The Winslow boys soccer team is in a tight race for the top spot in Eastern Class B. Three points seperate Winslow, Camden Hills and Ellsworth in the Heal point standings and all three teams are unbeaten.

The Black Raiders have tightened up a very good defense and allowed just one goal in their last three games. That includes a 0-0 tie with Camden Hills and a 6-1 win over Mt. View.

“The biggest thing that has happened to us, is the defense has started to jell,” first-year Winslow coach Aaron Wolfe said. “We do not have a senior on defense and it took some time for them to learn to play with each other.”

Sophomore Braden Maillet is the sweeper, while junior Connor Wildes, in his first year of playing soccer, has taken on the stopper back position. Sophomore Harrison Clark and junior Dakota Herman play on the wings with freshman Cody Doughty rotating in when needed.

“It’s taken a while, we tried a few things and they have started to work well together,” Wolfe said. “In front of the defense we have two sophomores who are working well together, seeing passing and setting up the transition game.”

Sophomores Kevin Clark and David Grant have given the Black Raiders a boost in the middle of the field with their quickness and ability to read opposing defenses.

Reaching the halfway point of the season unbeaten has been a pleasant surprise for Wolfe and the Black Raiders.

“In the first half of the season, we did what we needed to do, now we are working on taking it one game at a time,” Wolfe said. “We would like to host a playoff game but need to play the game in front of us first.”

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The Waterville girls soccer team rebounded from two tough losses to start the season to go on a six-game unbeaten streak.

Waterville opened the season with a win over a struggling Brewer team, then suffered losses to Bangor and Hampden, ranked second and third in the Eastern A Heal points. The Panthers quickly fought back, earning a tie with Lawrence and beating Mt. Blue in overtime. Waterville is 4-2-2 and fifth in Eastern B heading into Thursday’s game against Erskine Academy.

“We have a very young group of players who are steadily improving over the year,” Waterville coach Ian Wilson said. “Expectations are high at Waterville, we have a strong tradition, and it helps the players improve.

“Our three straight overtime games (vs. Hampden, Lawrence and Mt. Blue) were, really, huge stepping stones. We started out looking like a group of young kids and now we are starting to get better and make more chances.”

After the Erskine game, Waterville hosts Brewer on Tuesday before facing its three toughest test of the season. The Panthers travel to Bangor on Oct. 6, then face Hampden at home on Oct. 9, before traveling to Fairfield to face Lawrence on Oct. 11.

“A couple of wins this week will set us up for a good finish,” Wilson said. “We are in a real fight for a home tournament game.”

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The Mt. Abram boys soccer team has found the net on a regular basis in its last three games and has moved into contention for a tournament spot in Western C.

“Twelve goals in the last three games is something for us,” Mt. Abram coach Mark Lopez said. “We only scored 25 goals total last year, so I think we are starting to click.”

The Roadrunners started 2-4-0 and Lopez was wondering where offense would come from. The Roadrunners also were impacted early in the season when several key returning players opted to take part in an out-of-state basketball camp during the first week of the preseason.

“We had some personnel issues early and played some of the top teams in the conference at the start of the season,” Lopez said. “Right now we are at a level, were as long as we get off the bus ready, we can give anybody we have left on the schedule a game.”

Much of the recent offensive firepower has come from sophomore Trevor Brackley, who has scored five goals in the last two games. Brackley, along with junior Cal Dixon, who is out for the team for the first time this season, has added plenty of spark for the Roadrunners in the middle of the field.

Tristan Dyer has also been strong in goal. The sophomore has made a number of spectacular diving saves while giving up just one goal in the last three games.

“Trevor and Cal have given us a big boost, and Tristan has stepped into the varsity role, after not losing a game at the junior varsity level last year, and done very well,” Lopez said. “We have a good bunch of kids that have started to play well together.”