Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE — More times than he cares to remember, Ralph Michaud has had to endure watching the opposing team celebrate a playoff victory on the Wildcats’ home field.
The Presque Isle Wildcat girls soccer team has on several occasions during Michaud’s 11-year tenure finished as a No. 1 or No. 2 seed, only to suffer an upset loss in the post-season.
Last Wednesday, finally it was Michaud and his PI squad that was able to do the celebrating.
The Lady ’Cats captured their first-ever Eastern Maine championship, topping four-time defending regional Class B champion Winslow, 3-2.
“This team was ready to win it, they really were,” Michaud said. “Several other of our teams deserved it, but just had a lot of bad luck. Today, we had some of that luck on our side.”
seeing the Black Raiders battle back from a 2-0 deficit to tie the game just 1:35 into the second half, Presque Isle refused to wilt. In fact, soon after the game-tying goal, the hosts dug in and took control.
With 14:12 to play, PI senior striker Kayla Legassie won a loose ball in the left corner of the goalie box, moved the ball along the goal line and struck a hard shot at a tough angle into the right corner of the net to put her team back in front.
“I just wanted the ball so bad,” Legassie said. “I kicked it ahead and when I shot it, I thought to myself that I should have crossed it and hopefully one of my teammates would have been there.
“Thank God it went into the corner and in.”
For Michaud, it was a major part of a gutsy performance by his squad.
“We were up 2-1 at half, and I’m thinking the next goal is huge. If we get it, it’s probably game over and if they get it, it’s anyone’s game,” Michaud said. “And they got it.
“But we didn’t flinch. Even after they threw their best punch at us. We just kept attacking.”
He said the goal by Legassie epitomized her impressive PIHS career. “She never gave up on that ball, then she cut it back and drilled it,” Michaud said. “It wasn’t the best placed shot, but she hit it hard and forced the goalie to try to make a save.”
Over the final 10 minutes, Presque Isle played “textbook soccer” with its one-goal advantage.
“They didn’t get any real good chances the last 10 minutes, and our team did a tremendous job shielding the ball in the corners and wasting time,” Michaud added.
The Wildcats opened the game very strong. During a 2-1/2 minute stretch, Legassie heading in a Jodie Buckley throw-in and Mackenzie Pinette collecting a loose ball after a scrum in front of the net and getting it past Winslow goalkeeper Beth Fisher and inside the left post. Just like that, 15 minutes into the match, PI was up two goals.
Black Raiders then displayed some of the fortitude that helped them to EM titles in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. Jordyn Mallett connected on a direct kick from 20 yards out with 14:08 left before intermission, before Arian Kumlangngam knotted things with a goal off a breakaway very early in the second half.
Then it was Presque Isle proving its No. 1 seed was no fluke with its strong all-around play the remainder of the contest. Winslow coach Scott Wood came away impressed with the Lady Wildcats’ performance.
“When they took the ball out of the air and put it at their feet, they were able to drive it across the field. They can change the direction of the ball in a hurry,” Wood said. “We had to play with a sense of urgency after halftime and I think our legs started to go and they had a little more depth than we did.”
Presque Isle junior goalie Kelsey Park needed to make just two saves in the game while facing six shots on goal. Fisher saved six of 13 shots in goal for Winslow, the region’s No. 2 seed which finished at 15-2.
Legassie was thrilled her team was able to get the job done, even when things weren’t looking promising.
“We all really wanted it, everyone right down to the freshmen,” she said.
Contributed photo/Dave Allen Graphics
THROW-IN – Amber Griffin, a senior back for the Presque Isle Lady Wildcats, attempts a throw-in during Saturday’s Class B state championship match against Falmouth.
