The time was now for the Oak Hill girls’ soccer team.
After going 4-8-2 last year and falling short of a Western B playoff berth, the Raiders had started this fall 2-4. Another stretch run of hard work and potential disappointment seemed inevitable.
“The last couple of years, we’ve been working hard to try and get into the playoffs,” Oak Hill coach Brant Remington said. “Then the way this season started, 2-4, it looked like we were going to have to do it again and have to try to pick up some big wins.”
When Oak Hill had a home game with rival Maranacook, Remington stressed to his squad that there was no time like the present to make their playoff push.
“I told the girls that we had to start doing it now or else we’d really be struggling to make it,” said Remington.
His girls went out and beat the Black Bears 4-3 and followed that up with a 3-0 win at Rockland, holding the Tigers without a shot in the second half. Then came a 2-1 win over Camden Hills, and a 0-0 tie with Leavitt on Tuesday night.
“At the time, and they still are, Camden was first in the East and had just been clobbering people,” said Remington. “We were thinking that they were the best team in the league. Then we took them down and then played Leavitt to a 0-0 tie. So we’ve played with the best teams in the league.”
The Raiders are currently 3-0-1 in their last four games and allowed just four goals during that span. That was after allowing 11 in the first six games and scoring just seven. Instead of hoping to just make the playoffs, the Raiders are now shooting for a home playoff date. Oak Hill is currently ranked fourth in Western B.
“If everything goes the way it should, we should definitely be in the playoffs,” said Remington. “Now we’re hoping to possibly get a home game if we finish in the top four.”
Remington says the team’s chemistry has been excellent this season and the team has really learned how to play together. First-year goaltender Darby Beaulieu has stepped in and done an admirable job, replacing all-state goalie Maggie Sabine.
A change in formation has been a significant factor as well. In a 3-0 loss against Winslow, Remington adjusted his lineup after a sluggish first half. He went with four players in the midfield. He noticed it helped the Raiders play a stronger second half against the Black Raiders. Since then, Oak Hill’s defense has been solid, led by Hannah Langlois, and Amanda Bloss and Marrissa Caskin have been a force together in the midfield.
“That gave us a glimpse of, ‘Hey, maybe this will work for us,'” said Remington.
It has helped put the Raiders on a roll. They finish the season with Belfast, MCI, Gardiner and Mt. View. Only Gardiner is a playoff team at this point.
“I’ve been telling them for quite a while now that they’re capable of so much more and that they’re a better team than the scores have been reflecting,” said Remington. “Now they’re starting to realize that they can play with anybody.”
Home Stretch
With three playoff appearances in the last four years, the Poland girls’ are hoping to continue that string of tourney games, but at 3-7, it’s getting tougher for the Knights. Poland is ranked 11th and chasing a logjam of teams in Western B that includes Lisbon, Gray-New Gloucester and Mountain Valley. Only the top eight teams reach the postseason.
“We’re definitely going to need help,” said Poland coach Aaron Rand, whose club lost four straight including a 1-0 loss to Western C’s Sacopee Valley last week. “That Sacopee game was a big one. We needed that one, but I started three freshmen in that game. So things are definitely bright and looking up.”
Poland, which lost 10 seniors from last year’s 4-9-1 team, tied NYA 0-0 and finish the year against Old Orchard, Traip and Gray-New Gloucester.
Round Two
Lewiston and Edward Little renew their rivalry Saturday with a boys’ and girls’ doubleheader. The boys play at 11 a.m at EL. while the girls follow at 1 p.m.
The EL boys could certainly use a victory. The Red Eddies are currently 3-6 and ranked 12th in the Eastern A standings.
EL is coming off a tough 2-0 loss against Erskine. A win over the Eagles would have provided a much-needed boosted in the standings.
“That hurt,” said EL coach Dave Morin. “For us, because we’re not scoring a lot of goals, we’re getting frustrated.”
Lewiston (8-2) is ranked third. With just Lewiston, Mt. Ararat, Cony, Brunswick and Oxford Hills remaining, EL is going to need a string of wins to make the tourney. A couple of point-worthy wins would come in handy.
“We’re going to have to come up with a big win,” said Morin, whose team lost to Lewiston 3-0 in the first meeting.
The EL girls are also battling for a playoff spot. At 4-5, the Red Eddies are ranked 10th in Eastern A. EL has lost three straight and may need a big win of their own against the likes of Mt. Ararat or Brunswick. EL also has Cony and Oxford Hills down the stretch.
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