The first bit of good news for the St. Dom’s boys’ soccer team was earning a spot in the Class C state championship game.

The second piece of positive information for the Saints was Thursday’s announcement that the state title game with Fort Kent Community School will be at Hampden Academy at 3 p.m., on Saturday. The Saints played at Hampden in the 2007 state game and beat Madawaska there 2-0.

“We’re excited about playing at Hampden because it’s a turf field,” said St. Dom’s coach Matt Erickson. “Playing on a field like Hampden, that plays to our style of play. You get a true roll every time. It’s a little bit quicker. So we can play to speed of play. That’s how we like to play.”

Playing at Hampden’s field also gives the Saints (17-0) an edge on Fort Kent. The Warriors (12-3-2) haven’t been in the state game since losing to Gorham, 5-1, in Class A in 1981. Fort Kent won the Eastern A title five times in the first 12 years of Class A soccer but never won states and haven’t been there since.

“We know the environment,” said Erickson, whose team practiced on Gould Academy’s turf field Thursday. “We know the facility. It’s familiar with us. It’s familiar with a lot of our key players that were part of that roster (in 2007). It’s going to be a comfortable feel for them.”

That could make a big difference for the Saints, says Erickson. St. Dom’s has played at home during the postseason and played with confidence and comfort in their game. Playing at Hampden should allow for a similar atmosphere.

“If you eliminate an unknown, you can be more relaxed,” said Erickson. “So much about this team is being relaxed so they don’t lose their touch.”

One unknown the Saints do have is Fort Kent itself. The second-ranked Warriors beat Orono 5-1 in Wednesday’s regional final. Fort Kent exploded for four goals in a span of 15 minutes in the second half. The Warriors played some quality teams in the regular season. Fort Kent lost twice, 2-0 and 4-1, to Presque Isle, which lost in the Eastern B final. They beat and tied Caribou, ranked fifth in Eastern B. They split with Eastern C’s top-seeded Madawaska in the regular season. Fort Kent has scored 53 goals this season, including 11 in the postseason. The Warriors have allowed 20 goals and just one in the playoffs. Fort Kent has seven shutouts this season.

The Saints hope to stick to their style of play and possess the ball and keep Fort Kent chasing. St. Dom’s will have to limit the Warrior’s potent offense and transition the ball forward effectively.

“It doesn’t change our game plan,” said Erickson. “I’m confident in what we do. I don’t care who we play. We’re not going to change things up. It’s been working.”

The Saints possess a solid defense that hasn’t allowed a goal in the postseason. St. Dom’s has controlled play in most outings this year and have the balance and experience to do that same thing Saturday.

“I’ve got an experienced crew and that pays off,” said Erickson. “These are the kids that take control on the field. They know they have a certain amount of flexibility to do there thing out there.”