Brooke Champion had by no means performed soccer in her life till two years in the past. When she tried out for the Penobscot Valley Excessive Faculty ladies soccer crew in Howland, she requested head coach Jeremy Durost kick the ball.
“I stored kicking it with my toe and I couldn’t perceive why it wasn’t going to the place I used to be kicking it,” mentioned Champion, who was a junior on the time.
She proved to be a quick learner and it culminated in her scoring the one objective in Penobscot Valley’s 1-0 win over Saint Dominic Academy of Auburn within the State Class D championship recreation on Saturday at Messalonskee Excessive Faculty in Oakland.
“I didn’t count on to get a objective at states,” mentioned Champion. “All of the targets I scored this 12 months got here away from residence and my household hadn’t been in a position to see them. My household has actually supported me however it was so laborious for them to make the away video games due to their schedules.
“And for them to have the ability to see me rating a objective for the primary time and it was within the state recreation meant a lot to me,” she mentioned.
“I used to be so excited for her,” mentioned senior midfielder Mia Neal. “I knew her household hadn’t been in a position to see her rating a objective and she or he had a hat trick in a single (highway) recreation this 12 months.”
And after they lastly did see her rating, it was a state championship game-winner.
“It was wonderful to see,” mentioned Neal.
Champion had 4 assists to go along with six targets this season.
Ellie Austin arrange the objective as she maneuvered across the goalkeeper and fed an ideal move to Champion, who slotted it residence from the center of the penalty space.
“I simply kicked it towards the online anticipating Rylee (Moulton) to swoop in and get her foot on it. However she didn’t go towards the objective. It simply went in,” mentioned Champion who mentioned Austin is a terrific left wing.
Champion mentioned her teammates have been very supportive and helped her immensely as did Durost and her boyfriend, former All-Penobscot Valley Convention soccer participant Gabe Reed. Reed labored together with her on her recreation earlier than the season.
“She has labored very laborious which is why she improved a lot,” mentioned Durost.
The win was particularly candy for Neal, who missed all of final season after present process surgical procedure on her left knee.
“It was so thrilling for me to have the ability to come again,” mentioned Neal. “I knew we had a really sturdy crew and to come back again and win a state championship is such a giant accomplishment.”
PVHS reached the state title recreation a 12 months in the past however misplaced to North Yarmouth Academy 8-0.
“It took me a 12 months earlier than I began enjoying sports activities once more. It was a number of restoration however it was nicely price it,” mentioned Neal.
For Neal, their accomplishment hasn’t sunk in but.
“When it does sink in it is going to be unhappy as a result of it means soccer is over,” mentioned Neal who mentioned that with the ability to kiss the gold ball her senior season will at all times be a fond reminiscence.
It was Penobscot Valley’s first state schoolgirl soccer title because the 1986 crew captured the B crown. The Howlers had additionally triumphed in 1983 and ‘85 so it was a run of three state championships in 4 years.
Neal identified that kin of a number of the gamers on the crew performed on these state title groups and she or he famous her father was attending PVHS on the time.
“A number of our mother and father grew up right here,” mentioned Neal. “It’s loopy that we have been lastly in a position to deliver one other gold ball again right here.”
Simply three years in the past, Gerald Hutchinson, Penobscot Valley’s athletic director on the time, needed to petition the Maine Principals Affiliation so as to have the ability to add eighth graders to the varsity roster.
“We solely had 13 gamers,” mentioned head coach Durost who famous that it was the 12 months they have been “coming off COVID.”
So if there have been any COVID outbreaks or accidents, they might have been in bother with simply two substitutes.
The MPA allowed them so as to add eighth graders and 5 of them have been added.
They’d 25 gamers on this 12 months’s crew.
The three which can be nonetheless listed below are sophomores and have been very impactful.
Midfielder Lila Cummings was named the Penobscot Valley Convention’s Class C-D Participant of the 12 months after being the D North Participant of the 12 months a 12 months in the past.
She scored 24 targets this season and had a team-high 21 assists.
Striker Rylee Moulton was the crew’s main scorer with 32 targets and 9 assists and she or he joined Cummings on the All-PVC C-D first crew.
Moulton and junior left wing Austin rallied the Howlers previous Knowledge Excessive of St. Agatha, every notching a objective and an help within the remaining six minutes to allow the Howlers to drag out a 2-1 win.
And sophomore proper wing Savannah Durost (1 objective, 2assists) has been a gentle all-around participant.
Cummings and Neal (1 objective, 4 assists) anchored the dominant midfield together with senior Ashlyn St. Cyr (9 & 2) and sophomore Lauren Veino (1 & 7). Neal was an All-PVC second crew choose.
Veino wound up transferring to the again line after sophomore again Eve McNally suffered a concussion within the semifinal win over Central Aroostook of Mars Hill.
The again line was headlined by junior Allie LeBlanc (1 & 1), who was an All-PVC third crew choose, together with senior Emma Potter (3 & 7).
The Howlers, who outscored their opponents 100-7, entered final summer time with no goalie after final 12 months’s goalie transferred.
Brooklynn Raymond, a freshman, had been a prolific scorer in center faculty however was transformed to goalie and Neal mentioned she did a “phenomenal job.”
“She wished to have the ability to rating targets however she did what was greatest for the crew. Lots of people wouldn’t have completed that,” mentioned Neal.
“She might play wherever on the sector. She is so athletic,” mentioned Durost. “She was the lacking piece we would have liked again there. She knew we would have liked her there and she or he acknowledged that may put us in a very good scenario to make a protracted match run.”
The Howlers additionally acquired necessary contributions from senior again Harlee Glidden, senior midfielder Aubrey Dionne, junior defender Shay Eire and sophomore midfielder Addy Lyons.
Champion mentioned Glidden “begged and begged me to play soccer and I’m glad she did. It has been an incredible two years.”
Durost mentioned one factor that actually helped his crew is a number of of his gamers had big-game expertise, showing in playoff video games in basketball and softball along with soccer.
With gamers from an undefeated center faculty crew coming in subsequent 12 months, the Howlers will likely be favored to make it three regional titles in a row.
