14 games a year ago, but they have already given up seven goals in three games.
That’s because the back line is all first-year starters in seniors Saige Lang, Nevaeh Kenney and Ellie Williams along with sophomore Ellie Williams.
But the defense will improve as the players gain experience, and the Hawks do have a veteran top-notch goalkeeper in Bella Bowden.
“We are a work in progress with a talented and hardworking group,” said Ball. “Our focus is to be better each game both individually and collectively. We need to take care of the ball, create and finish chances and be strong defensively.”
Penobscot Valley (16-1-1 in 2022)
The Howlers will be the team to beat in Class D North despite losing twins and All-Penobscot Valley Conference first team selections Holly and Kaya Loring.
That’s because PVC Class D North Player of the Year Lila Cummings and fellow first-team selection Ellie Austin headline a strong group of 15 returnees.
Cummings scored 24 goals a year ago as a freshman, Austin had 22 and Rylee Moulton, another freshman, contributed 19 goals.
Last year the team lost to North Yarmouth Academy 8-0 in the state Class D final.
“We could potentially be better than last year,” said PVC Class D Coach of the Year Jeremy Durost, who is also the school’s new athletic director. “We have great depth.”
The Howlers opened this season with a 7-1 win over Bangor Christian under the new lights at their Dave Lovett Memorial Field, their first-ever night game. Moulton had four goals and an assist, Cummings had a pair of goals and Austin had a goal and three assists.
Moulton is a striker and Austin plays on the left wing with Durost’s daughter, Savannah, a sophomore, playing on the right wing.
Cummings is an attacking midfielder and is joined in the midfield by senior Ashlyn St. Cyr and sophomore Lauren Veino. Senior Mia Neal, who missed all of last season due to injury after starting as a sophomore, is back and is an important part of the team’s defense.
The entire back line returns with juniors Allie LeBlanc and Shay Ireland, senior Emma Potter and sophomore Eve McNally back in the fold. Potter was a D North honorable mention last season.
Goalkeeper Lauren Smart transferred to Hampden Academy, but Durost said freshman goalie Brooklynn Raymond has “picked it up extremely fast. She is a good athlete.”
“We’re fully confident she is going to be up for the job,” he added.