Cape Elizabeth Capers Fall Athletes of the Year

EVELYN AGRODNIA, Senior – Soccer

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• All-State
* Class B South, regional all-star
* WMC All-star, first-team
* Senior all-star
* Captain

Off the field, Evelyn Agrodnia is kind and soft-spoken. On the pitch, don’t even think of getting in her way. When the whistle blows, Agrodnia is a fierce competitor who loves to win and she did a lot of that during a memorable high school career that was capped by a stellar effort this fall which saw Cape Elizabeth get to the Class B South Final.

Agrodnia actually enjoyed early athletic success on ice skates, but eventually came to love soccer.

“I love the team aspect of soccer,” Agrodnia said. “The pressure is different than ice skating. Good game or bad game, my teammates are around to support me.”

Agrodnia played an abbreviated freshman season due to COVID, then was part of a dominant state title winning team her sophomore year. As a junior, Agrodnia became one of the best players in the conference and the region but the Capers were upset by York in the semifinals as their quest for a fourth consecutive championship was denied.

Prior to the start of the 2023 season, Graham Forsyth, Cape Elizabeth’s coach, stepped down and Branden Noltkamper took over. While that could have been a difficult situation, with the change coming as late as it did, Agrodnia helped with the transition off the field and on the pitch, she ensured the Capers would continue their winning ways by scoring seven goals and adding 10 assists.

Agrodnia had three assists in a win over reigning Class A North champion Brunswick, an effort which illustrated what made her so special.

“I like to get other players the ball,” Agrodnia said. “I’m not a natural scorer, so I look more to assist.”

“Ev does the dirty work and she does everything box-to-box every game,” said Noltkamper. “We’re lucky to have her.”

Agrodnia had one final assist in a semifinal round playoff win over Greely, then Cape Elizabeth’s season ended with a 2-1 loss to Yarmouth in the regional final, the Capers’ third defeat at the hands of the Clippers this fall.

“It was a really fun season,” said Agrodnia. “Branden was great and we really clicked. I enjoyed being a leader. I tried to help everyone the best I could.”

Agrodnia is playing ice hockey this winter for the first time (rest assured she’ll be just fine on skates) and she also competes in outdoor track. She’s entertaining the possibility of playing soccer in college.

Whatever the future may hold, there’s no question that Evelyn Agrodnia, Cape Elizabeth’s Fall Athlete of the Year, played an integral role in the Capers’ recent success. She excelled as a player and a leader and will be very difficult to replace.

Coach Branden Noltkamper’s comment: “I cannot speak highly enough of Evelyn as a person and what she means to all of Cape girls’ soccer. Evelyn’s leadership qualities and work ethic are incredible. Evelyn is the perfect example of what you look for in a senior captain. She has this uncanny ability to get the best out of everyone, whether it be in training or in matches and is always pushing everyone to be better than the day before. Evelyn has helped set the tone with our program for years to come. The whole program is extremely proud of Evelyn’s accomplishments on and off the field. Evelyn has an extremely bright future.”

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Prior winners:

• 2022 Grace Gray (field hockey)
* 2021 Emily Supple (soccer)
* 2020 Maggie Cochran (soccer)
• 2019 Maggie Cochran (soccer)
• 2018 Prezli Piscopo (soccer)
• 2017 Maggie Dadmun (volleyball)
• 2016 Mariah Deschino (soccer)
• 2015 Maddie Bowe (volleyball)
• 2014 Tess Haller (volleyball)
• 2013 Kate Breed (soccer)
• 2012 Kathryn Clark (soccer)
• 2011 Melanie Vangel (soccer)
• 2010 Karyn Barrett (soccer)
• 2009 Karyn Barrett (soccer)
• 2008 Emily Attwood (cross country)
• 2007 Emily Attwood (cross country)
• 2006 Marla Houghton (soccer)
• 2005 Dana Riker (soccer)
• 2004 Elise Moody-Roberts (cross country)
• 2003 Elise Moody-Roberts (cross country)
• 2002 Clare Egan (cross country)
• 2001 Addie Rintel (field hockey)

SAM COCHRAN, Senior – Soccer

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• All-New England
* All-State
* Class B Player of the Year
* Class B South regional all-star
* WMC All-star, first-team
* WMC All-Academic
* Kevin Brady Memorial Spirit Scholarship Award winner

Cochran was so good, so dangerous, that in the season’s biggest game, he was shadowed every step he took by a top-notch opposing defender. And while Cochran wasn’t thrilled with the set-up, he recognized that it was a sign of respect, and respect and admiration is what Cochran inspired during a superb high school career.

Cochran, the baby brother of former Capers standouts Liv Cochran, a two-time state champion, and Maggie Cochran, a three-time champion and two-time Forecaster Fall Athlete of the Year, not surprisingly became a soccer aficionado at a young age.

“I started playing club soccer at six or seven, then stopped freshman year to focus on lacrosse, but soccer is definitely my number one sport now,” Cochran said. “The vibe is just different from lacrosse.”

While Cochran was limited his freshman season by COVID, he emerged as a scoring threat as a sophomore, seeing time in the midfield and up top as Cape Elizabeth got to the regional final, where it lost to Yarmouth. As a junior, Cochran was an all-star on a Capers squad that earned the top seed in Class B South and dropped a heartbreaking regional final decision to Yarmouth.

The season, Cochran scored 16 goals and had six assists and Cape Elizabeth overcame some speed bumps to enjoy another memorable campaign. Highlights included a goal in a narrow victory over Greely, two goals in a win over four-time reigning Class C champion Waynflete, two more goals in a victory over Poland, two goals in a win at Yarmouth, on the Clippers’ Senior Night, two goals in a quarterfinal round playoff win over Morse and two more in a semifinal round victory over Lincoln Academy.

That set up the regional final versus Yarmouth (again), where Cochran was marked by Justin Dawes for 80 minutes. It would prove to be yet another frustrating game for Cochran, who barely got to handle the ball, and the Capers, who lost, 1-0, ending their season just short of the state final yet again.

“People tell me (getting marked like that) is a compliment, but it was frustrating,” Cochran said. “I did like the challenge.”

Following the season, Cochran earned many accolades, including the prestigious Kevin Brady Memorial Spirit Scholarship Award, given annually to a senior who best demonstrates love of the game, dedication, insatiable desire to excel, fierce competitiveness, possessing a healthy sense of humor and leadership.

Cochran, who is also a standout in lacrosse, where he has been able to win a championship, three of them actually, is in the process of deciding on where to play soccer in college.

Rest assured, his fun is just beginning. Sam Cochran, Cape Elizabeth’s Fall Athlete of the Year, earned respect and admiration from teammates and foes alike and he left an indelible mark on the Capers program.

Coach Ben Raymond’s comment: “Sam has been an outstanding player for us over his entire career. Sam’s energy and enthusiasm for the sport of soccer has rubbed off a great deal on his teammates. Sam has continued to challenge and encourage his teammates to improve each and every day. He has been a very strong leader and has worked extremely hard as an individual to continue to develop his skills. Sam loves to compete and has brought his love of competition to training with him throughout his entire career and that has helped raise our level of play. Sam has helped to make the Cape Elizabeth soccer program better than what it was when he arrived as a freshman and he has helped me continue to grow and learn as a coach.”

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Prior winners:

• 2022 Nick Laughlin (football)
* 2021 Caden McDuffie (football)
* 2020 Nick Clifford (soccer)
• 2019 Jack Bassett (cross country)
• 2018 John O’Connor (soccer)
• 2017 Austin Legge (golf)
• 2016 Ben Ekedahl (football)
• 2015 Jack O’Rourke (football)
• 2014 Jack Drinan (football)
• 2013 Liam Simpson (cross country)
• 2012 Reese McFarlane (golf)
• 2011 Tim Lavallee (soccer)
• 2010 Jack Queeney (soccer)
• 2009 Ezra Wolfinger (football)
• 2008 Nate Lavallee (football)
• 2007 Jim Bump (football)
• 2006 Graham Egan (cross country)
• 2005 Mike Kertes (football)
• 2004 Ron Kelton (golf)
• 2003 Elliot Cohen (football)
• 2002 David Croft (soccer)
• 2001 Jeff Hodge (soccer)