The defending two-time state Class A champion Bangor High School girls soccer team has a new coach and will have to replace two All-Americans who combined for 61 goals and 35 assists a year ago in Georgie Stephenson and Clara Oldenburg.
But with 11 returnees who played in the 1-0 victory over Scarborough in the state championship game, the Rams expect to contend for a third straight state title and fourth consecutive Class A North championship.
Jay Kemble stepped down after guiding the Rams to a 49-4-1 record in his three seasons and handed the reins over to former Husson University of Bangor women’s and men’s assistant soccer coach Nick Christensen.
“We have a lot of exciting players coming back,” said Christensen, a former Waterville High standout soccer player.
He said he is looking for his Rams to spread out the scoring to compensate for the loss of Oldenburg, the school’s all-time leading scorer with 73 career goals and 70 assists, and Stephenson. Oldenburg, who had 25 goals and 27 assists last season, graduated and Stephenson, with 36 goals and 8 assists, transferred to a Connecticut prep school.
“We don’t need just one goal scorer. We have to have a half-dozen players who can score five or six goals. Those numbers will definitely add up,” Christensen said.
Senior midfielder Kyelin Atherley, daughter of University of Maine women’s soccer coach Scott Atherley, will be one of those players expected to fill the goal-scoring void.
“We have a lot of people who can put the ball in the back of the net,” Kyelin Atherley said. “It’s something we need to work on, collectively. Any chance we can, we need to get up the field.”
“We have some people who were overshadowed by Clara and Georgie last year who are going to have to step up big,” said senior goalkeeper Emily Caulkins. “The team is going to have to pull that out of them and I think we will be able to do it.”
The Rams, 16-1-1 a year ago, likely won’t need to score many goals to carve out wins with standout Caulkins being protected by an impressive back line including All-New England, All-Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference and All-Northern Maine selection Jo Jo Clukey.
Clukey is joined by fellow experienced senior backs Gabby Spreng and Ainsley Goodwin and junior veteran Quinn Andrews.
Senior Nora Zeigler, junior Maddie Hessert and sophomore Eliza Dube provide depth in the back.
“They’re my saving grace. I love my players,” said Caulkins, who added that there is good communication between her and her backs.
“We should be really solid, defensively,” Atherley said. “All 11 players on the field will be good at defending. We defend as a team.”
Atherley will be joined in an accomplished midfield by sophomore Callen Pooler, senior Gabby Gordon and John Bapst of Bangor senior transfer Olivia Huang. Haung scored four goals in John Bapst’s 7-0 win over Ellsworth in a Class B North preliminary round game last fall.
Gordon scored a goal in the 4-1 win over Camden Hills of Rockport in the A North final.
The other midfielders are senior Kylee Cunningham, juniors Anna St. Peter and Nora Earl and sophomore Isabelle Crawley.
Senior Lucy O’Connell will play up front and has a lot of experience. Other striker options include senior Lilli Wilcox, juniors Ella Molinero and Savannah Tarr and freshman Annie O’Connell.
Junior Abby Caron is the backup goalkeeper.
Being a two-time state champion can put additional pressure on a team, but Caulkins and Atherley downplayed it and said they are ready for the challenge.
“It just gives us motivation to play our best and go out and compete every single game,” Atherley said.
“We have good chemistry,” Caulkins said. “Most of us have played with each other through grade school so we know each other and we’re friends outside of soccer. There’s no pressure when we’re all together.”
Christensen said his team has good depth.
“We are going to need numbers to step up and perform as a team,” he said.
Caulkins said the senior class is used to playing in state championship games “and that’s what we’re striving for.”
Bangor opens defense of its consecutive state titles by hosting Lewiston at 1 p.m. Saturday at Cameron Stadium.