The Penobscot Valley Howlers continued their dominant run in Class D soccer on Saturday, beating Ashland 2-0 to claim a third straight state championship.
The Howlers got on the board almost immediately at Hermon High School’s Pottle Field when senior co-captains Rylee Moulton and Lila Cummings connected for a set piece goal off a corner kick. Moulton sent the ball into the box and Cummings hammered it home for a 1-0 lead just three minutes into the game.
While it looked early like Penobscot Valley might easily run away with the contest, Ashland righted the ship and looked dangerous on the counter attack throughout most of the first half to keep things interesting. But junior captain Brooklynn Raymond was solid in goal all game for the Howlers, preserving the lead for an eventual shutout.
Moulton and Cummings switched roles on a second half corner kick to provide the second goal of the game, with Moulton heading home a cross from Cummings to make the game much more comfortable for the defending champs.
“We play off each other a lot, and we do it well,” Cummings said after the championship win. “And to do that in this game was amazing.”
Ashland goalkeeper Angel Hafford made several nice saves to keep the game close, including a stop on Moulton when the 100-goal career scorer was barreling down on net by herself in the second half.
Penobscot Valley coach Jeremy Durost said the third straight title felt “unbelievable” after the game.
“And quite honestly, we had more adversity this year than any of those other years combined,” Durost said.
Those headwinds included injuries, like a season-ending one to his daughter, senior co-captain Savannah Durost, along with a tough schedule. But the challenges prepared the Howlers for Saturday’s championship against a previously unbeaten Ashland team.
The Howlers have also gotten used to winning, and not just on the soccer field. Several of the team’s players were also members of the Penobscot Valley championship basketball team a season ago.
Durost said that experience helped his team leaders be unfazed in big moments like Saturday’s state final.
“You can’t simulate experience like that,” Durost said.
The Howlers finished the season 13-2-2 and had plenty of support in the stands in Hermon on Saturday.
“It starts with the community,” Cummings said. “They are always there for us, so we just want to give back to them and prove their support is worth it.”
The Howlers certainly proved that yet again on Saturday, delivering their third straight Class D soccer title.