Warriors’ coach reflects on playoff run, team performance

By Gloria Austin  
Staff Writer
    Though the Southern Aroostook Warriors didn’t have the outcome that they had hoped for in the Class D semifinals against Katahdin, coach Cliff Urquhart was pleased with his team’s overall season.
    “The season ended much better than it began for us,” he said.
    Typically during the preseason, the Warriors struggle each year to fill their roster, maybe getting 11 or 12 players before school begins. Once school was back in session, the Warriors’ lineup expanded, as kids came back from summer vacations, injuries, inconvenient work schedules and academic ineligibilities, said Urquhart.
    “If someone would have told me that after our 1-4-1 start that we would be playing in the Eastern Maine semifinal game, I don’t know as if I would have believed the person,” he said. “We started to gel down the stretch, so it all kind of fell in place for us.”
    In the semifinal game against the Cougars, the Warriors didn’t contain Katahdin’s explosive offense.
    “We struggled to mark them on the weak side during the first half,” said Urquhart. “It allowed them to cross the ball to far side runners. You have to give credit where credit is due, Davis [Marshall] and Qualey [Ethan] are special players and when you give them open shots they are going to capitalize every time.”
    The Cougars defeated the Warriors, 6-2.
    The Warriors played better in the second half, settling in and holding Katahdin scoreless, but the damage was done.
GETTING READY FOR SEASON – On October 23-26, the Southern Aroostook Minor Hockey Association conducted its third annual Dave McCarthy Memorial Hockey School. This school was conducted by the coaches of SAMHA in association with the Atlantic Hockey group. Approximately 75 players participated in the school. The school focused on skating, passing, shooting, and defensive play. The Sunday sessions of both groups wrapped up with a scrimmage. A goalie instructor was also present at the clinic to give instruction to the four goalies that attended.
    “We outscored Katahdin in all three games in the second half this season,” Urquhart said. “I think we had some pretty good chances to score the entire game. But, their defense is very quick and smart, so anytime you can put points on the board against them you have to feel good about it.”
    The Warriors were led in scoring by forward Tyler Robinson with 24 goals and seven assists. He was followed closely by playmaker Dakota Sleeper with 17 goals and 17 assists. Patrick Goodall tallied seven goals, with David Dubois adding six more.
    “Dakota and Tyler played very well together up front,” said Urquhart. “Dakota is such an unselfish player. At the center mid position he is like a point guard of the soccer field. He has outstanding peripheral vision that allows him to see the open attackers. Throw in the effort of Goodall, Dubois and first-year player Nick Tarr and we had an offense that wasn’t shut out of a game all season.”
    Playing solid defense for the Warriors through the entire season were senior goalie Dillon Boulier, stopper Garry Sutherland and sophomore sweeper Cody Robinson.
    “Cody really came into his own this year,” said Urquhart. “He was the key to our defense. I think Garry flew under the radar a little bit because he didn’t do much scoring, but he is a solid defensive player and plays the ball out the air better than anybody we have on the team.”
    Another player who maybe didn’t get the recognition he deserved is midfielder Anthony Diaferio.
    “He didn’t do much scoring, but he won a lot of 50/50 balls and distributed the ball well,” Urquhart noted. “He played to his potential all year.”
    The Warriors are losing five seniors — Robinson, Boulier, Darin Flewelling, Mike Casey and Stephen Grant —four who started.
    “The seniors will be missed for sure,” said Urquhart. “But, I think we have some younger kids who can be ready to play a larger role next season. I am looking forward to working with this club again next year.”