BOYS’ SOCCER

Coach: Lawrence Burningham (second year)

2023 record: 3-12 (Lost, 4-0, to eventual champion Mt. Abram in Class C South quarterfinals)

Top returning players: Theo Fahlgren (Senior), Jesse Mutagoma (Senior), Jackson Bartik (Junior), Jacob Colaluca (Junior), Harry Seely (Junior), Gavin Thomas (Junior)

Pivotal games: Sept. 11 @ Freeport, Sept. 21 WAYNFLETE, Sept. 27 TRAIP, Oct. 8 YARMOUTH, Oct. 17 @ Traip, Oct. 22 @ Waynflete

Coach’s comment: “Even given our incredibly challenging schedule, we hope to go 8-6 and get to the state finals this year. We have a very talented team that will get stronger over the season.”

The Forecaster’s forecast: NYA has been a playoff regular and just managed to make the postseason a year ago in its return to Class C. This autumn, the Panthers expect to win more games and make a deeper run.

Colaluca was a second-team league all-star in 2023. He scored 11 goals a year ago and will pace the offense this time around. Mutagoma and Seely are other top scoring threats. Thomas returns in goal. Sophomore William Wignall and freshman Gage Kloza could also see some time there. Bartik and Fahlgren are other veterans who will make an impact on the pitch. Junior Jordan King, sophomore Daniel Smith and freshman Colby Cuthbert are newcomers to watch.

Burningham is now in his second season with the program, so there won’t be as much of a learning curve. NYA has the athletes to compete with everyone on the schedule. Some early success would go a long way to producing a memorable season.

GIRLS’ SOCCER

Senior Ella Giguere makes good things happen for NYA’s girls’ soccer team.

Coach: Ricky Doyon (eighth year, 85-21-5, four state championships)

2023 record: 12-2-3 (Lost, 1-0, to Waynflete in Class C South Final)

Top returning players: Lyla Casey (Senior), Delia Fontana (Senior), Ella Giguere (Senior), Emily Robbins (Senior), Nell Rohde (Senior), Alicia Fontana (Sophomore), Natasha Godfrey (Sophomore), Caroline Matusovich (Sophomore), Charlotte Matusovich (Sophomore)

Pivotal games: Sept. 9 FREEPORT, Sept. 21 @ Waynflete, Sept. 24 ST. DOM’S, Sept. 28 TRAIP, Oct. 1 @ Greely, Oct. 8 @ Yarmouth, Oct. 17 @ Traip, Oct. 22 WAYNFLETE

Coach’s comment: “We lost a phenomenal goalie and some other great players, but we have a good group back. We need to get the young girls up to speed. We’re playing a bunch of Class B schools, which helps us a lot. We’ll work on the little things like fundamentals and teamwork to get back to where we were. We want to be able to capitalize in transition. We’re ready and very hungry.”

The Forecaster’s forecast: NYA’s four-year title reign came to a close last season in the most painful way possible, at the hands of its fiercest rival. The Panthers are eager to reclaim their crown and they have the necessary ingredients to do so.

Senior Emily Robbins is another returning standout for the Panthers.

This year’s squad is strong all over the field. Giguere and Godfrey were first-team league all-stars and Giguere and Robbins made the Class C South all-region team last season. Giguere will again be a standout defender who can boom the ball on free kicks. Robbins is in the middle of the field and she can bury free kicks as well. Robbins, Casey (last year’s leading scorer) and Godfrey will be top scoring threats, along with Alicia Fontana and freshman Delphine Daniels. Robbins is joined in the midfield by Caroline Matusovich, Delia Fontana and freshman Ellie Seely. Charlotte Matusovich and Rohde team up with Giguere on defense to hold the defense at bay. Senior Sadie Morgan and junior Jordan Nash were vying to replace Sarah Moore in goal at press time.

NYA will face top teams from Class B and Class C and is eager for every test. The Panthers are accustomed to playing on the final day of the season and after falling short a year ago, the expectation is that they will return to what they believe is their rightful perch this time around.

VOLLEYBALL

Coach: Dave Gagne (first year)

2023 record: 1-13 (no playoffs)

Top returning players: Joyce Abahari (Senior), Nizzie Hemphill (Senior), Eva Cusano (Junior), Chloe Shervanick (Junior), Eleanor Zuiches (Sophomore)

Pivotal matches: Sept. 27 MARANACOOK, Sept. 28 BUCKSPORT, Oct. 8 @ Maranacook, Oct. 14 @ Bucksport

Coach’s comment: “We have eight returning players and nine new players. On that roster of 17, 11 are ninth or 10th graders, so we are young and building with an eye for the future. It is our goal to use the experience we have at the top and the growing potential of our younger players to grab a playoff spot and see what happens come mid-October.”

The Forecaster’s forecast: NYA enters a new era this fall after longtime coach and program founder Nora Krainis retired after 19 seasons. Gagne, who teaches history at NYA, is a longtime assistant with both the volleyball and track programs. He inherits a squad that is young, but shows promise and while the future is bright, the present could be special as well if everything comes together.

This year’s team will be led by Abahari (middle blocker), Cusano (defensive specialist), Hemphill (outside hitter), Shervanick (outside hitter or defensive specialist) and Zuiches, who led the team a year ago in assists, aces, serve attempts and ball-handling attempts and was second with 23 kills. Abahari is also a deadly server (connecting on 90 percent on her attempts last season). Shervanick had 44 digs in 2023. That group is joined by sophomores Ivy Hatch (opposite) and Kiana Roundy (outside hitter).

The Panthers are in Class C but will play the majority of their matches against Class A and B foes closer to home. This group should be competitive and if they can get some victories, could return to the playoffs and set the stage for even greater success down the road.

CROSS COUNTRY

Coaches:
(Boys) Peter Sillin (18th year, two state championships)
(Girls) Chris Mazzurco (24th year, one state championship)

2023 results:
(Boys) Did not qualify for Class C state meet (8th at regionals)
(Girls) 7th @ Class C state meet

Top returners:
(Boys) Leif MacCarthy (Senior), Chris Noreika (Senior), Haddon Doyle (Sophomore)
(Girls) Hadley Smith (Junior), Acadia Guliani (Sophomore), Daicey Speirs (Sophomore)

Coach Sillin’s comment: “It’s been a couple of years since we made it to states as a team. That’s the goal we still need to put up on the board. With such a young and inexperienced squad though, it’s very hard to pin any expectations on them so early in the season. Let’s get some miles and a couple of races in their legs and see how things shake out.”

Coach Mazzurco’s comment: “We are excited to be returning a large portion of a successful team from last fall.  The team did a great job training over the summer and is healthy and ready to work together toward another year of state qualification and strong individual placing.”

The Forecaster’s forecast: North Yarmouth Academy is hoping to send both teams to states this fall for the first time in a decade.

The girls’ squad returns three top 20 finishers from last year’s state meet. Smith posted the 14th-best score, Speirs was next in 15th and Guliani placed 17th. The door is open for some other girls to step up and help the pack and if that happens, the Panthers will be running on the season’s final Saturday yet again.

The boys’ team is seeking its first state meet berth since 2019 and has the potential to get there. The Panthers return two runners who qualified for states as individuals last year, Noreika (who posted the 40th-best time) and MacCarthy (70th). Doyle (70th at the regional meet as a freshman) will also be a factor. Freshmen Zay Cardente, Leo Engebreth and Alex Rogow could made a quick impact as well.

GOLF

Coach: Charlie Hudson (13th year)

2023 results: tie-4th @ Class C state match

Top returners: Cam Leive (Senior)

Coach’s comment: “The program is beginning a new phase with this year’s largely young team. Not only were the top four players last year seniors, but they were also siblings of four older brothers who collectively as a group were key to the success of the varsity team over several years. Cam and the five sophomores hope to be a competitive team who should improve during the course of the season.”

The Forecaster’s forecast: NYA enjoyed great success a year ago and this season, it is largely starting over, but there is reason to believe that the Panthers could save their best for last yet again.

Leive is the veteran and he’ll lead the way. Sophomores Cam Gardiner, Deagan Nadeau, Preston Randall and Greyson Reeves were part of the junior varsity team in 2023 and look to step into starting roles this autumn. Junior Jake Thompson, sophomore Sawyer Hebert and freshman Bradyn Woodword will have an opportunity to contribute as well.

Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net.