KITTERY — A year ago the Sacopee Valley High girls’ soccer team was the unheralded underdog. With eight starters from the freshman and sophomore class, it reached the Western Class C final with three upsets.

It looks like this year the playoffs will be in South Hiram and Sacopee Valley will be favored.

The Hawks improved to 7-0 on Thursday with a 1-0 victory against Traip Academy.

“We’re looking for that state title this year,” said the goal scorer, Jordan Minor. “We got really close last year. As a team I think we’re getting down the passes and we’re all communicating on the field. And we got really close as a team since last year.”

Minor’s goal, in the 35th minute, came after she and Olivia Ridley recognized an opportunity was developing.

Courtney Ryan had collected the ball at the top of the penalty area. As she cleverly worked her right foot free to send a curving cross toward the left side of the Traip goal, Minor and Ridley moved forward. Ranger goalie Lynn Moore (4 saves) alertly came off her line to to play the ball but was challenged by Ridley, who popped the ball free.

“Olivia Ridley kind of stopped it and then one of their defenders tipped it, and I just tipped it to the goal and luckily it rolled in,” Minor said. “It wasn’t a pretty play but it went in. When someone makes a cross we’re supposed to make a run and that’s what happened. It was a team goal. It wasn’t just me.”

It was the fourth shutout for Sacopee, which also has beaten three Class B teams.

Traip (3-3-1) suffered its third straight one-goal loss and second in less than 24 hours. Traip had lost at Lake Region 2-1 on Wednesday night, getting back to town around 10 p.m.

“I think there were some tired legs out there but I don’t think being tired was what kept us from playing our game,” Traip Coach Kristin O’Neill said.

The Hawks’ defense was tested in the first 30 minutes, when Traip defenders Sadie Humiston, Izzy Mutch and Emma Kemp consistently stepped up to stop Sacopee forays and get the ball forward.

When Elora McCuddy was running up the right sideline, the Rangers were especially dangerous. The Class C 400-meter champ (ninth at the New Englands) was able to shift the ball from the defensive to offensive end multiple times with long runs.

The best runs were punctuated by solid crossing bids. In the 22nd minute, Ellie Batchelder’s attempted one-timer skipped high and wide.

“We’ve scored a few goals with crosses like that,” O’Neill said.

Four minutes later a similar play resulted in McCuddy’s own shot, which caromed off the side crossbar, about a foot wide of being on net.

It wasn’t long after that when Sacopee sweeper Jade Jordan inserted herself into the offensive end. Jordan’s forward thinking signaled a change in which team would be the aggressor.

“It’s a pleasure watching (Jordan) run the defense and making adjustments,” Sacopee Coach Kevin Murphy said. “We’re fortunate to have her. Not just me but the whole team.”

With 27 minutes to play, Jordan was back in her normal spot to boot away Traip’s last real chance – a hard shot by Batchelder from distance – before it could even reach goalie Madison Day (2 saves).

“We need to get our spunk back,” McCuddy said. “We started the season with a lot of positive energy. We need to keep working hard in practice on connecting in games. We can do it.”

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