Reaching the Class C South final is almost becoming old hat for the Maranacook girls soccer team. But it doesn’t make it any less exciting for the Black Bears.

“We talked about it after the (semifinals), it’s been five years now since we haven’t been in the regional finals,” Maranacook head coach Travis Magnusson said. “I think that’s a testament to our program. But we also don’t want to take it for granted, and want to make sure they know how special it is that they’re back in this spot.”

The Black Bears, the defending Class C champion, are one of several central Maine soccer and field hockey teams vying for regional crowns on Wednesday. No. 1 Maranacook (15-0-1) will play No. 5 Waynflete (12-4-0) at 6:30 p.m. at Mt. Ararat High School in Topsham.

The Black Bears feature an abundance of talented scorers this season, and reached the C South final after a close 2-1 win over Old Orchard Beach in the semifinal round Saturday. Addie Watson scored the game-deciding goal for Maranacook.

“We’re really dynamic, we have a lot of different people that can score goals,” Magnusson said. “We scored 92 goals as a team this year. We have a lot of different weapons, three people over 20 (goals), two people over 25. We have a number of people who can score. But we’re just as good defensively. We’ve only given up seven goals on the year, against good teams, too. We have a really good balance, we’re good at all levels. We’re just a solid team all around.”

The Black Bears did not face the Flyers in the regular season.

In boys soccer, defending B North champ Winslow (15-0-1) is back in the regional final and will face No. 1 John Bapst (15-0-1) at 4 p.m. at Cameron Stadium in Bangor.

“This season, making it this far, I think, is probably the most difficult season of a team I’ve had that’s made it this far,” Winslow head coach Aaron Wolfe said. “I don’t think at the beginning of the season that anyone on the outside thought we had any chance to make it this far, so I think that makes it even that much more rewarding and fun.”

No. 2 Winslow has outscored opponents 89-8 this season, with big help from senior forward Andrew Poulin, who has 50 goals. Poulin scored two goals for the Black Raiders in their 2-1 win over No. 3 Ellsworth in the semifinal round on Saturday.

“He just knows how to find his way to the goal,” Wolfe said. “He just knows what to do and when to do it. He picks his spots really well.”

In Class C South, No. 2 Mt. Abram (15-1-0) will meet No. 1 Waynflete (14-1-1) in the regional final at Mt. Ararat. It’s a rematch of last year’s C South final, when the Flyers beat the Roadrunners 3-2, eventually moving on to beat Fort Kent for the Class C title. Mt. Abram has won 14 straight games since a Sept. 7 loss to Lisbon and has allowed just two goals during that span.

 

FIELD HOCKEY

Once again, the Skowhegan field hockey team returns to the Class A North final. The No. 1 River Hawks (16-0-0) are seeking their 21st consecutive regional title (there was no tournament in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic). The last time Skowhegan failed to reach the Class A final was 2000, when Sanford beat Messalonskee 3-2 for the state crown.

The River Hawks will play No. 2 Oxford Hills (13-2-1) at 5 p.m. at Gardiner Area High School. Skowhegan went 17-1-0 last season, losing 4-1 to Cheverus in the Class A final. This season, the River Hawks have outscored opponents 101-2, with 15 shutouts.

“The thing is with this team is that we’re very blessed that we have so many kids who can do so many things,” Skowhegan head coach Paula Doughty said after a 5-0 win over Mt. Ararat in the semifinal round. “It’s not like we have two players that can play so we just started putting in different kids.”

In Class B North, No. 1 Lawrence (16-0-0) has mostly dominated the competition to return to the B North final. But the Bulldogs hope to have a reversal of fortunes from last year’s game, which ended in a 1-0 loss to Old Town. The challenge won’t be any easier for Lawrence, which must beat No. 2 Belfast (14-1-1), a perennial contender, to reach the Class B final. The teams are set to play at 7 p.m. at Gardiner Area High School.

Lawrence beat Belfast 2-1 in its only meeting on Sept. 3.

“(Belfast) is a fast, clean team,” Lawerence senior Ashtynn Stewart said after the Bulldogs beat Cony 6-1 in a semifinal on Saturday. “They’ll keep us on our toes. We’re going to have to watch film and take all the steps we need to take to beat them.”

In C North, No. 2 Maine Central Institute (12-3-1) returns to the regional final and will play No. 1 Dirigo (13-3-0) at Gardiner Area High School. The Huskies have battled through the playoffs for first-year head coach Terri-Jean Wilkinson, beating No. 7 Mount View 2-1 in overtime in the quarterfinals, before topping No. 3 Dexter 1-0 in the semifinals.

“Our girls have been amazing in overtime, not that you want to get to that point,” Wilkinson said. “But when we do get to that point, there’s not a hesitation of who is going to finish it, and (having the) ability to finish it. But like I said, you don’t want to get to that point.”

“They’re playing as a team, a legit team,” Wilkinson added. “That confidence each game is only building.”

Should the Huskies beat the Cougars, it would be a return to the Class C final, where MCI fell 3-2 to Winthrop last season.

In C South, No. 1 Winthrop (14-2-0), the defending Class C champion, will travel to Waterhouse Field in Biddeford to play No. 2. Lisbon (13-3-0) at 5 p.m. Since a 4-3 loss to Spruce Mountain on Sept. 21, the Ramblers have outscored opponents 45-1. Winthrop defeated Lisbon twice in the regular season, 4-0 on Sept. 2 and 4-1 on Sept. 28.

 

Times Record reporter Eric Maxim contributed to this report.

 

Dave Dyer — 621-5640

ddyer@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @Dave_Dyer

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