FORT FAIRFIELD, Maine — The Tiger boys’ varsity soccer team started out slow a year ago, before going 4-1-2 in their last seven games. As the No. 12 seed in the playoffs, they upset a solid Southern Aroostook squad and nearly pulled off a second upset before losing at Jonesport-Beals on penalty kicks.
With the core of that team back, and the feel for how to win in their minds, the Tigers may well be one of the sleeper teams in Class D this fall.
This year’s team will be led by a senior class which includes Johnny Theriault – an All-Aroostook pick a year ago and arguably one of the best scorers in the County this season. Caleb Daigle is a shut-down midfielder with tremendous athleticism, with veteran Hunter Beaulieu and newcomer Brandon York also on the squad and contributing.
The junior class features goalie Dalton Cassidy, who was also an All-Aroostook selection a year ago, as well as defender Josh Ricker and midfielder Thomas Krause, who is currently recovering from a preseason injury and will give the squad a boost when he returns.
The sophomore class includes Chris Giberson, a skilled player with solid foot skills; Greg Jellison, Landon Kinney, Nate Barnes, Brendan Griffeth and Keenan Charette. The Tigers also got a bonus from sophomore exchange student Joongi Yu of South Korea. Yu has excellent skills and a good feel for the game and is a positive addition.
The freshman class is particularly talented, and they are improving every time out as they get a feel for the varsity game. Colin Goshorn, who has also demonstrated excellent foot skills, and Isaac Cyr, a quick player with finishing skills, headline the class, while Jared Harvey, Dylan Jandreau and Malcolm Langner have all made solid contributions in the early going. Freshmen Kyle Corey and Nick Krause are also learning the varsity game as well.
Coach John Ala is excited about how things have gone to date.
“We started the season with many close games (the losses were 4-3 to Central Aroostook, 2-1 and 3-2 to Easton, and 2-0 to Fort Kent). Offensively, we’ve been led by Theriault with 12 goals. Isaac (Cyr) and Brandon (York) have been positive additions offensively as first-year players. Chris (Giberson) and Landon (Kinney) have shown a lot of improvement from last season and solidify our midfield. I’ve been impressed with freshmen Dylan Jandreau and Colin Goshorn, who have both earned starting roles in our midfield. They both have a strong skill set and give 100 percent game in and game out,” Ala said.
Ala said Daigle and Beaulieu lead the defense, which also includes Ricker and Harvey, who the coach said has continued to improve in each game this season and has adjusted quickly to the high school level.
“We are still learning building chemistry with many first year players. As the season has gone on, we’ve continued to improve and will do so throughout the remainder of the season. I’m excited to see what we will be able to achieve,” he added.
