Just when the Lisbon boys’ soccer team thought it was just about healthy, the Greyhounds added to the injury list this weekend.
Lisbon had already started the year with three regulars out of action, but the Greyhounds lost two key players from the offense Saturday in the first loss of the season.
“We keep losing people,” Lisbon coach Dan Sylvester said. “We need to get more people back. Guys are stepping up and filling the roles.”
Lisbon lost two seniors in the 2-1 loss at Monmouth Saturday. Austin Fournier and Austin Bedford were both injured in the second half. It was a challenge for the Greyhounds to rally against the Mustangs without two playmakers in the lineup in the second half. Lisbon tried to muster a comeback but couldn’t get the equalizer despite some hard work.
“We’ve been missing three players since the beginning of the season,” Sylvester said. “Then we have these two hurt. We’re hoping to get a few of the guys back this week. Hopefully, we won’t lose those guys for too long.”
Lisbon has been without Nick Lerette, Jacob Fusaro and Bryant Hall, all juniors, during the early season. Despite being shorthanded, the Greyhounds started the fall 5-0 before Saturday’s loss to the Mustangs. That loss followed a 5-0 win against Wiscasset Friday afternoon. Despite the injuries, Lisbon has been among the top teams in C North. It has been a sign of potential good things to come for the Greyhounds.
“We’re starting to come together,” Sylvester said. “As soon as we get healthy and get everyone together, we can definitely make some noise. The guys are really supporting each other. People have had to step up. It’s given me, as a coach, something’s I didn’t think I was going to see. Now it has. It should give us more depth down the road.”
Record pace
Mt. Blue’s Eryn Doiron is chasing the all-time goal scoring record. The senior all-state forward scored twice to lift her Cougars to a 2-1 overtime win over Lewiston last Friday. That gave Doiron seven goals this season and 38 in her career. That leaves her just six shy of the record set in the late 1980’s by Ashley Spear.
The Cougars (3-3) jumped in the A North standings with wins over Oxford Hills and Lewiston last week. Doiron scored all the goals for Mt. Blue in the two wins. Doiron has seven of the Cougars’ nine goals scored this season.
Rebuilding Rebels
The Telstar boys’ soccer team has put itself right in the thick of things in Class C South. The Rebels are 3-3 after a pair of wins against Mt. Abram last week. That already matches the number of wins Telstar had last year (3-11).
Telstar beat the Roadrunners 7-2 and 2-1 in back-to-back wins. Those followed a 5-0 victory over Dirigo to open the season. The Rebels losses have come against three of the top C South teams, Lisbon, Monmouth and St. Dom’s.
“This is my fourth year with this team and I am fortunate to have a large core group of juniors that I have worked with since their freshmen year” said Telstar coach John Eliot after his team’s win over Mt. Abram. “I believe in this group and when you add a couple key seniors and a couple strong freshmen, you have a potential formula for success.”
The Rebels have just one returning senior in Caleb Wilday and a collection of juniors back in Kellen True, Zach Stone, Avery Griffin, Haken Chartier, Elijah Laird, Willis Stevens, James Newkirk and Alec Fowles.
With a number of winnable games left on their schedule, the Rebels could be in the playoff hunt down the stretch.
Building on last year
Long before this soccer season started, the Lewiston girls’ were anxious to get going. The Blue Devils were chomping at the bit to begin playing this summer. That’s a lasting impact from last year’s success.
“Starting back in the spring, I was helping with the lacrosse team,” Lewiston coach Brant Remington said. “A bunch of players were there and they were all like, ‘When does summer start?’ That was really good — even though we lost in the playoffs — to finish strong the way we did, that was really good.”
Lewiston won six games and earned a playoff berth last year. The Blue Devils lost in overtime to the eventual Eastern A champs from Edward Little. It was a season the Blue Devils were excited to build upon. Lewiston has gone 3-3 so far but could have an even better record. They lost to Brewer 3-2 and lost to Mt. Blue last Friday 2-1 in overtime.
Lewiston lost some key players from last year but still have a seasoned group led by seniors Kelsey St. Cyr, Lauren Belleau, Emily Gosselin, Adela Kalilwa Kristina Blais and Alanna Taylor. Juniors Morgan Eliasen and Sasha Leclair as well as sophomores Kajha Gagnon, Taylor Chamberlain and Lexi Poulin give the Blue Devils a promising lineup that could improve upon last year.
“I’m very pleased with the way the girls are playing,” said Remington, whose team beat Edward Little last week for the first time since 2011. “They’re playing 80-plus minutes if they have to. That’s a key for us, there’s no let up.”
The Blue Devils have some tests ahead with the likes of Brunswick, Mt. Ararat and Camden in the coming week.
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