Girls' soccer: Top seeded Saints have tough road

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."

The Saints produced a 12-0-2 record and earned the top seed in Western C. It is the best fall campaign since St. Dom's was ranked first at 9-2-3 in 1993. 

"I knew we had the potential to do it," said Little. "We just had to show up at every given game."

Next up for the Saints is today's quarterfinal. With the Mountain Valley Conference title already in hand, the Saints are shooting for more and host former WMC rival Sacopee Valley at 3:30 p.m.

"From the beginning of the season, the girls set their goals and worked very hard to accomplish the first-place ranking in Class C," said Little. "I know (Tuesday) we begin a new season and everybody starts with a clean slate."

There are nine local girls' teams embarking on playoff action today. Here's a look at the tournaments ahead.

Class A

The Edward Little girls (6-6-2) fielded a much younger and less experienced club than the team that won seven games and lost in a prelim. The Red Eddies, which had 11 games determined by one goal or less, draws a potent Brunswick (14-0) team. The Dragons beat EL 3-0 and 5-0 in two meetings this season.

Class B

Leavitt (8-3-3) produced its best season ever and earned the fourth-seed in Western B.

"The school has really rallied around the girls," said Leavitt coach Chris Cifelli, whose team scored 10 times as many goals this year as last. "They're very excited for them. There's a nice positive buzz around the building about our game Tuesday."

The Hornets host fifth-ranked Yarmouth. It won't be an easy task. Cifelli likens the fast Clippers to teams like Winslow and Maranacook. Leavitt lost to Winslow, 2-1, and split with the Black Bears.With that experience, Cifelli feels his club could challenge the Clippers if they play well.

"It's the speed of play that Yarmouth plays at that will be different," said Cifelli, whose team has not lost in its last seven games (4-0-3). "They're not only athletically faster but technically, they're able to move the ball a lot better than we've seen this year."

After one win last year, the Mountain Valley Falcons went 5-6-3 and earned a quarterfinal match at Maranacook (9-3-2). The Falcons have not won on the road this year (0-4-3) but managed to tie St. Dom's 0-0 in Auburn.

After making their tourney debut last year in a preliminary loss, the Wildcats from Jay and Livermore are back. They play at Falmouth (9-1-4). The Wildcats proved to be a tough foe with a 1-1 tie and a 2-1 loss against St. Dom's.

Lisbon (10-3-1) finished strong, going 5-1-1 in its last seven, and plays at top-seeded York (12-2). After losing seven starters from last year, the Greyhounds have been peaking at the right time. 

"If you told me we were going to be 10-3-1 at the end of the year, I would have taken it," said Lisbon coach Jake Gentle. "We had a lot of girls step up this year that hadn't had a lot of varsity playing time. They really showed what they could do."

Class C

The Saints end up drawing a familiar name in the first round, Sacopee Valley (6-7-1). Then, St. Dom's would have to go through either Waynflete or NYA. Not exactly an easy journey for the top seed.

"We drew a challenging bracket," said Little. "We're definitely up for the challenge to take on Sacopee."

The Saints scored 53 goals and allowed just six with nine shutouts. St. Dom's not only brings an experienced group to the field but also a squad that is cohesive and confident.

"From the get-go, this team has bonded," said Little. "The team chemistry all the way through has been great. They've always supported one another. They've just played as a family all season long. They've played more consistent and been a more balanced team."

Mt. Abram (6-7-1) graduated eight regulars but have progressed well this season. They play at Hall-Dale (12-1-1).

Another team on the rise in Western C could be Dirigo (7-7). The Cougars won five of their last seven games and play at Georges Valley (12-0-2).  

Class D

Rangeley (5-6-1) has an uphill climb to return to the regional finals. The Lakers draw top-ranked  Richmond (12-0). Rangeley lost to the Bobcats 7-0 and 3-0 in the regular season and has dropped its last three games.