After making the move to striker from midfield, Hadlee Yescott is setting a record-setting scoring pace this season for the Scarborough girls’ soccer team.

On Oct. 2, Yescott tied the Red Storm’s single-season record for goals when she notched her 20th during a 5-0 victory against Massabesic.

Sarah Martens set the record last season when she scored her 20th goal of the season in the second overtime to lift the Red Storm to a 2-1 win over Bangor in the Class A state final.

“Hadlee has been playing in the midfield for three years,” Coach Mike Farley said. “She played some forward for me last year, but I had two really good seniors, and two good seniors off the bench also were forwards. All of them graduated, so this year we go into the season and I don’t have any forwards.”

It turns out Yescott is a natural scorer.

“She’s been extremely efficient,” Farley said. “Her teammates look to get her the ball. She makes great runs. She’s powerful in the box and it’s really hard to get the ball off her foot. As soon as she gets the ball in the box, she’s almost always scoring.”

Yescott has gotten plenty of help.

“We have very fast outside midfielders, and they’ve been doing a great job of getting the ball down the field and getting crosses to the box,” Farley said.

Center midfielder Ashley Gleason has assisted on eight goals. “She looks to pass Hadlee the ball in dangerous situations, and Hadlee is a pure finisher,” Farley said.

Midfielders Katherine Kirk and Morgan Rodway each have four assists.

With the graduation of nearly a dozen key players from last season’s championship squad, Farley has shifted from a 4-3-3 formation to a more defensive-minded 4-5-1.

In their first 10 games, the Red Storm (9-0-1) outscored opponents 48-2, with one of the goals coming on a penalty kick that lifted Biddeford into a 1-1 tie on Sept. 14. The Tigers were held without a shot on goal for the rest of the game.

Senior keeper Sydney Martin and senior center back Ainsley Jamieson form a formidable last line of defense. Jamieson has been joined on the back line by three new starters — senior Bridget Cange, and sophomores Emma Smith and Elise O’Reilly.

“We’re young but we’re getting better,” Jamieson said. “We’re working together a lot better and we’re working hard om that every day in practice.”

“Communication is key,” Martin said. “Ainsley and I have played together since sixth grade so we have a good sense of how to get the defense to work together.” 

KEY MATCHUPS: Falmouth, a Class A team that plays mostly a Class B schedule in the Western Maine Conference, goes for a sweep of its season series against York on Thursday night.

On Sept. 21, the Yachtsmen, who need as many wins as possible to remain among the top teams in Western Class A, rolled to a 4-1 victory against the Wildcats.

Oceanside travels to Rockport on Saturday to play Camden Hills in a Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Class B match. On Sept. 24, the teams played to a scoreless tie at Thomaston.

Also on Saturday, Greely visits Cape Elizabeth in a game that could decide the top spot in Western Class B. On Sept. 24, the Capers eked out a 2-1 win against the Rangers in Cumberland.

– Greg Reid contributed to this report. 

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

pbetit@pressherald.com

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