Falcons compete in semifinals, lose to NHTI

By Kevin Sjoberg  
Sports Reporter
    PRESQUE ISLE – The regular season started with an improbable two-game sweep on a weekend road trip and 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 was a very successful season to this point for NMCC.
    “The overall commitment was there,” said sixth-year coach Robbie Krul of Caribou. “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 went 5-2 during the regular season and tied with both CMCC and SMCC for second place in the Maine Small College Conference. NMCC competed in the semifinal round of the playoffs Tuesday, Oct. 13, falling at top-ranked New Hampshire Technical Institute to end its season.
    NMCC wrapped up its regular season slate with a 6-1 loss to NHTI Oct. 3 in Auburn and a 2-1 victory over Unity College Oct. 4 in Unity.
    The first game of the weekend 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.
    The following day, 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 relied 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 were Elizan McLean of Presque Isle and David Flint of Houlton.
    The starting midfielders were 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, were the strikers. Robinson and Ireland led the Falcons with five goals each, while Graham is right behind with four.
    McLean, Lyshon and Ireland were the team’s captains.
    The substitutes were 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. “We were excited to be back in the playoffs.”