Veteran defense paces CA

12 years ago

Veteran defense paces CA

By Kevin Sjoberg

Sports Reporter

    MARS HILL — First-year coach Joe Levesque wants to bring stability to the Central Aroostook girls’ soccer program.

    He is the third coach of the team in the past three years and realizes it’s tough for the players to learn another philosophy.

    The Panthers have many of the young players on offense, so Levesque has decided to have his most veterans play defense to “try to keep the score low and give us a chance to win,” he said.

    Senior Paige Garrison has very good hands and is agile and gets the start in goal. Three seniors and a sophomore will serve as fullbacks. Page Fletcher, Olivia Garrison and Michaela King join sophomore Whitney Bradbury on the back line and Levesque said all four are good leaders.

    Making up the starting midfield group are seniors Sarah Grass and Whitney Smith and freshman Delaney Grass.

    Playing forward are freshmen Karli Levesque and Molly Anthony and junior Marissa Anthony. Levesque, who is the coach’s daughter, has scored all three of the team’s goals over the first two games – losses to Madawaska and Washburn.

    “They all bring speed to the front line,” said the coach.

    He said Brea York was away most of the summer but plans on the senior playing a key role for the Panthers. Others on the team are sophomores Carly Grass and April Santiago and freshmen Lizzy Gillen, Ivy Davis, Mollie Garrison, Nikki Gebhart and Noelle Bailey.