A solid one-two scoring punch has put Morse atop the final Heal point standings in its first season in Western Class B.

Senior strikers Tori Fields and Katie Henrikson have combined for 67 goals, making them the state’s highest-scoring tandem.

“They really don’t talk much out on the field,” Morse Coach Steve Boyce said. “You might hear one holler ‘Katie!’ or the other holler, ‘T.’ But they both seem to know what the other is going to do.”

This is the Shipbuilders’ first season playing a schedule made up entirely of Class B teams in the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference. Previously, they played a schedule composed of KVAC Class A teams.

In 14 regular-season games, Fields, who lines up on the right side of Morse’s front line, has a state-high 43 goals, and Henrikson has 24 to rank among the state’s top 10 scorers.

“Whenever ‘T’ has had an off game, Katie has been there to pick us up,” Boyce said.

Fields’ quickness and ability to control the ball under pressure have been keys to her success.

“She’s got a very quick first touch,” Boyce said. “She can quickly get control of even an imperfect pass to her and turn it into a positive.”

Most of Fields’ goals have come off the fast break.

“Usually, she gets around a defender and rolls the ball into an open net.”

Fields is relentless when she has her foot on the ball inside the penalty area.

“She just doesn’t quit,” Boyce said. “Sometimes, she tries too hard, and I’m afraid she is going to get hurt.”

LAUREN THACKER’S return to a familiar position at Brunswick has been successful.

A senior, Thacker rates among the state’s performers at her position in her first season as the Dragons’ goalie.

“She’s played goalie for her club team for years,” Brunswick Coach Martyn Davidson said, “so the real big change for her came when she started playing in the field as a defender last season.”

A year ago, Thacker, who spent her first two seasons with the Brunswick varsity as backup goalie, started as an inside defender on the Dragons’ back line.

This season, she replaced Lydia Caputi, a junior who transferred to Tabor Academy in Massachusetts after starting the last two seasons.

In 13 starts, Thacker has allowed seven goals while posting 11 shutouts and making 36 saves.

ONLY SIX OF MAINE’S 124 high schools girls’ soccer teams ended the season with unbeaten records.

The list includes Bangor (14-0-0) in Eastern Class A, Gorham (14-0-0) in Western Class A, Morse (14-0-0) in Western Class B, Central (13-0-1) of East Corinth in Eastern Class C, Dirigo (12-0-2) of Dixfield in Western Class C and Washburn (13-0-1) in Eastern Class D.

Staff Writer Paul Betit can be contacted at 791-6424 or at:

pbetit@pressherald.com

Twitter: PaulBetitPPH