The Messalonskee boys lacrosse team has been learning a lot this season.

The Eagles are 5-4 and have suffered consecutive losses to Lewiston, Mt. Ararat and Brunswick. Messalonskee coach Tom Sheridan believes his team learned a lot in each of those losses and hopes it will drive his team to success later in the season.

The Eagles have dealt with injuries all season, which has helped them develop depth. With three games left on the schedule, Messalonskee is healthy for the first time this season.

“With only four seniors, many of our players have been learning how to play the game at the varsity level,” Sheridan said. “We are looking to play our best lacrosse when it counts most, in the playoffs.”

The Eagles have received solid defensive play this season from Chris Longley, Jake Smith and Devin Campbell, while Ben Weeks, JT Towle and Aidan Calkins have led the offense.

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The Oak Hill boys lacrosse team is 7-3 this season and hopes to finish strong. The Raiders have games remaining on the schedule with Mt. Blue and Oxford Hills.

Underclassmen have been put in key positions for Oak Hill and they have proven capable of filling those roles. Sophomore Kyle Flaherty has been an offensive force and coach Daniel Brannigan expects him to be one of the top goal scorers in the state at the end of the season. Meanwhile, sophomore goalkeeper Matty Martin has been excellent, as expected.

Senior John Averill, who led the team in scoring last season, continues to be a leader for the Raiders.

“We have expectations of finishing 9-3 and landing somewhere in the 6 or 7 seed range heading into the playoffs and looking to make some upsets,” Brannigan said.

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The Gardiner girls got off to an 8-0 start, but have suffered consecutive losses to Class A teams (Messalonskee and Cony).

The Class B Tigers are off to a strong start thanks to the solid play of a number of players. Ally Day and Brooke Davis have produced offensively, scoring 41 and 40 goals, respectively. The Tigers have also been solid defensively, led by Emma Hickey, Brooke Brann and goalkeeper Maddie Cutler, who coach Andy Haskell calls the team’s most improved player.

The Tigers have also received solid contributions from a number of newcomers.

“We’ve been very fortunate to have our younger players step up and play key roles,” Haskell said.

The Tigers wrap up the regular season with games against Class B Lincoln and Class A Lewiston. Gardiner is the top-ranked team in the Eastern B Heal point standings.

“If we can make adjustments, we should be competitive,” Haskell said.

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The Cony boys are 2-8 this season with a number of close losses. However, the Rams continue to show improvement.

Cony earned their second win of the season Friday, beating Oxford Hills 12-3, and end the season with games against Morse and Gardiner.

The Rams showed depth in the win over Oxford Hills, with three players (Tyler Leet, Brendan Surette and Nick Benner) each scoring two goals.

 

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