Monmouth Academy’s Kylie Kemp has been one of the top three-sport athletes at the school, beginning four years ago as a freshman. The senior striker is closing in on the school girls soccer career goal-scoring record of 61 set by Faith Flannery in the mid-to late 1990s.

Kemp has six goals so far this year to bring her career total to 59. She scored No. 59 Wednesday to give her team a 1-0 lead over St. Dominic with just under four minutes left. She collided with the goalkeeper as she scored and both were taken to the hospital.

“Kylie got hit in the nose and the mouth,” Monmouth coach Gary Trafton said. “She jumped in to head it and she collided with the goalie. She got badly banged up.”

Trafton expects Kemp to miss one to two weeks.

The Saints tied the game after Kemp’s goal and eventually won 2-1 in overtime, handing Monmouth (2-1-0) its first loss. Trafton hopes Kemp has a little more scoring help this season. Freshman Haley Fletcher has a couple of goals and like her teammates, knows her role.

“We don’t go real deep but we’re talented all the way around,” Trafton said. “Everybody has their role and they do it well.”

Kemp’s scoring has increased steadily since her freshman season along with the defensive attention she’s drawn.

“She’s more aware she has to move more without the ball,” Monmouth coach Gary Trafton said. “(Last year) Lisbon played her with a double sweeper. Every place she went she had somebody marking her.”

One of Kemp’s strengths is her ability to shift into another gear when she has to.

“She’s really quick and fast,” Trafton said. “All of a sudden when she wants to she can really fly down the field, and she has really good footwork.”

 

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The Cony girls are 2-0-0 with wins over Edward Little (3-1) and Brewer (4-1). The seven goals are encouraging to Cony coach Jeff Hersey who called lack of consistent scoring the team’s Achilles heel last season.

“I like what I’ve seen so far,” he said. “We’re passing the ball better than we have over the last couple of years and our defense is putting some goals in. The best thing is we’re putting some goals in the net.”

Hersey was worried his team might let down after Edward Little scored a goal to tie the game early in the second half. Both teams are physical and aggressive and the schools get up for one another no matter what the sport. Senior Hayley Quirion stepped up and told her teammates “The days of folding are done.”

They responded by scoring a pair of second half goals en route to the win. Hayley’s triplet sister Emily plays up front with her and gives Cony a quick 1-2 punch. Emily scored four goals in the first two games, including a hat trick against Brewer.

“Emily Quirion looks better than I’ve seen her play before,” Hersey said. “Her motor just does not stop.”

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After going 26-1-2 over the last two regular seasons, the Hall-Dale boys have a big target on their backs.

“When you’ve had a lot of success teams get geared up to play you,” Hall-Dale coach Andy Haskell said.

The Bulldogs remain formidable despite graduating nine starters from last year’s Western C regional championship team. Senior Konnor Longfellow and junior Nat Crocker both started a year ago, Longfellow on defense and Crocker at striker, but both have since moved to midfield and have three of the team’s four goals.

“I think they’re getting the better scoring opportunities,” Haskell said. “We don’t have a lot of offensive firepower. I think our strength is going to be team defense.”

The defense is anchored by sophomore Alex Guiou and his brother Nick, a freshman. Junior Brian Allen has taken over in goal.

“He looks pretty solid in goal,” Haskell said. “He’s starting to take control of the penalty area and take control of the defense. He’s replacing in my mind the best goalie in the state last year in Sam Shepherd.”

The Bulldogs, who were rarely challenged last season, nipped Mt. Abram 2-1 in the season opener before beating Carrabec 2-0.

“I think it’s going to be a much more balanced Mountain Valley Conference,” Haskell said.

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The Maranacook boys have dropped to Class C this season while maintaining their Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Class B schedule, which is fine with coach Don Beckwith.

“I think we have the toughest schedule,” he said. “We play all the tough teams. That’s just the way I like it.”

The Black Bears may still be the toughest team in the conference although Waterville, Oceanside and Camden Hills are all contenders, too. Maranacook gets its first big test of the season Saturday morning at Wateville. So far the Black Bears have dispatched their first three opponents by a combined score of 13-0.

They have a lot of established and emerging players, among them sophomore midfielder Kent Mohlar who has five goals.

“He has a little more confidence,” Beckwith said. “He’s played a lot more soccer. He played all summer and most of the winter.”

Mohlar was also a member of the Portland based Riptide U16 team that won the Mass Cup last spring.

“He works at it,” Beckwith said. “He’s good with his teammates, he’s a pretty humble kid.”

Solid front to back, the Bears are strong at midfield with the combination of Alec Daigle and Taylor Wilbur, both seniors. They’re also getting strong play from first-year senior goalkeeper Brad Worster, who has been working with a former college goalie from Manchester a couple of times a week.

“It’s a lot of technical stuff,” Beckwith said. “There’s already great improvement with him.”

Gary Hawkins — 621-5638

ghawkins@centralmaine.com

 

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