Sports Reporter
PRESQUE ISLE – The regular season started with an improbable two-game sweep on a weekend road trip and has culminated with a third consecutive trip to the playoffs for the Northern Maine Community College men’s soccer team.
The Falcons defeated Eastern Maine Community College on Sept. 12 in Bangor by a score of 2-0, and then upset Southern Maine Community College in Portland the following day, 2-1 in overtime, to set up what has been a very successful season to this point for NMCC.
“The overall commitment has been there,” said sixth-year coach Robbie Krul. “We knew we had two weeks to prepare for that opening weekend, and with nine newcomers on the team it was important to make sure the guys connected with each other. They came together quickly.”
The Falcons are now 5-2 and tied with both CMCC and SMCC for second place in the Maine Small College Conference. By Saturday, NMCC will find out which team it will take on in the semifinal round of the playoffs. The game will be played Tuesday, Oct. 13, with the championship set for Saturday, Oct. 17.
“I’m proud of the team’s record,” Krul said. “We will have a tough match ahead of us, regardless of who we draw, but we’ll put it all out on the line. The guys will be sharp and fit and will give it all they have.”
NMCC wrapped up its regular season slate with a 6-1 loss to New Hampshire Technical Institute Saturday in Auburn and a 2-1 victory over Unity College Sunday in Unity.
Saturday’s game was against the first-place team in the conference and a team that has not lost a game in three years. NMCC took the early lead on a Derek Boucher goal, but NHTI tallied three goals before intermission and tacked on three more in the second half to come out on top.
On Sunday, Luke Ireland converted a penalty kick with two minutes remaining in regulation to break a 1-1 tie and give the Falcons the win. Ireland set up Dustin Graham with a free kick cross to put NMCC on the scoreboard in the first half, but Unity tied the match before the Falcons took advantage of a Unity foul in the penalty area late in the contest.
The Falcons rely on a starting lineup consisting of Matt Tarr, a Katahdin High School product, in goal, with David Rugg serving as the team’s sweeper and Sam Harris of Washburn the starting stopper. The wing backs are Elizan McLean of Presque Isle and David Flint of Houlton.
The starting midfielders are Ireland, of Mapleton, who received national academic accolades in soccer last fall, Graham of Brunswick, Parker Brown of Presque Isle and Justin Lyshon of Bangor.
Boucher, of Greenville, and Tyler Robinson, who played at Southern Aroostook Community High School, are the strikers. Robinson and Ireland lead the Falcons with five goals each, while Graham is right behind with four.
McLean, Lyshon and Ireland are the team’s captains.
The substitutes are Sebastian Viola of Washburn, Dusty Graham of Mapleton, Patrick Kinsey of Fort Fairfield and Gabe Cheney of Castle Hill.
“I’m pleased with the improvement shown by this team,” Krul said. “No matter who we play, we’re excited to be back in the playoffs.”
Staff photo/Kevin Sjoberg
NMCC CAPTAIN and wing fullback Elizan McLean of Presque Isle charges up the field during a Sept. 27 contest against Hesser College played at the Johnson Athletic Complex.
