Wiscasset boys’ soccer team defeated Dirigo 2-1 on Oct. 28 to win the Mt.Valley Conference championships. Brian Campbell booted home the winning goal with 4:07 remaining in regulation.
Wiscasset wrapped up their season with a near perfect record of 14-0-1. The only scratch on their record was a tie to St. Dom’s. The Redskins beat St. Dom’s in their final regular MVC game of the season, to earn a berth in the MVC championship game with Dirigo.
“They are a hard working bunch of boys. We knew going in (to the season) that we had the experience. We knew we could challenge for the Mt.Valley Conference. One of our goals was to win the MVC’s and we did. Another goal was to get a high seed and we were able to accomplish that. Being undefeated was a bonus,” Wiscasset coach Wayne Benn said.
Rain cleared out before the start of the MVC championship game, hosted by Mt.Valley in Rumford, leaving the field muddy and slick in spots. Wiscasset dominated the first half, holding a 14-2 advantage in shots, but went into the half locked in a 1-1 tie.
Cougar keeper Caleb Turner rejected early shots from Danny Murphy, Devin Grover, Campbell, Ashton Benn, John McLeod and Ross Hanley. Redskin pressure paid off with 8:12 to go in the half, when McLeod found Corey Hodgdon open on a throw-in on the right side. Hodgdon bounced a shot off Turner with a quick re-direct to give Wiscasset a 1-0 lead.
Dirigo knotted the score with 3:55 to play in the half when Hunter Ross outran a Redskin defender and went one on one on Wiscasset keeper Mason Brewer. Brewer blocked the initial shot and scrambled to grab the ball, but Ross booted it out of his grasp to the back of the net.
The big four defenders Jason Weatherbee, Danny Murphy, Caleb Bryant and Devin Grover kept Ross and the rest of the Cougars in check in the second half. Grover drew a yellow card for a slide tackle to prevent another Ross breakaway. Ashton Benn came up with a big header on a Cougar corner kick to prevent a shot.
Wiscasset opened the second half with a series of three corner kicks. Turner stopped two and a Cougar defender cleared the third. Turner rejected shots from McLeod, Tyler Sonia, and Campbell as action heated up in the second half. Brewer soared high in the air to make a save late in the game, which sparked a Wiscasset run deep in Cougar territory. Sonia crashed hard on a breakaway shot, that saw him jump over a sliding Turner.
Wiscasset’s winning goal came off a mad scramble on a direct kick. A Dirigo defender, in the penalty box, knocked the ball down with his arms and Benn was relentless trying to push the ball through. After several attempts, Dirigo defender Josh Turbide cleared the ball out of the box. Campbell collected the clear and one timed a shot past Turner for the winning goal with 4:07 to play.
Wiscasset held a 24-6 edge in shots. Brewer made three saves for Wiscasset, and Turner 12 for Dirigo.
“With hard work we prevailed. That and our experience, great senior leadership and our juniors really stepped it up. We’re a team. We don’t have an outstanding soccer player, but we’re a good club. We’ve had nine shutouts. We only gave up six goals all year and we scored 51,” coach Benn said.
“We took it one game at a time and played consistent. Our back line of Jason Weatherbee, Danny Murphy, Caleb Bryant and Devin Grover – not only did they hold our opponents down, they started our counter-attack. At midfield, Ashton Benn and Brian Campbell, along with Ross Hanley and Corey Hodgdon, played both ends of the field and hustled. Up front, senior John McLeod and Tyler Sonia” were leading scorers, coach Benn added.
“Nine different boys scored the winning goals in our 13 wins. That tells me I have a team. Our opponents can’t concentrate on one guy, because I have a team. We’re consistent and we had different kids step up at different times when needed,” coach Benn commented.
Fifteen different players scored for Wiscasset this season. McLeod and Sonia led in goals, and Benn led in assists with 11. In combined scoring (goals plus assists) Wiscasset was led by McLeod with 18, Benn 16, Sonia 10, Ross Hanley 9, Campbell 8, James Andretta 4, Hodgdon 4, and Eddie Stewart 4.
Playoff game
