Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE – The defending Eastern Maine Champions opened the 2008 season by winning their first games on last Friday. Both the Ashland girls’ and boys’ varsity soccer teams defeated Central Aroostook in their first game on the Presque Isle turf.
Junior Macie Pelkey stepped up to lead the Hornet girls offense, scoring five of the nine goals as Ashland blanked the Panthers. Pelkey also totaled two assists.
“I was pleasantly surprised,” said head coach Peter Belskis about Pelkey’s performance. “She has all the tools to be a great player; she can run her defender right into the ground and she has a great foot.”
Brooke Labelle put three balls in the net and had two assists. Senior Crystal Cook made one goal and added three assists. Suzie Poulin and Autumn Condon both passed the ball for an assists as well. Keeper Taylor Baker blocked the four shots she faced.
Belskis was pleased with the overall performance of the team. “When I looked at the tape, in the latter part of the first half we really started to control the ball with short passes and touches. We weren’t just kicking it,” said Belskis.
Panther keeper Desray Brewer stopped 15 of the 27 Ashland shots on her goal.
Senior Hornet Jake Paradis curled the ball past Panther defenders and keepers to score off a corner kick in Ashland’s first regular season game. Paradis totaled two goals and Taylor Condon one for Ashland to take the 3-1 victory.
Jeremy Tarr helped out offense with two assists and keeper Bobby Gardiner stopped 12 or 18 shots on the Hornet net.
The Panthers’ sole goal came from Dan Brewer’s penalty kick in the first half. Keepers Ross Grass and Logan McLaughlin blocked 18 of 26 shots combined.
Central Aroostook went on to fall to Madawaska on Monday. Panther Brendan York scored a first half goal in the boys’ game, but the Owls broke a 1-all tie in the closing minutes of the game for the 2-1 win.
Madawaska defeated CAHS 8-0 in the girls’ game.
Tigers topple Wisdom
Fort Fairfield soccer got a winning start to the 2008 season defeating Wisdom in both the girls’ and boys’ matches last Friday.
Tigers Courtney Churchill, Brooke Beaulieu and Kelsie Wilson scored two goals apiece as they blanked Wisdom 9-0. Rose-Mary Williams, Kylie Plourde and Kacie York added one goal each. York passed for two assists, and Churchill had one assist. Keepers Paige Beaulieu and Katy Donavan blocked all four shots on the FFHS net.
In the boys’ match, Josh Booth booted in Fort Fairfield’s only goal in the first half assisted by Travis Noyes. The goal proved to be enough to give the Tigers their first win.
Keeper Austin Dufour blocked three of seven shots made on the Tiger goal.
The Fort Fairfield girls faced Van Buren on Monday with the Crusaders gaining their first win of the season, 2-1. Williams scored the Tigers’ sole goal. Beaulieu blocked 12 of 14 shots on the Fort Fairfield net.
Bears work on the road
Both Easton teams felled Wisdom in Monday high school soccer action. In the boys’ game, Corey White put a string of two goals past the Wisdom keeper to help the Bears to the 3-1 final score. Brad Trask scored the other Easton goal. Jonah Bacon helped out with an assist, and keeper Cody Tompkins blocked nine of 18 shots.
In the girls’ game, the Bears moved their record to 1-1 as they defeated Wisdom 3-2. Ariana Babineau scored two goals, and Katrina Martin had one goal and one assist.
On Saturday, Martin scored three goals to lead Easton offense against Limestone, but the Eagles pushed for the 5-3 home win.
Washburn faced Limestone
Beaver Jordan McLaughlin scored Washburn’s sole goal in their game against Limestone on Monday, but it wasn’t enough to stop the Eagles, 2-1. Justin Howe blocked six of 16 shots for WDHS.
Keeper Rachel Palmer saved 13 of 17 shots on the Washburn goal in the girls’ game against Limestone on Monday, but the Eagles took their second victory, 3-2.
Sarah Sjoberg and Morgan Berube had one goal each for the Beavers.
Staff photo/Meridith Paterson
HORNET JEREMY TARR heads the ball during their opening game against Central Aroostook last Friday.
Staff photo/Meridith Paterson
BATTLE FOR THE BALL – Easton’s Amanda Dayringer (right) fights for possession with Limestone’s Victoria St. Pierre(left) at the Limestone soccer field on Saturday.
