Fort girls, Easton boys
are off to strong starts
By Kevin Sjoberg
Sports Reporter
Fort Fairfield was the last school from the region to get its regular season under way, but the wait was well worth it for the girls’ squad.
Contributed photo/jMavor Photography
EASTON’S TAYLOR BROWN, right, tries to keep the ball shielded from Limestone-MSSM’s Kelsee Albert during Thursday’s varsity soccer game played in Limestone. Easton came away with a 5-4 victory. 
Coach Kerrie Alley’s team played twice in a three-day period late last week and was able to compile a pair of shutout victories.
Fort bested Wisdom at St. Agatha Thursday, 3-0, and then played its first home game Saturday and blanked Easton, 4-0.
Logan Bubar tallied all three goals against the Pioneers and the defense took care of the rest. Goalkeepers Megan Jellison and Sarah Watt combined to save four shots for FF. Two days later, Janae Libby scored twice and Bubar had the other two as Fort blanked an Easton team which had scored 13 goals in its first three contests.
Libby, Teresa Maynard and Kailanny Hernandez all had assists for the winners. Jellison and Watt again shared the goalie chores and combined for three saves on four shots.
“This group of girls is focused each day on their task and is willing to work to get better,” said Alley, who added that Bubar, Libby, Abbey Player, Nicole Giberson, Lindsay Blaisdell and Alyssa Dougherty have done a great job of providing senior leadership thus far.
“Their focus has been to work together and stay positive with each other every game,” the coach added.
The schedule ramps up as Fort took on high-scoring junior Parise Rossignol and the Van Buren Crusaders on the road Tuesday afternoon and on Thursday hosts defending Eastern Maine champion Washburn, 4-0 so far this season. The Tigers then have a rematch against the Bears in Easton Tuesday afternoon (Sept. 3).
The Presque Isle girls also opened their slate last week, making the trip to Fort Kent and falling to the Warriors, 1-0. It was Fort Kent’s first victory over PI in six years. Lauren Doak’s penalty kick with 2:48 to play in the first half was the lone goal of the game. The Wildcats’ Jillian Flynn saved eight of 12 shots in the loss, while FK’s Alexa Pelletier had nine saves on 15 shots.
PI will look to break into the win column tonight when it plays at Caribou in a game which begins at 7 p.m.
Washburn kept its high-scoring offense in gear with two more wins last week. The Beavers recorded an 8-1 victory over Van Buren last Wednesday and then gained their first shutout Friday when they held GHCA-Hodgdon scoreless, 8-0.
Mackenzie Worcester, Carsyn Koch and Mikayla Churchill had two goals each, while Joan Overman and Laina Mette had one each in the home win over Van Buren. Taylor Howe saved five of six shots in goal for the winners.
At Houlton, Worcester slammed in five goals in the lopsided win. Overman notched two and Carmen Bragg added the other and chipped in with two assists. Koch also assisted on a pair of goals, while Kennedy Churchill had a helper.
Washburn has now outscored its four opponents by a 34-3 margin and has not scored less than seven goals in a single game so far. Coach Marcie Barbarula’s Beavers played Central Aroostook in Mars Hill Tuesday prior to their game at Fort Fairfield.
The Easton Bears played two other games last week and both were decided by a single goal. Last Tuesday, Ashland was able to come away with a 3-2 overtime triumph on Easton’s home field. Caitlin Paradis had the game-winning goal with just 1:35 to play in the extra session. It was the Hornets’ first game of the season. Marissa Chasse helped the squad bounce back from a 2-0 deficit by scoring twice after intermission. Her second goal came with just 58 seconds to play in regulation to send the game into OT.
Taylor Brown and Kylee Carter were the goal scorers for the Bears. Cassie Buck and Carter contributed assists.
Hannah Ferris saved 20 of 25 shots for Easton and Macie Ballanceau turned away 12 of 20 in goal for Ashland.
On Thursday, Easton and Limestone-MSSM squared off in a high-scoring contest in Limestone, with the Bears able to hold on for the 5-4 victory. The game was knotted at one at the half before the offense picked up.
Easton then grabbed a three-goal lead as Brown scored twice and Stephanie Hammond and Carter one each, but the Eagles rallied behind Mariah Williams, who garnered a natural hat trick with three second-half goals, one on a penalty kick. However, Limestone-MSSM couldn’t come all the way back.
Brown also had her team’s first-half goal, while Limestone-MSSM’s Ellyzabeth Bencivenga scored prior to intermission.
Contributed photo/Dave Allen Graphics
EASTON’S Drew Sotomayor heads the ball over Ashland’s Aaron Sturgeon, while Hornet defender Nick Belanger watches the play, during last Tuesday’s match in Easton. The two teams battled to a 1-1 tie. 
In boys’ play last week, Presque Isle kicked its season off with a trip to Fort Kent and played to a 1-1 draw with the Warriors last Wednesday.
The Wildcats took the lead when Ben Nickerson scored off an Alex Michaud assist 28 minutes into the second half, but with just 1:16 to go, Nathan Michaud netted the equalizer for the hosts and the two teams played through two overtimes with nothing decided.
Cody Lyford saved seven of 14 shots for PI, while Cody Plourde had four saves on 12 shots for the Warriors.
PI is back to work Thursday and on the road again as it takes on Caribou at 7 p.m.
The Washburn Beavers had a two-game winning streak entering their game at Central Aroostook Tuesday. The Beavers bested GHCA-Hodgdon Friday, 2-0, behind goals from Cameron Bragg and Noah Farley. Jarrett Olson picked up the shutout by saving four of 10 shots.
Last Wednesday, Washburn faced an early deficit but scored three unanswered goals to beat Van Buren at home, 3-1. Farley, Bragg and Noah Caron scored for the Beavers and Jacob Rioux netted the Crusaders’ lone goal. Olson saved five of nine shots in goal for the Beavers.
The Easton Bears were unbeaten through their first four matches heading into Tuesday’s game at Ashland.
Easton needed overtime to stop Fort Fairfield Saturday, 2-1. Freshman Hunter Brown broke the tie with 1:49 left in the first overtime session.
“Hunter did a good job of being where he needed to be,” said Easton coach Ryan Shaw. “He also was wise to aim for the far post. If the ball had not gone in, it would have allowed one of his teammates to put it in.
“It was a big goal, and I think it will boost his confidence going forward,” the coach added.
Logan Halvorson got the Bears on the board 34 seconds into the game off an Ian Sotomayor assist before Lance McKenney tied it for the Tigers off a Carter Shaw corner kick.
The Bears had a much easier time two days earlier as Drew Sotomayor tallied six goals, three in each half, and assisted on another in an 8-1 win at Limestone. Hunter Turner and Logan Dickinson also scored for 3-0-1 Easton. Halvorson chipped in with two assists and freshman goalkeeper Jake Flewelling stopped four of five shots.
Zeb Hardy scored 14:10 into the second half for the Eagles’ only goal. Tristan Kirk had the assist. Eagle goalkeeper David Smith collected 13 saves on 19 shots.
Last Tuesday, Easton and Ashland played to a 1-1 draw. Drew Sotomayor scored for the Bears and Cody Blair for the Hornets. Halvorson had the assist on Sotomayor’s goal.
Both goalies were stellar, as Flewelling saved 10 of 16 shots for Easton and Tim Tarr 17 of 31 for Ashland, which was playing its first game of the season.
“We are off to a decent start,” Shaw said. “I have been stressing to the kids to play at a high pace and to keep the ball on the ground for the most part. We have decent speed and foot skills and we want to take advantage of these things.
“We have been able to control a lot of the possession time and we are creating a lot of scoring opportunities. Hopefully we start to convert more of those opportunities moving forward,” Shaw added.
Easton and Ashland concluded their season series yesterday afternoon at Ashland. Easton next plays GHCA-Hodgdon on the road Friday, while Ashland makes the trip to Mars Hill to play the Panthers Thursday.
The Fort Fairfield Tigers opened their slate Thursday with a 3-2 loss at Wisdom. Evan Esancy put in two goals for the Pioneers, including the game-winner. Johnny Theriault converted a Michael McLellan pass for one of the Tiger goals, while Ryan Player connected on a penalty kick for the other.
Fort played at Van Buren Tuesday and will host Washburn Thursday before playing the Bears again next Tuesday, this time in Easton.
