WHS girls’ soccer drops regional final to Scarborough

By Matt Pascarella

After Windham varsity girls’ soccer held back Falmouth in the semifinal playoff game at Falmouth on Saturday, Nov. 1 with a 3-2 win, the third-placed Eagles returned to Falmouth and took on top-ranked Scarborough in the Class A South regional final on Tuesday, Nov. 4. This was an incredibly hard-fought game that lasted over 100 minutes of play and a penalty kick round.

Windham senior Marley Jarvais keeps the ball away from 
her Scarborough opponent during the Class A South girls'
soccer regional final game against Scarborough at
Falmouth High school on Tuesday, Nov. 4.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA   

The Eagles truly left it all on the field and remained tough for over 110 minutes. Scarborough just slipped by when they scored one penalty kick more during the round and won 2-1.

“They being the No. 1 seed had everything to lose and we didn’t,” said Windham senior Marley Jarvais. “We came out and not only did we play with them, but we outplayed them most of the game and I think that’s something we should remember. I think Scarborough was overconfident coming into this game and thought they could easily get a win against us, but I think we just proved that we can outplay them – I think this team has grown so much since the summer.”

During the first half Windham had the upper hand with more offensive chances and very strong defense. The score was 0-0 at the half.

“Our energy ... this game, we all came ready to play,” said Windham sophomore Morgan Clark. “We all knew that we could play with Scarborough and would play however long it would take. How much we’ve grown as a team is a positive that stands out. Coming into this year a lot of us thought this would be a rebuilding year. A lot of us knew what we could be and we all put in the work to be (the team we’ve become).”

Windham sophomore goalie Jennifer Schwarz said she went into this game feeling like there was nothing to lose and she needed to go for every ball. She couldn’t be nervous; she knew her team had her back. Schwarz said once the game started, she was happy out there, doing what she loved. She was a solid barrier and had 10 saves during regulation and overtime play.

In the second half, the Eagles had no diminishment of their hustle. They had earned the right to be there, and every player gave it everything they had.

Roughly 65 minutes into the game Scarborough scored. Windham had a shot at the Red Riot’s goal that bounced off the crossbar. This game wasn’t over yet.

About 72 minutes into regulation play Clark scored. The game was tied 1-1 as the clock ran out.

“We brought it to them, we brought our ‘A’ game, we weren’t intimidated,” said Windham varsity girls’ soccer assistant coach Jim Stewart. “When Windham was down a goal they kept playing, got the goal back, they kept playing. They believed in themselves and they believed in each other. They should be proud of themselves; you play like that, and you lose, ... you hold your head high. You did everything you could do; you gave every bit of effort you could give and that’s all as a coach we could ask for.”

Both overtimes were no different for Windham. They remained aggressive, pressured and had offensive chances and shots on goal.

When it came down to penalty kicks, Scarborough got one more than Windham.

Both Jarvais and Clark agreed the team has grown and improved over the season. They worked hard all season, every game, every ball, every chance. The seniors were playing for the underclassmen, and the underclassmen were playing for the seniors.

“That’s really, really hard what they just did,” said Windham varsity girls’ soccer head coach Deb Lebel. “As much as our kids don’t like it and they all make fun of me for stressing the fitness, I don’t think we dipped too much out there. Windham got a lot better opportunities when we played to feet, they did great.”

When Lebel and Stewart look back on the season, growth and team camaraderie stand out. <

JSMS boys’ cross country ends season with championship win

By Matt Pascarella

The Jordan-Small Middle School boys’ cross country team won the Cumberland County League championship on Thursday, Oct. 23 at Twinbrook Recreation Area in Cumberland.

Jordan-Small Middle School's cross country team gathers
after the Gray Invitational Meet at Gray Middle School 
on Friday, Oct. 3. PHOTO BY JOHN POWERS

Competing against 15 other middle school teams, the JSMS boys’ team edged out Yarmouth Middle School by three points to win the Cumberland County League championship.

Hard work and grit paid off in a big way for these boys,” said JSMS cross country coach John Powers. “With a goal in mind and support from teammates, coaches, parents and their friends they were able to take on a league filled with much larger school populations to win it all.”

Three weeks prior to the event, the JSMS boys’ finished second to Yarmouth during a regular season meet. The day after that second-place finish, Powers said the team got to work with their goal being to defeat Yarmouth in the championship meet and win it all.

He said that the entire team contributed to the improvement and everyone in their top five runners that figured into the score set a personal best during that race.

Eighth grader and team co-captain Miles Moreau finished first in the championship event for JSMS and fifth overall with a time of 11:40 minutes. Eighth grader and co-captain Franklin Murray finished 10th overall and second for JSMS with a 12:19 time.

Sixth grader Mason Hall finished third for the team and 13th overall with a time of 12:28. Sixth grader Brady Cirrinone was fourth with a 12:56 time; and seventh grader Will Carroll finished fifth with a time of 13:13.

"Winning the championship is a reflection on how hard our team works,” said Murray. “By putting their full effort in practices every time and having team spirit that pushes us to be the best we can be.”

Moreau said he knew the meet was going to be close and was relieved when he saw JSMS had won. Afterward, he said he felt proud of his team and its championship accomplishment. <

Windham boys’ soccer falls to Falmouth in quarterfinal playoff

By Matt Pascarella

Tenth-place Windham varsity boys’ soccer played second-place Falmouth at Falmouth on Wednesday, Oct. 29. Windham kept Falmouth scoreless for 60 minutes of an 80-minute game, but Falmouth scored halfway through the second half. The Navigators got two more goals before the end and won, 3-0.

Windham senior Camden Patin keeps his eyes on the ball
during the boys' soccer quarterfinal playoff game against
Falmouth at Falmouth High School on Wednesday, Oct. 29.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA

“For this contest, getting them on their heels early by coming out more aggressive and looking to push the scoring opportunities was the strategy,” said Windham varsity boys’ soccer coach Jeff Neal. “Windham faced adversity all season long on and off the pitch, but they all picked each other up day-after-day, working hard to find a pathway to get better. While we may not have met initial expectations, I can proudly say as a group they represented the community and program as well as a group of young men can.”

Neal said the team worked hard all season to develop a more aggressive and positive shooting posture while doubling down to improve striking technique to generate more consistent scoring. As the season progressed, WHS improved on this. Their defense really improved after losing a number of veteran players to graduation last year.

Windham’s defense was strong from the start and remained strong for a very large portion of the game. The Eagles moved the ball well and worked hard to be first to the ball. They made solid attempts to go after scoring opportunities, but Falmouth defense was also strong. It was 0-0 at halftime.

“Coming into this game, my teammates and I went with the mindset of having nothing to lose,” said Windham senior and goalie Tate Robinson who had nine saves during the game. “We knew that this wasn't going to be an easy game, however, we were still confident in our ability to compete against them. I was confident in our team's abilities and fully believed we could win. This was the best I've seen us play and really showed that we were able to compete with one of the best teams in Maine.”

In the second half, Windham maneuvered and remained aggressive with incredibly strong defense. After several blocks by Robinson, Falmouth was able to score, but only after almost 60 scoreless minutes.

Robinson did not let this get him down and said he knew there was plenty of game remaining to tie it up.

“As a team we held Falmouth up really well,” said Windham senior Camden Patin. “Everything we talked about executing we executed to our best. The first half was some of the best all-around soccer we had played all season. It was simple mistakes that led to the defeat. Looking back on the season what stands out is our ability to push through adversity ... this team came every day to work and grind to get better.”

The Navigators scored again with eight minutes left and once more on a penalty kick.

Captain and senior Daniel Hancock said leading up to Falmouth’s first goal, they had executed their game plan well but just had a small break in it. When Robinson made back-to-back saves, in the moments following Hancock said Windham did not have Robinson’s back to clear the ball. They ran out of gas, and some unfortunate bounces deflated them. He’s proud of the effort Windham gave against a strong team.

“We controlled the ball well and kept the score to a 0-0 game,” said Windham senior Dylan Crockett. “We are a very talented team with great players, but we did not fully adapt to Falmouth’s urgency and hunger in the second half. Due to our lack of endurance toward the last 15 minutes of the game we got put under pressure. (While) we possessed the ball a lot better, and we had a ton of attacking chances, we just couldn’t finish the chances. I’m very grateful for all the opportunities this team has given me; this brotherhood we all had will stay as a core memory for the rest of my life.” <

Windham varsity field hockey falls in preliminary playoff game

By Matt Pascarella

Eighth-placed Windham varsity field hockey played ninth-placed South Portland/Westbrook in a preliminary playoff game at Windham on Friday, Oct. 24. Windham scored in the second half, but South Portland/Westbrook scored in each quarter except the second quarter and won, 3-1.

Windham sophomore Peyton Archibald moves the ball 
quickly toward the goal during a prep field hockey playoff
game against South Portland/Westbrook at Windham 
High on Friday, Oct. 24.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA 

“We came into the game really wanting to win; one of our best players wasn’t here, so wanted to show up and get her another game as a senior,” said Windham sophomore Sarah Smyth. “Scoring gave us some momentum ... but we couldn’t pull through. We went into every game, even the tougher teams, like we can do this; anything can happen, even the lower teams we went in thinking this was an even playing field.”

Smyth said in the beginning of the season, with new coach, Maddy Perfetti, the team wasn’t sure what to expect, but the season went better than expected. Each game, they played hard and did the best they could. Smyth said their fast breaks went well during this playoff game. Junior Morgan McLain got the ball down the field quickly; Smyth thought passes were connecting well between the forwards.

Windham began the game with intensity and passed the ball well. Each team had strong defense, and scoring was restricted for most of the first quarter. Windham sophomore Peyton Archibald had a solid shot at goal, but it was blocked.

Minutes before the end of the first quarter, South Portland/Westbrook scored.

During the second quarter, Windham worked hard to be first to the ball but wasn’t able to score. South Portland/Westbrook led 1-0 at halftime.

About 90 seconds into the second half, Smyth scored and tied the game 1-1. Windham had cranked up the intensity and hustle in the third quarter. Their defense kept their opponent away until late in the third quarter when South Portland/Westbrook took a 2-1 lead.

South Portland/Westbrook would score a final time early in the fourth quarter.

Windham stuck with it until the very end.

“I think when they got their first goal (things started to unravel),” said McLain. “We’re not as strong at finishing the ball as most teams and I think ... when South Portland/Westbrook got the first goal our mindsets changed. We had more of a negative attitude; at halftime, we weren’t saying positive things to one another, I think that had its biggest impact.”

According to McLain and Smyth, senior goalie Olivia McPherson was amazing minding the net, she’s been doing amazing work all season. McPherson had six saves during this game.

“South Portland did better than us, said Perfetti. “They beat us to the ball, they were hungry, they really wanted it, and it looked like that. They were all over the ball. We haven’t had many games where we’ve come back from losing. I think that comes down to experience and age; a lot of them haven’t played or started for varsity – dealing with emotions, how you talk to your teammates and how you give feedback, how you keep a positive attitude. I think they really did improve their tactical play in a lot of games, they’ve played some really good field hockey against some good teams, so I’m proud of them for that – they’ve learned the game in a way that I wasn’t necessarily expecting from high school kids. As a first season ... it’s building, we’re going to be patient, we’ll be back next year, and we’ll be ready to assess and see what we need to do better.” <

Raymond fifth and sixth grade girls’ soccer end season on high note

By Matt Pascarella

Raymond Parks and Recreation fifth and sixth grade girls’ soccer team have had a great season and played its final game of the regular season against Naples at Camp Agawam in Raymond on Saturday, Oct. 25. Their improvement really showed as this was a defensive battle that, while it ended in a 0-0 tie, Raymond defense was like a brick wall that Naples could not get through.

The Raymond Parks and Recreation fifth and sixth grade
girls' soccer team gather after their final game of the 
regular season against Naples at Camp Agawam in
Raymond on Saturday, Oct. 25.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA 

“At this age, the focus is more on learning the rules of the game and learning how to work as a team. All of the goalies we had, Aliza played amazing in the first half, a combination of Madison and Gracelynn in the second half, and they all just made huge saves,” said Raymond Parks and Recreation fifth and sixth grade girls’ soccer coach Gabriel Redmond. “We’re aggressive, getting to the ball, we played mistake-free which is incredible for a group of fifth and sixth graders. Passing also went well; there were more passes in this game, and they got their heads up to see what’s going on. They should continue to work on aggressiveness and just being confident – because a lot of these girls are better than I think they know they are.”

The team’s season consisted of eight games and will end in a round-robin tournament on Nov. 1. What’s important to note about this particular game is that Raymond had played Naples previously in the season and lost 8-1, so a 0-0 tie shows big improvement on the part of all Raymond players.

“I think the season went really well, we tried really hard,” said Raymond sixth grader Raven Wiley. “I could see that in all of my teammates,” she said. “I did soccer last year and soccer is really fun, and I would like to play more. I’ve learned different moves; I’ve learned to not be as scared of the ball. My goal is to become really good at all positions except goalie. We had really good defense and being aggressive; we could work on hustle.”

The season is less about the team record and more about the players learning to play the game well. This season Redmond has taught the team to stay in the correct position on the field. The team had really started to put all that together when it came to this final game against Naples.

“That was part of the reason the defense was so good, and they had so many opportunities on offense; their positioning was really great,” said Redmond. “They are aggressive running to the ball, and they really try to get what I call ‘stuck in’ on the ball and get your foot on the ball. Biggest things we’re working on are positioning, being more aggressive and then passing to the open people – all three of those things were happening today.”

In the first half, Raymond fifth grade goalie Aliza Cullens had save-after-save and allowed nothing by her. In the second half, Raymond fifth grade goalies Madison Griffeth and Gracelynn Bowley were just as strong defensively.

Raymond gained possession several times and offense moved the ball well, going after scoring opportunities.

In the second half, Raymond sixth grader Ariel Sampson was headed right toward the goal and took a solid shot that just missed.

Sampson said she’s enjoyed playing in past years. She thinks they’ve improved so much, and this was one of their best games. Sampson said she thinks she’s improved a lot since last year and this season will help her improve in the future. The team has improved on offense and did well passing and defending but need to work on staying in their positions.

Redmond said it’s the biggest progression he’s ever seen in a season. <

Windham boys’ soccer narrowly falls to South Portland

By Matt Pascarella

Windham varsity boys’ soccer played South Portland at Windham on Tuesday, Oct. 21 and it was the final home game of the regular season and also Senior Night; Tate Robinson, Daniel Hancock, Camden Patin, Zabdiel Cayetano, Dylan Crockett, Jack Henry, Braeden Smith and Aidan Difiore were each presented with a gift and, along with their parents, were thanked for their time and dedication to Windham Athletics. Windham fought hard but fell 2-1 to the Red Riots.

Windham senior Daniel Hancock moves to get by a South
Portland defender during a boys' varsity soccer game o
Senior Night at Windham High School on Tuesday, Oct. 21.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA 

“Even though we lost today, we scored the first goal; we had a lot of energy and that’s really the biggest difference I’ve seen,” said Hancock. “The first half was a little emotional because it’s Senior Night, second half we really settled in. It all started to go well with us putting in tackles and winning the 50-50 balls – it started creating opportunities. If we could score early and play a full 80 minutes instead of letting up after a goal, then we’re going to be good.”

Windham defense showed South Portland they were a strong team. While Windham started a little slow, they soon picked up their pace with multiple shots on goal, though nothing hit the net.

The Eagles pressured and got to the ball first. Offense was solid, but so was South Portland defense. 0-0 at the half.

Roughly 90 seconds into the second half, a pass from Crockett to Hancock found the back of the net to give Windham a 1-0 lead.

“I’ve always known we’ve had a lot of talent on the team, and a lot of chances bit-by-bit, they haven’t all come together at times,” said Crockett. “I’ve noticed we’ve been working really hard lately and getting a lot of momentum; I like what we’re seeing at times. If we keep going this way, we’re going to be a really tough team for people to beat, this loss is a learning lesson; it’s only up from here. We’re not the same team we were from last year; we have a lot of new people filling different spots, so the experience isn’t there always. No excuses, one mistake can change the game. We realized this could be our last game ever on this field and it motivated us to play harder in the second half. If we can keep it consistent, keep our rhythm going (in the postseason), we’re going to be a really good team.”

Moments later South Portland scored and tied the game, 1-1.

Windham defense remained strong. On a South Portland penalty kick, senior Tate Robinson had an excellent save. Windham Offense fired a shot that hit the crossbar.

Eagle intensity dipped a little in the final 20 minutes and that’s when South Portland scored again.

“We were right there with South Portland for most of the game,” said Windham varsity boys’ soccer assistant coach Nick Dubay. “They are coming together at the right time, which is a good thing to see,” “Players are buying into their roles a little better than in the beginning; they see that the (season) is running out and things mean more. Our modus operandi is our own mistakes are killing us. We got to make sure our defense is locked in, which I think it was for 60 minutes tonight ... but couldn’t play the full time. Offensively, I think we're getting there, we need to be patient and just make sure we finish our chances. Defensively, (we need to be) doubling down on marking and being tough out back.” <

WHS Cross Country fares well against tough competition in second-seven race

By Matt Pascarella

Windham cross country’s regional and state competitions are on the horizon. For both the regional and the state competitions, only seven runners are allowed from each team. The second-seven meet is an opportunity for those that aren’t in the top seven to have one more meet before the end of the season. The second-seven meet, a 5K, was held at Sanford High School on Saturday, Oct. 18.

Windham junior Leana Robbins keeps a solid pace during the
second-seven cross country meet at Sanford High School on
Saturday, Oct. 18. PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA  

“They ran excellent today; we were all working on getting out a little bit faster today and trying to maintain that pace,” said Windham boys’ and girls’ cross country coach Paula Pock. “They all executed really well on that. (Half) of the runners got personal records, that’s how you want to finish. One thing they can improve on is using their momentum and their base that they built up and carrying that into next season will be really beneficial.”

Girls

Windham junior Alanna Lewis finished first for Windham and 17th overall with a time of 26:59.74 minutes, a personal record for her by a couple minutes.

“I think I did really well, switching a sport this year was really hard for me,” said Lewis, who used to play soccer. “Switching took a lot of confidence; I’m proud of myself for improving and my teammates have pushed me to do better; they’re confident for me. I started out in the back of the pack but have improved. I’m pretty proud of myself – probably my fullest push to finish.”

Lewis said this is one of the best courses they’ve run on, and their competition was pushing them the whole time, which helped her finish. She had her fastest two-mile she’s done; pushing hard at her last mile is a goal for next year.

Leana Robbins, a junior, finished second for Windham and 19th overall with a time of 27:12.76, also a personal record for her.

Boys

Junior Morgan Willey finished first for Windham and 49th overall with a time of 24:06.29.

Sophomore Liam Moxcey finished second for Windham and 55th overall with a time of 25:13.26.

“I think I did ok, I definitely felt like I could have done better,” said Willey. “I felt like I could have pushed a little harder, but I was definitely more in my comfort zone than pushing myself. I think my form went well. The course was nice; I liked it a lot; this is my first time on it. My competition ... I could keep up with them. I am proud of how I did because I made it all the way through the season without giving up.” <