The Hermon High School girls soccer team continues its quest for its first state Class B championship.
The two-time B North champion Hawks have reached the state title game five times over the past six seasons and seven times in the last 12 years under head coach M.J. Ball.
The Hawks, 61-9-1 over the previous four seasons and 88-10-4 since 2019, will have to replace a pair of career 100-goal scorers in Madison Stewart (school record 114 goals) and Natalie Tardie (104 goals). Tardie had 41 goals a year ago, and Stewart had 29.
“We’ve got to find other ways to score,” Ball said. “We have a lot of talent. We won’t have a 25-goal scorer, but the most double-digit goal-scorers we’ve ever had in a season was five and our goal is to have six this season.”
And Ball considers that a realistic goal.
The Hawks have only three seniors on the roster along with seven juniors, three sophomores and six freshmen. He has 10 more freshmen on the JV team, and the 16-member freshman class is the largest he has ever had.
“We’re still going to be very strong. Some of the freshmen are going to help right off the bat. It’s a really good group,” Ball said.
The Hawks return seven starters off last year’s 17-1 team, which lost to Cape Elizabeth 3-0 in the state final.
Junior midfielder Payton Guerrette was an All-Penobscot Valley Class B second team selection and headlines the list of returning starters along with senior goalkeeper Rebecca Balmas and senior center back Lila Ryan. They are the tri-captains.
The other four are junior center back Brooklynn Kelley, junior midfielder Mya Lancaster, sophomore midfielder Allison Stewart and sophomore Elsa Ewer, who is a striker after being a midfielder last season.
Guerrette and Lancaster were double-digit goal scorers a year ago.
Ryan and Kelley will be joined in the back line by senior Devyn Stanley and junior Peyton Stevens.
The talented midfield group composed of Guerrette, Lancaster and Stewart will be fortified by junior Evelyn Mayhew and freshmen Elise Smith and Sophia Damien. Smith also can be a striker.
Ball can bring Ewer back into the midfield, too.
Freshman Ava DiFrederico will start up front with Ewer and junior Kyla McCannell. Damien and freshman Halle Milville also are viable options along with Makayla Kelley, another freshman. Damien and Milville can play in the midfield and as outside backs.
Makayla Kelley is Brooklynn’s sister and can play in the back as well.
The back line will be reinforced by junior Emma Clavette and sophomore Gwen Smith with freshman Madi Murray being able to fill in as a back or goalkeeper.
“We have a lot of athletes and a lot of speed. It’s going to be exciting to work with them,” Ball said.
The coach said they’ve had a productive preseason, which included games against Class A South teams Thornton Academy of Saco (1-0 win), Falmouth (2-2 tie) and Windham (2-0 loss).
“It was a really good preseason,” Ball said. “We played tough teams and found out what mistakes we need to fix. It was a good experience for us. We played each game like it was a state final. We tried different systems.
“This is a great group. They work extremely hard, and they are very fit. I’m very optimistic about this year.”
Hermon opens its season at Ellsworth at 10 a.m. Saturday.