PI girls host EM final
By Jon Gulliver
Staff writer
The 2011 Presque Isle High School girls soccer team certainly has a flare for the dramatic, winning their home quarterfinal playoff game with one second to go on the clock and their home semifinal in overtime. Besides causing a few heart palpitations in the fans and maybe the coaches, a win is a win and the Wildcats will be playing for the Eastern Maine Class B Championship this afternoon at home against Hermon at 4 p.m.
Hermon and Presque Isle split their games during the regular season. The Hawks topped PIHS, 3-2, in Presque Isle on Sept. 10 and Presque Isle won in Hermon, 2-0, on Oct. 15.
Staff photo/Joe Cyr
JUMPING FOR JOY — Wildcat coach Ralph Michaud goes airborne to congratulate goalie Meredith Stewart after a 2-1 overtime win against Oceanside on Saturday. Presque Isle is home today against Hermon in the Eastern Maine Class B final.
“The key to beating Hermon again will be to have a strong team effort and keeping our legs fresh to try to wear them down,” said Wildcat coach Ralph Michaud.
In the semifinal round Presque Isle had to go to overtime against Oceanside (formerly Rockland and Georges Valley high schools).
The Wildcats scored first when Shea Brown found the back of the net 18 minutes into the game on an assist from Karlee Bernier. The two sides would go scoreless until about 10 minutes to go in regulation when Rosemary McGeady scored an unassisted goal to tie to the game at 1-all.
In overtime Oceanside had the first good scoring opportunity off a corner kick, but Wildcat goalie Meredith Stewart came out aggressively and punched the ball away.
“That was probably one of the biggest plays of the game,” said coach Michaud.
Presque Isle was fortunate to have Stewart in the game at that time, earlier she took a blow to the mouth and had to come out (twice) for a few minutes to repair a cut to her lip. Liza Buck took her place in goal.
“Every day our head keeper and assistant coach Dillon Kingsbury puts both keepers through goalie drills and Liza gets the same drills and shot attempts in practice so she was ready,” said Michaud.
Stewart and Buck combined for nine saves on 10 shots.
Kayla Richards made sure no more big saves were needed by scoring the game winner 5:52 in overtime.
“When you play a team as physical as Oceanside you need a complete team effort,” said Michaud. “We had a complete team effort, from our defenders, through the midfielders to our attackers.”
Presque Isle’s quarterfinal match against John Bapst on Tuesday, Oct. 25 didn’t go to overtime, but only thanks to a last-second goal by Megan Ireland. When Ireland pushed the ball past the Bapst goalie there was literally one second left in regulation.
Coach Michaud said credit also goes to Chandler Guerrette.
“She had the wherewithal to know that after the Bapst keeper saved the Chelsea Nickerson shot she went to the ball boy behind the net and raced to the corner to get the kick off with seven seconds.”
Richards scored in the first half for Presque Isle off an assist from Hannah Graham.
