In October 2021, the Wildcat girls varsity soccer team ended their season with a 3-11 record and had the feeling like they were ready to be done. “Honestly, last year our team went into playoffs with no confidence and ready to be done because it had been such a tiring season,” Olivia Locke ’25 said.

As a result, many were nervous going into this year, questioning the season especially as they started it with a field player in goal. Now, however, they are headed into the playoffs as the number three seed.

TURNING POINTS

The girls won big mid-season games against Old Town and John Bapst, avenging earlier losses to both teams. Locke, Adelaide Baser ’24 and Johnston all agreed their biggest game and confidence booster of the season was the second Old Town game on Saturday, October 8. “The biggest game of the season was most definitely the Old Town game because we were in 8th place at the start of the game, and then as the game rounded out we beat Old Town and moved up to third place,” Baser said. “It really boosted our confidence and showed us that the team can do great things.”

Finding themselves as a third place team in the Class B Northern Maine region after last season’s poor record has done a lot for team members, according to Abby Johnston ’23. “Coming off a losing season definitely has its downfalls, but it also has good parts, too,” Johnston said. “We were so much more motivated going into this season and had lots of encouragement, because we had finally realized we didn’t want to be the losing team we were last year especially for me and my fellow seniors.”

The girls team record now stands at 8-5-1. That record represents so much more physical and emotional challenges than numbers on a scoreboard can ever fully explain. 

PAIN AND HEARTBREAK

The physical challenges started before the season even began when freshman goalie Kolbie Langley injured her knee, forcing her to forego soccer season in favor of surgery to repair the tear. Mia Casavant ’23 injured her foot in a pre-season game against Houlton. Just two weeks later, senior Taylor Doyen suffered a season-ending knee injury requiring surgery and a long rehab. The last big injury occurred in the first rival game of the season as Sidney Tawfall ’25 missed games with an ankle injury. “Having an injury in the middle of the season was so tough in many ways. It was hard to sit on the bench knowing that I should be out there helping my teammates,” said Tawfall. “It was also hard because of all the work that had to go into getting back out onto the field.”

Any team could expect physical injuries throughout a season, which normally would be enough of a blow. Such problems, however, got thrown into perspective on October 19, with the tragic death of the the dad of two sisters on the varsity squad. Aaron Marston, dad to Kacie ’25 and Taylor ’23 also played a huge role in the lives of many families and athletes as a trainer and university coach. “Right as we went into the locker room we knew something was off, and as Coach told us we all fell apart. As a team collectively we realized we needed our team more than ever at that moment,” senior captain Lindsey Himes said. “As the evening went on we were all talking. It dawned on us that we were a soccer family together that needed each other most at that time.”

READY TO PLAY

The girls have many goals going into playoffs but one of their main ones requires more of talking and growing. “We need to keep communicating well,” Locke said. “As well as growing as a team because our togetherness is what’s going to take us all the way.”

For as much as this team has endured this year, Johnston says she wouldn’t trade this team for anything. “Graduating and leaving the turf and the hometown crowd is going to be hard, but the thing I’m going to miss most is the group of girls that I’ve been able to play with,” Johnston said. “This is definitely the kind of team I’ve waited my whole high school career to play with.”

The girls team hosts the sixth place Ellsworth Eagles in the quarterfinal game on Tuesday, October 25 at 4:30 pm at the turf. These teams tied 0-0 in PI in their one match up this season.