By Kevin Sjoberg
Sports Reporter
LIMESTONE – The girls and boys soccer teams at Limestone-MSSM have welcomed many new faces to their rosters. The coaches say that success may not come immediately, but the future looks bright with underclassmen headlining the two squads.
Staff photo/Kevin Sjoberg
Amanda Allen of the Limestnoe-MSSM Eagles blasts a shot toward the net during her team’s Aug. 23 match against Hodgdon. Allen, one of the team’s captains, scored in her team’s victory over the Hawks. It is the only win so far for the Eagles, who enter the season with a very youthful squad under third-year head coach Brad Nadeau.
The Eagle girls made it into the Eastern Maine Class D semifinals a year ago, falling to Ashland in that round. Coach Brad Nadeau’s team went 9-6 overall, but lost a key performer in Victoria St. Pierre.
Nadeau likes the talent being demonstrated by his youthful squad, which includes six freshmen, three sophomores, five juniors and three seniors.
“The key will be getting all the younger girls to jell with the older ones,” he said.
Nadeau, the team’s third-year coach, likes what he sees so far despite getting off to a 1-3 start. The lone win was against Hodgdon, while the losses have come against Washburn, Van Buren and Easton – all highly regarded Class D squads.
The team’s captains are senior back Ashlynn Kelly, junior midfielder Karen Page and junior midfielder Amanda Allen. Other team members are senior back Chelsea Leighton, senior back Katrina Lalonde, junior midfielder Hunter Smith, junior striker Jade O’Connell, junior midfielder Stephanie Leighton, sophomore strikers Daniele Pelkey and Sabrina Logsdon, sophomore fullback Mackenzie Beaulieu, freshmen midfielders Mariah Williams, Jordyn Hopkins and Alexis Bell; freshmen fullbacks Kelsee Albert and Melissa Cantafio and freshman goalkeeper Autumn Beauchamp.
Vickie Nadeau, the coach’s wife, serves as the team’s assistant coach.
The Eagle boys struggled last season with a 3-9-2 record, missing out on the playoffs, but coach Jon Hamilton is optimistic about seeing improvement this fall.
“We have added scoring along with quickness,” Hamilton said. “The new players have shown a passion for the game.”
He said the team’s numbers have increased since the start of workouts, with four new players from the Maine School of Science and Mathematics and the addition of some Limestone students who had been away on family vacation.
The team must find a way to replace three key players from last year’s lineup who have graduated in Nathan Berube, Zach Moreau and Ty Tracy, who were keys on the defensive end of the field. He said the team struggled defensively in its season opener against Van Buren, but “the team is working hard to improve their defensive skills,” according to Hamilton.
The coach will start the season with a starting lineup including sophomore forwards Nate Tucker, Jamie Poitraw and Nick Whitehead, junior fullback Zach Cote, senior forward Josh Forsman, sophomore fullbacks Christian Miles and Caleb Brenneman, freshman goalie/midfielder Chris Bernier, freshman fullback Tristan Kirk and sophomore fullback Garrick Ellwood.
Cote and Forsman are the team’s co-captains.
Other players include sophomore midfielder Brandon Thompson, freshman forward Brandon Nadeau, sophomore fullbacks Kevan Villareal, Curtis Pahel and Sean Gagnon; senior midfielder Peter Taddeo, freshman fullback Tyler Morgan, junior midfielders Nate Fessler and Cody Bryant, senior midfielders Chris Paradis and Zac Corriveau and senior fullback Arron St. Pierre.
Seniors Audra Kirk, Kaitlyn O’Bar and Savanna Grey are the team’s managers and Joey Cote is Hamilton’s assistant coach.
The Eagles are still looking for their first victory after early-season losses to Van Buren, Easton and Washburn.
“It will take some time for the players to know each other’s roles and the key will be how the guys mesh together as a team,” Hamilton said.
