Jack Banks, Brunswick senior, midfielder: Injured for most of the 2021 season, Banks is expected to lead a strong team that has several top returners and is intent on returning to the Class A final.

Thomas Bennert, Greely senior, midfield: The Rangers’ second leading scorer in 2021 (10 goals, 3 assists) and a Maine Soccer Coaches Southern Maine Class B selection, Bennert will anchor what is expected to be a strong midfield.

Cole Bishop, Gorham senior, forward: A third-year varsity player for the always tough Rams, Bishop was a second-team SMAA pick in 2021 and is one of 14 seniors ready to step up after the graduation of 14 players.

Cam Brown, Camden Hills junior, forward: Possessing “boundless energy,” according to Coach Ryan Hurley, Brown scored 13 goals as a sophomore and will be a key force for one of the top teams in Class A North.

Thomas Caouette, South Portland senior, goalie: A second-team SMAA pick in 2021, Caouette will be working with an all-new defense after posting 11 shutouts and allowing only eight goals in 17 games as a junior.

Spencer Carpenter, Wells junior, midfield: A three-year varsity player, Carpenter is a play-starter from the midfield for a team that returns 12 juniors and seven seniors for first-year coach Richard Terwilliger-Smith.

Jacob Chadbourne, Lake Region senior, forward: A four-year varsity player, Chadbourne scored 20 goals, including two in the playoffs, while earning all-Western Maine Conference Class B and Maine Soccer Coaches Class B regional honors last season.

Iain Clendening, Brunswick senior, forward: The KVAC Player of the Year and Maine Soccer Coaches Class A North all-star scored 11 goals and had six assists (three of each in the playoffs) despite missing four games because of an injury.

Sam Cochran, Cape Elizabeth junior, midfield/forward: Effective with the ball at his feet and off the ball, Cochran sees the field well. An excellent finisher, he can also create for teammates.

Myles Culley, Waynflete senior, forward/midfield: Culley is a technically skilled player who missed last season because of an injury. He played in development academy programs for both Seacoast United (in New Hampshire) and Philadelphia Union.

Luke Cunniffe, Windham sophomore, forward/midfield: A second-team SMAA pick (the only freshman to be on either the first or second team), Cunniffe is expected to slide up top more often this season after the Eagles graduated 11 players.

Noah Flagg, Scarborough senior, defense: The 2021 SMAA Defensive Player of the Year and an Maine Soccer Coaches Southern Maine all-star, Flagg is a consistently strong center back and good leader who is likely to be more involved in offensive set pieces this season.

Jeremiah Gomez, Thornton Academy senior, forward: A second-team SMAA selection as a junior, Gomez will be looking to make an even bigger impact for a team that graduated nine of 11 starters and 17 of 24 varsity players.

Alex Graver, Freeport senior, midfield: A versatile four-year starter who plays across the field, the Maine Soccer Coaches Class B South selection was cited by multiple coaches as being among the top players in the state.

Oliver Hettenbach, Portland senior, defense: In his first season as a full-time varsity player, Hettenbach earned second-team SMAA and Maine Soccer Coaches Class A South honors. He’ll be a captain for a team looking to improve on a 10-6 record.

Liam Hickey, Yarmouth senior, defense: A returning starter for the defending Class B champions, the center back also excels with free kicks and throw-ins to help create opportunities.

Nick Moreau, York senior, forward: A crafty, speedy striker, Moreau was the top scorer for the Wildcats in 2021 and will lead a youthful squad looking to crack the top four in the tough Western Maine Conference.

Celda Mouckala, Deering senior, defense: As a junior, Mouckala earned first-team SMAA and Maine Soccer Coaches Southern Maine honors. He is one of several strong returning players for a team expected to be among the best in Class A South.

Divin Mpinga, South Portland senior, forward: The Red Riots’ top scorer last season (11 goals, 7 assists), Mpinga is an elite scorer who demands attention. As a junior, he was a first-team SMAA and a Maine Soccer Coaches Southern Maine selection.

Hamza Nabi, Westbrook junior, midfield: After scoring four goals as a sophomore, he was voted a team captain for a squad primed to improve on last year’s one-win season. Nabi is strong in the air and has speed and quickness.

Ethan Njitoh, Greely senior, forward: A selection to the Maine Soccer Coaches Southern Maine team, the four-year varsity player is a creative scorer who is unselfish and sets up teammates, as his 10-goal, nine-assist season in 2021 attests.

Ben Pausman, Falmouth senior, midfield: A second-team SMAA selection in 2021, the senior co-captain plans to play at Hobart College. He was a member of Falmouth’s 2019 Class A championship team.

Luka Rosolino, Gray-New Gloucester junior, midfield: On a veteran team that is trying to make a dent in the top tier of a tough Western Maine Conference, Rosolino (4 goals, 3 assists in 2021) will be an offensive catalyst.

Truman Peters, Yarmouth senior, midfield: The Clippers’ only returning Maine Soccer Coaches Class B South all-star, Peters is “one of the most dangerous scorers in the state,” according to Yarmouth Coach Mike Hagerty.

Wyatt Yager, Marshwood senior, forward: The key offensive target in the Hawks’ 2021 Class A championship run, Yager has exceptional ball control in tight spaces. The Maine Soccer Coaches Class A South all-star scored 15 goals and added 12 assists last season.

Copy the Story Link