Special to The Star-Herald
MARS HILL — What a difference a year makes.
In 2008, the Class D Central Aroostook Panthers experienced a trying season. With just 13 players on the team and various injuries which struck during the course of the season, coach Dave Collins was constantly shuffling his lineup and the result was a sub-.500 record and a first-round road playoff defeat.
So far in 2009, things are looking up. CA went 3-3-1 through its August schedule, and should be competitive in the second half of the season as well thanks to a much-deeper bench (21 players are on this year’s roster) and several team members who are capable of producing at a number of different positions.
“We are fortunate this year that we have many interchangeable players and are able to bring players in off the bench that have pretty good skills and abilities,” said the fourth-year coach. “If (the girls) could just look inside and see that they have a lot of athletic ability, they can play with anyone we go up against.”
The Panthers’ starting unit consists of goalkeeper Ashley Estabrook, sweeper Shannon Todd, wing defenders Olivia Garrison and Heather Bradstreet, stopper Rachael Grew, center midfielder Vicki McIntyre, wing midfielders Sarah Michaud and Kristen Long, center forward Brittni Mosher and wing forwards Rebecca Grass and Paige Garrison. Of that group, only Estabrook, Michaud and Mosher are seniors.
The very deep bench includes defenders Rachel Donovan, MacKenzie Hatt and Michaela King; midfielders Gabe Brewer and Whitney Klein; forwards Olivia Cyr, Christie Perkins, Sarah Grass and Brea York; and goalie Nashalli Parks.
“My coaching style is to maintain control of the ball and play a possession game, looking to build up and find the holes in the opponent’s defense,” Collins said. “We would like to make the game into a giant game of keepaway.”
Collins, who has six additional years of previous varsity experience with the boys program at CAHS, believes this year’s team is capable of compiling an impressive record and advancing well into the post-season. The key, however, is bringing the right mental approach onto the field every time out.
“I would like us to get through the first round and see just what we are capable of doing when we put our minds and abilities into the game,” Collins said. “This team is more than capable of 10-plus wins if we decide to play hard every game.”
Staff photo/Joseph Cyr
Rachel Grew of Central Aroostook boots the ball away from the scoring area during Wednesday’s soccer game against Southern Aroostook. The Panthers fell 6-0.
