LEWISTON — In one week, the Lewiston Maineiacs dropped from second in their division to fourth while losing three consecutive games by a combined score of 18-4. The streak is the first string of consecutive losses on the young season for Lewiston, but despite the recent results, the team isn't hanging its head.

"We've had an excellent week of practice, guys have been really up-beat," Lewiston coach Don MacAdam said. "There's been no sign of a lack of confidence in the way the guys have been acting or practicing."

WINTHROP —Winthrop was one game from winning a state championship last season, but with almost a completely new roster, the Ramblers started this season thinking that if they did return to the Western Class C playoffs, they would just squeak in.

But with the way they've been playing in recent weeks, the Ramblers are heading into the playoffs roaring like a lion, not squeaking like a mouse.

READFIELD — Using your head to steer a soccer ball isn't much fun on the last Wednesday night in October, with overtime ticking away and the temperature dipping into the 30s. The mark from David Clough's last attempt left a red tattoo just above his eyebrows, one that looked like it could have been delivered by a well-struck baseball or a sucker punch.

LEWISTON — When they got one, it seemed only a matter of time before they got a second one.

The Lewiston boys' soccer team tied the game late in regulation Wednesday and had all the momentum going its way. Sometimes, though, momentum only hints at things to come. It doesn't guarantee it. Instead, it was Erskine Academy that produced that coveted second goal with an tally late in the first overtime to topple the Blue Devils 2-1 in an Eastern A quarterfinal.

Learning on the fly

Monday night's Poland-Falmouth game demonstrated the vast difference in how the two Western Class B schools launched their football programs.

Falmouth followed Cape Elizabeth and Greely's lead by moving into the Campbell Conference earlier this decade after sculpting its youth program through the lower grades for years. The Yachtsmen, top-heavy with underclassmen who have proven themselves ready for prime time this fall, have a chance to cement their second straight winning season by beating Greely this weekend.

Player of the Week

Eric Theiss, Leavitt

Theiss ran for touchdowns of 56 and 64 yards, the first after he recovered Gardiner's block of his own punt behind the line of scrimmage and started running for his life. Later, he threw an 81-yard TD pass to Ryan Labbe. Then he went home at halftime with flu symptoms while his Leavitt teammates polished off a 36-0 victory and the school's first undefeated regular season since 1998.

1. Thornton (8-0)

Golden Trojans have allowed 5.5 points per game. Some opponents' defenses have exceeded that clip in under 5.5 seconds.

2. Bangor (8-0)

Trailed Mt. Blue at the half last time they played.  Just sayin'.

3. Windham (7-1)

Once the Eagles stopped believing their own preseason press clippings, they became unstoppable.

4. Lawrence (7-1)

Bulldogs have lost one regular-season game since 2005. One!

5. Leavitt (8-0)

Last three weeks: 127-0. Eight first downs allowed.

Reports of the H1N1 (swine) flu virus in Wiscasset forced postponement of Wednesday's Western Class C boys' soccer quarterfinal between Mt. Abram and Wiscasset.

The game will be played Thursday at 3:30 p.m. at Wiscasset High School. Officials from both schools and the Maine Principals' Association agreed to postpone the game to give Mt. Abram sufficient time to inform parents of its players and to take necessary precautions.

HAMPDEN - Graham Safford snared a throw-in and booted it into the net with 6:05 left in regulation to lift No. 3 Hampden to a 1-0 victory over No. 6 Edward Little in an Eastern Class A quarterfinal boys' soccer matchup Wednesday.

The Red Eddies (8-4-3) were playing without a few key players, and it hurt their performance. Logan Poirier needed only three saves to notch the shutout. 

Ian Dollen-Oliveto turned aside six shots between the posts for Edward Little in a solid effort. 

Field hockey

WALES — Even when he guessed wrong, things turned out all right for Lincoln Academy goalkeeper Kyle Scherer.

The junior backstop guessed wrong but recovered in time to stop Cody Fortier in the second round of penalty kicks and his teammates took care of the rest as the No. 5 Eagles upended No. 4 Oak Hill 5-4 on Wednesday in the teams' Western Class B quarterfinal match.

"I guessed wrong, but I saw him open up his hips and turn his foot," Scherer said. "Luckily he shot it close enough I was able to stop it."

Martel named America East Striker of the Year

ORONO — University of Maine women's soccer standout Laura Martel was named the America East Striker of the Year Wednesday. It is the first time that a Maine player has been awarded Striker of the Year.

AUBURN — Livermore Falls attacked through the air. St. Dom's opted to stay on the ground.

Staying grounded was the way to go, as the Saints dominated possession of the ball and held off the Andies in a 1-0 triumph in the Western Class C boys' soccer quarterfinals.

Kurt Johnson scored the lone goal 15:46 into the contest. Then the Saints (15-0) put on a passing clinic to frustrate the Andies (7-6-2) with scant opportunities to prevent the 10th shutout St. Dom's has pitched this season. 

And away we go. With the exception of the Campbell Conference's Class B division — which maintains its freedom from the almighty Crabtree points by virtue of its ambitious and audacious round-robin schedule — the high school football playoffs begin tonight.

Which means everywhere I turn, from the grocery store to the gas pump to the sideline at a soccer game, everyone's asking the same question: Who ya got?

Well, let me tell you ...

Class A

This weekend's games

Mtn. Valley (7-1) at Cape Elizabeth (8-0)

Friday, 7 p.m.

Don't want to say this one's lost a little bit of luster, but OK, it has. MV needs to rediscover defense that shut out five of its first six opponents to have a shot.

Mt. Blue (3-5) at Bangor (8-0)

Friday, 7 p.m.

As the Cougars have learned in recent years, sneaking into the playoffs has its, um, privileges.

Lewiston (6-2) at Messalonskee (5-3)

Friday, 7 p.m.

LEWISTON — The Lewiston Maineiacs' skate blades sliced a bit deeper into the ice at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee on Wednesday. The players had a bit more zip to their strides, they carved out crisp corners and accelerated more quickly with the puck.

After three losses in a row in which they were outscored 18-4, it was a practice the Maineiacs desperately needed.

And they got three of them this week, under the watchful eye of the only player born in Jamaica ever to play in the National Hockey League, Graeme Townshend.

TURNER— The Leavitt girls' soccer team refused to be intimidated and performed at a high level in a Class B quarterfinal playoff game Tuesday afternoon.

The Hornets utilized their speed and togetherness and scrambled to the bitter end, but the their effort fell shy of their mission.

Lizzie Fischman scored the lone goal in the second half as No. 5 Yarmouth recorded a 1-0 victory against No. 4 Leavitt. Yarmouth 8-5-2 will play top ranked York in a semi-final game on Saturday.

FALMOUTH — The Jay/Livermore Falls girls' soccer squad has made great strides in its short time as a varsity program.

Tuesday, the Wildcats saw just how far they have yet to go.

Nancy Cooper netted three goals, Jill Alvarez added two more and Elizabeth Estabrook and Jackie Doyle combined on a two-save shutout as defending Class B state champion and second-seeded Falmouth rolled to an 8-0 win over No. 7 Jay/Livermore Falls in the teams' Western Class B quarterfinal match.

Women's soccer

Husson 2, Bates 1
BANGOR — Lori Hiltz scored on a penalty stroke with 1:55 remaining in regulation to lift Husson to a 2-1 victory over Bates in collegiate women's soccer action Tuesday.

Girl's soccer

Georges Valley 2, Dirigo 1

THOMASTON — It was as if the players didn't want it to end. After a full 64-minute game and two overtime periods, Georges Valley and Dirigo were still deadlocked at 1-1 in Tuesday's Western Class B quarterfinal match.

It took three rounds of penalty kicks to determine a winner, when Danielle Frye scored the game-clinching goal for Georges Valley.

FARMINGDALE — Not many girls' soccer teams have the togetherness thing down like Hall-Dale High School this season.

That was tough news for Western Class C quarterfinal opponent Mt. Abram. The Roadrunners already were missing multiple starters due to injury and illness. And with two or three limping off the field due to various maladies on a blustery Tuesday afternoon, cohesion was the least of the survivors' concerns.

AUBURN — There was a point this season in which the Sacopee Valley girls' soccer team was nowhere near a playoff berth.

Between injuries and a slow start, the Hawks were 2-6-1 midway through the fall campaign and any kind of playoff glory appeared doubtful.

A lot has changed since then. And as miserable as the season may have been back in September, Sacopee is living large now after stunning top-ranked St. Dom's Tuesday in the Western C quarterfinals. Emily Lane scored late in the first overtime to deliver a 3-2 victory.

The first bounce of the postseason went against the Lewiston boys' soccer team.

Last week, the Blue Devils finished in a tie for third in Eastern A. A coin flip determined the final standings. Hampden was awarded third, while Lewiston landed fourth. It gave the Blue Devils a pretty challenging tournament path, but coach Mike McGraw knew it wasn't going to be easy anyway.

One step at a time.

That's the way the St. Dom's girls' soccer team approached the season. They approached the task at hand, focused on it and then moved to the next challenge. Thus far, that has worked quite well for the unbeaten Saints.

"Our motto from the beginning of the season was 'One game at a time,'" said St. Dom's coach Kathy Little. "It doesn't matter who we play next week. It doesn't matter who we're playing next. It's one game at a time. That's what we did all season long."

PARIS - Poland Regional High School's triple option offense did its three-yards-a-pop best to keep Falmouth's speedy spread option on the sidelines Monday night, dominating time of possession by a ratio of more than two-to-one.

But the rules still don't allow you to keep the leather tucked underneath your left arm forever.

SCARBOROUGH — There was no ice, and the players weren't on skates, but Katherine Millett knew exactly what to do with a crossing feed in front of the cage.