Winthrop High School began the season wanting to win more than nine games. The Ramblers had won nine in each of their previous four seasons, but hadn’t been able to push it into double digits.

Until this year.

Sharon Coulton’s squad recorded win No. 11 on Monday night in a tight battle against Class B Lisbon. The Greyhounds outshot and outcornered Winthrop in the second half as they scrambled to get back into the game, but the Ramblers made a 1-0 lead stand up.

“We were very happy to hit ten, and now eleven,” Coulton said. “It has a lot to do with speed, and with the leadership of our seniors.”

It has to. The Ramblers are one of the smallest teams in the state in terms of sheer numbers. With a recent injury, Winthrop is down to 18 total players.

“A lot of the girls are being asked to play the whole game without easing up,” Coulton said. “The kids are in good shape to be able to do that.”

Another reason for the team’s success is the play of two of the better forward players in the MVC, Kelsey Ouellette and Nikki Scott. Both have eclipsed the 12-goal plateau this season.

Still unbeaten

As tough as it is to stay undefeated through an entire season, there is the possibility that six teams across the state will do just that as the season grinds to a close this week.

Only one region, Eastern Class C, is guaranteed to have no team emerge with a spotless record. Western C, meanwhile, could have two. Telstar Regional High School completes its schedule this week with a game against Dirigo. The Rebels are 13-0. North Yarmouth Academy, which the Rebels do not face because the Panthers play in a different conference, closes out the regular season with games against Gray-New Gloucester and Traip.

In Eastern A, Skowhegan continues to set the pace. The Indians are looking to earn their ninth consecutive Class A state title this season, and will likely go into the playoffs unbeaten. Cheverus and Scarborough are both unbeaten in Western A, but something is going to have to give when those schools face each other in the season’s final contest.

Gardiner in Eastern B and York in Western B are also unbeaten this season.

Bigger meaning

Edward Little wasn’t thinking much about the playoffs this season — until Monday.

The Red Eddies shocked Bangor with a 1-0 win on an Emily Ranucci goal Monday, moving them up the ladder to within striking distance of the postseason. This time, facing off against Lewiston — a rival and a team the Eddies have defeated once this season — is going to mean big things.

Edward Little also has a game remaining against Oxford Hills, which the Vikings narrowly won in Paris in the teams’ previous meeting. The Vikings are worth more points due to their six wins.

On the board

After beginning the season with a tie against Hall-Dale in their first season in the MVC, the St. Dom’s Saints struggled, losing 10 in a row. That streak ended and the Saints put a mark in the win column last Friday, earning a 4-2 victory over George’s Valley.

The four goals the Saints scored in that contest nearly matched their offensive output from the rest of the season, during which they’d scored just six goals in 11 games.

St. Dom’s closes out its season at Jay on Thursday.

Clinging to a spot

Speaking of Jay, the Tigers fell Monday to Livermore Falls, dropping their record to 9-4. Thanks to the quirky nature of the Heal Points, the Tigers were still ahead of the Andies in the standings the next morning — barely.

If both teams win their remaining games, though, Livermore Falls will likely edge Jay for the No. 3 seed in Western Class C, leaving Jay to face Freeport in the first round, while Livermore Falls most likely will draw Sacopee Valley.

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