Alexis Morin of Brunswick tries to get past Abbey Thornton of Windham during the second half of the Class A girls’ soccer state championship game in Waterboro on Nov. 6. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer
The high school girls soccer season was nothing short of a success on the Midcoast. Championship game runs, goals in bunches, and Midcoast teams pumping out wins were among the highlights.
While COVID-19 was still a threat to the schedule, traditional schedules were played and champions were crowned for the first time since 2019.
“To have that goal to strive and work for was big for us,” said Brunswick head coach Martyn Davison, who was named the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Coach of the Year.
The thought of playing for a state championship was enough motivation for the Dragons, who made an unlikely run to the state title game. It was the first girls soccer state championship game appearance for Brunswick since 2009.
While Brunswick ultimately fell 3-1 to Windham in the Class A state championship game, it was more than a successful campaign for the experienced squad.
Messalonskee’s Camdyn Lamarre (5) tries to get around Mt. Ararat’s Morgan Ruff (2) during a Class A North girls soccer quarterfinal Oct. 27 in Topsham. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal
“We improved so much throughout the season,” said Davison. “Our chemistry got better and better, even when we were down and dealing with injuries.”
The Dragons didn’t get the chance to play with their full complement of players until the postseason rolled around. But when they did, they made the most of the opportunity.
“Our game against Camden Hills (A North semifinals) is one that really sticks out to me,” said Davison. “We battled through torrid conditions on the road and got a great performance that was deserving of the win.”
The Dragons went on to stun previously unbeaten and top-seeded Bangor in the A North regional final on a highlight-reel header by freshman Alexis Morin for their first regional crown in over a decade.
Sacopee Valley’s Lindsey Fox, left, tries to stop Richmond’s Nicole Tribett during a soccer game Sept. 11 in Richmond. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal
Other Midcoast teams had strong seasons in their own right. Elsewhere in A North, Mt. Ararat earned the No. 4 seed in the conference before it was upset by No. 5 Messalonskee in the quarterfinals.
“We have nothing to be down on ourselves about,” said Mt. Ararat head coach Chad Kirk following the loss to Messalonskee. “We had a great season. We came up shorter than we would’ve hoped, but this was a fantastic season for Mt. Ararat.”
In Class B, a young Morse team improved as the season wore on. After starting 1-6-1, Morse finished the regular season 3-3 to earn the No. 12 seed in the South. It fell to No. 5 York in the quarterfinals 7-1.
Also in B South, Freeport head coach Dave Intraversato knew he had a lot of raw talent coming into the season. While it took some time to mesh, the Falcons earned the No. 7 seed by finishing the regular season 7-7. They would eliminate No. 10 Gardiner in the preliminary round before they were blanked 1-0 by No. 2 Yarmouth in the regional quarterfinals.
“This team is a blast to be around,” said Intraversato earlier in the postseason. “This is only the beginning for this talented group of soccer players.”
In Class D, Richmond went 9-5 in the regular season to claim the No. 4 seed in D South. It handled No. 5 Temple Academy 5-0 in the regional quarterfinals before losing to eventual state champion North Yarmouth Academy in the quarterfinals.
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