Possession key for Viking boys in upcoming season

17 years ago
By Meridith Paterson  
Staff Writer

    CARIBOU – For the past nine years, the Caribou boys’ varsity soccer team has worked its way into the playoffs under the coaching direction of Mark Shea. Shea’s defense-focused game plan served past Viking squads well, and the ’08 team looks for a similar result this season.

ImageStaff photo/Meridith Paterson
    Caribou boys’ varsity soccer. The 2008 Vikings are, from the left in front, Seth Sager, Roland Thibodeau, Chad Caverhill, Brandon Caverhill, Chad McCarthy, Rob Marrett, Jon Ouellette, Evan Susee and Nate Rossignol and, in back, head coach Mark Shea, Matt Till, Ethan McDuffie, Jared Sleeper, Cameron Anderson, Eric Brown, Phil St. Peter, Ted Walker, Stephen St. Peter, Ben Blackstone, Nick James and manager Dan St. Peter.

    “I think we have established ourselves as a team that plays a possession style of attacking soccer,” explained Shea. “I like to have a strong defense that gains possession of the ball, and begins the attack by passing through the midfield, rather than blasting it up the field.”
    The defensive possession tactic carried CHS to the quarterfinals in 2007 where they lost to the eventual Eastern Maine winners Ellsworth.
    Experience in the defense is particularly important this year due to the loss of senior players key to Caribou’s scoring record; 49 of 54 goals were scored by Viking graduates. These players include Kyle Corrigan, who beat the school record of career goals last season and was named All-New England; Jarryd Rossignol, an All-State player; Danny Rush, who made All-PVC; and defenders Jon Noyes and Justin McLauchlan.
    However, 10 players are returning to the Viking field this year. “With a small, but strong, nucleus of returning players, along with some quality first-year players, we hope to be competitive in every game this season,” said Shea.
    Guarding the 2008 Viking goal is returning senior Eric Brown. “Eric has the ability to make big saves when necessary; we need to limit the amount of mistakes we make in the defensive third of the field to give him the best look possible at each shot he faces,” commented Shea.
    Projected starting defenders for Caribou are seniors Phil St. Peter and Seth Sager, junior Jon Ouellette and sophomore Matt Till. Midfield starters are seniors Chad McCarthy and Nick James, junior Ethan McDuffie and sophomore Nate Rossignol. Taking the field in the forward position are senior Brandon Caverhill and junior Cameron Anderson. Team manager is junior Dan St. Peter.
    Also playing for CHS are senior Rob Marrett (defender); juniors Jared Sleeper (defender), Ted Walker (defender) and Evan Susee (midfielder); sophomores Roland Thibodeau (midfielder), Ben Blackstone (defender) and Stephen St. Peter (midfielder); and freshman Chad Caverhill (midfielder).
    “I’m really looking for returning players, and especially the seniors, to step up and fill the holes left by last year’s graduates,” said Shea. “Playing at a fast pace and limiting mistakes are the keys to being competitive in each of our matches.”
    Along with conditioning, the Vikings have had the chance to work together on the pitch in pre-season tournaments including a competition in Yarmouth where they played southern Maine and Massachusetts teams.