A SENIOR MOMENT — SACS seniors Emma Senzek, left, and Brittany Charette exude emotion after their team won the Class D state title 1-0 in sudden death overtime over Greenville.
Local soccer teams crowned Class D state champs
Goodall scores in sudden death
CROWNED – Crowned as Class D state champions are the Southern Aroostook Lady Warriors, from left, front, Mallory Lawlor, Jillian Diaferio, Kim Pratt, Liz Goodall, Brittany Charette, Emma Senzek, Cassie Garcelon, Jasmine Rockwell, Janel Rockwell and Emily Cummings; back, coach Holly Vining, Nicole White, manager; Kaitlyn Sommers, Evangeline Goodall, Shelby Hartin, Morgan Gustin, Lauren McGary, Alex Bishop, Oliva Raymond, Rochelle Nadeau, Travis Casey, manager and assistant coach Diana Rockwell.
By Gloria Austin
Staff Writer
HOULTON – It was jumping, wide smiles, crying and hugging, as the Southern Aroostook Lady Warriors captured the school’s first-ever Class D state girl’s soccer championship, with a 1-0 overtime victory over Western champion Greenville.
“They’ve got so much heart, it’s incredible,” said SACS coach Holly Vining. “That has been such a huge part of our success all season.”
The state crown was a long time coming, as the Lady Warriors were truly stunned by their feat.
“I’m speechless,” said Liz Goodall. “It is awesome.”
Rochelle Nadeau agreed.
“This is unreal,” she said. “I don’t even know the words to describe it. This is phenomenal. We’ve never come together as much as we did today. Our defense was awesome. We came into feeling like we had something special.”
Teamwork and defense led to the Lady Warriors’ crown.
CELEBRATE – Southern Aroostook’s Liz Goodall turns around and raises her hand in victory, as Greenville players react. Goodall rebounded a loose ball off a direct kick in sudden death overtime with 1:32 left to lift her team to the school’s first-ever Class D state girls’ soccer championship.
“We knew we had to try our hardest and we knew they would come out strong,” said Janel Rockwell. “We worked together and made it happen.”
Vining was taken back when she realized the game wasn’t as physical as she had thought it would be.
Playing in a steady mist and slippery field at Schenck High School in East Millinocket, the Lady Warriors executed their game strategy.
“About five minutes into the game, I realized for the first time, that we had a real shot at winning this game,” said Vining. “It was a bit of a surprise when we were beating them to the majority of the balls at midfield. Our pre-game talk was all about the key to the game being tough ‘D’, controlling and winning the ball at midfield and then generating offense. When I saw that we were able to do that against this team early on, I almost couldn’t believe it. Unfortunately the game wasn’t that easy.”
In the first half of the game, the Lady Warriors had scoring opportunities, fielding the ball at midfield and getting it to the front line, but they just couldn’t finish.
BIG BOOT – Southern Aroostook’s Rochelle Nadeau gives the ball a boot toward the goal during last Saturday’s Class D state game. The Lady Warriors were victorious 1-0 in sudden death overtime over Greenville. It is the first state girl’s soccer championship in school history.
“Our offense didn’t play deep enough,” said Vining. “That’s why we couldn’t capitalize on our opportunities. Rochelle [Nadeau] had a cross that slowly rolled across the mouth of the goal. It was so tantalizing. I wanted to run out there and kick it in myself. Our wings just couldn’t catch up with it because they had been back too far helping on defense.”
Greenville’s Saige Weeks and goalie Sidney Richardson made it hard for the Lady Warriors to put the ball into the net, and conversely, SACS goalie Emily Cummings and her backs made it equally as hard for the Lakers.
“We out shot them, but both teams had some opportunities,” said Vining. “We were very lucky a few times when their crosses went too far ahead and our goalie was able to come out and pick up the loose balls. Emily has been amazing this postseason. She has played more aggressive these last two weeks than she has all season.”
Photograph courtesy of Jessica Porter
TROPHY – SACS’ coach Holly Vining, left and seniors Brittany Charette, center, and Emma Senzek display the Eastern Maine championship plaque.
The Lady Warriors had several anguishing scoring opportunities in the second half. On one play, Liz Goodall fired the ball from the top of the penalty area, ringing the cross bar, just missing a goal. On another, Brittany Charette and Janel Rockwell had a rush on the goalie, but came up empty when the ball went wide. With hands on their heads, Charette and Rockwell were visibly frustrated.
But, the Lady Warriors are resilient.
“I had a good feeling,” Vining said. “I guess it’s because we were having more opportunities than they were and I’ve seen this team in this situation enough times now to know that they were going to hang tough. Three 1-0 games during playoffs just speaks volumes about their drive, determination, and willingness to succeed.”
In sudden death overtime, it was the Lady Warriors who finally prevailed.
“Before we went into sudden death, I had all I could do to speak because my emotions had taken a hold of me,” Vining explained. “But, I told them they couldn’t stop now, they were too close, and I think it was Brittany who looked at me and said, ‘We’re not going to Coach, we’re going to win this.’ And, she was right.”
It took a team effort to score the game-winner on a scramble in front of the net. Nadeau hit the direct kick, which bounced off Janel Rockwell, over to Evangeline Goodall and back to sister Liz, who pushed it into the goal with 1:32 left in overtime.
“I did whatever I could to get it in,” said Liz Goodall. “It was incredible.”
“All I saw was the ball hit the back of the net,” said Vining. “At the time, I couldn’t tell you who scored or how it happened because it bounced around so much.”
Nadeau, who delivered the kick to the goal, said, “It was played around with right in front of the goal. We were hoping someone would tap it in.”
And, Janel Rockwell added, “Liz got that perfect shot.”
STOP – SACS’ goalie Emily Cummings stops a shot on goal, as Shelby Hartin turns to locate the ball that was kicked behind her, while left, Evangline Goodall battles for the ball against a Greenville player.
Going into last Saturday’s Class D state championship game, Southern Aroostook’s Vining drew upon her experience to prepare her squad.
Vining, who played in Southern Aroostook’s first-ever state soccer appearance in 1993, remembers the pitfalls of losing to Richmond, which was on a multiple winning streak of three or four years.
“They were tough, physical and aggressive,” Vining recalled. “We had never experienced anything like that in soccer. We didn’t know how to respond to it and we didn’t handle it well.”
So, Vining readied her squad, so her players wouldn’t make the same mistakes her team did, and watch a title slip away.
“It was a good, clean game, and both teams gave a valiant effort. Both teams should be proud,” Vining added.
The Lady Warriors earned the Class D Eastern Maine crown with a 1-0 win over visiting Ashland last Wednesday.
The first half ended in a scoreless tie, but senior Charette took a Nadeau pass and scored the game-winner 15 seconds into the second half. Charette stole the ball off Ashland’s kickoff, passed to Nadeau on the wing, who carried the ball down the field, sending back to Charette, who shot a low to the right corner.
“She caught Ashland off guard,” said Vining. “It was a pretty even game.”
Cummings had seven saves on eight shots, while Ashland keeper Taylor Baker stopped nine of 10 shots.
