It’s been a good season so far for the Rangeley girls’ soccer team, but after a 4-0 start, the Lakers are hoping the best is still yet to come.

“I’m really excited from what I’ve seen so far,” said Georgia Campbell, Rangeley’s first-year coach. “I’m really excited for the rest of the season. I know the girls are going to just continue to work hard.”

The Lakers were returning a strong contingent from last year’s club that won five games and lost in the Western D semifinal. Being just two years removed from playing in the Western D final in 2008, the Lakers had high hopes for this fall. To start the year with four straight wins has given the club some confidence and momentum to build upon.

“They’re feeling really good,” said Campbell. “The confidence level is definitely up there. One thing I’ve seen consistently is that this team is coming to play. Every time, they come to a game, they’re pumped and ready to go.”

The Lakers boast a strong midfield led by all-state player Allie Hammond. Chelsea Dresser, Olivia Decelles, Abigail Abbott and Jenney Abbott also return to the midfield.  Up front forwards Sierra Marchacos, Savanna Giguere, Sandra Campbell, Chantal Carrier and Ellen Brooks are all returning. Chantal Carrier is returning in goal.

“We have a good balance with positioning that we put into place,” said Campbell. “We don’t have any weak spots. We have a really good fullback line and a really good front line. Our midline is doing really well, too. That really helps.”

Campbell leads the team with six goals while newcomers like Morgan Rodway and Taylor Esty have helped sparked things as well.

The Lakers opened the year with a 4-1 win over Buckfield and followed that up with a convincing 11-0 win over Valley. A pair of wins at Vinalhaven, 3-2 and 2-0, completed the 4-0 start.

“Buckfield has always been a tough team for us and Vinalhaven’s been a battle,” said Campbell. “They’re always a tough team for us, especially when it takes half a day to get there. Then you play a game. The travel always works against you a little.”

The Lakers’ biggest tests are upcoming. They host Greenville Saturday and Richmond next Tuesday. The Lakers are healthy and getting more accustomed to their roles and each other. Seeing how they measure up with those two contenders will show Rangeley just how good it can be.

“We’ve been able to solidify positions,” said Campbell. “So girls get comfortable playing in one position. That really benefits us a lot. We haven’t had to stretch things out.”

Mustangs Milestone

The Monmouth boys’ soccer team has already matched it total wins from last year. The Mustangs went 2-11-1 last fall and started the year 2-0 before losing to Lisbon 1-0 Monday.

The Mustangs have nine players back from last year and a new coach, Joe Fletcher, who came to Monmouth after a long stint at Oak Hill. The team has some talent and could pose a threat in the MVC as it chases a playoff berth.

One drawback for Monmouth is that the team has just 15 players. That was evident against Lisbon. The Mustangs started strong in the second half of a scoreless game but couldn’t sustain it.

“They knew we were weak on our bench,” said Fletcher. “They took advantage. You could hear their coach yelling, ‘Push, Push, Push’ They wore us out. We got tired the last 12 to 15 minutes. You could see we were winded.”

The Mustangs have worked on conditioning because of low numbers but also know help is on the way. A solid group is in the middle school that could help boost the roster in future seasons.

New in net

The Oak Hill girls’ soccer team returned 13 players this season but one place where the Raiders had a significant spot to fill is in goal. All-star netminder Maggie Sabine chose not to play this season. The Raiders miss her talents in the net but have managed to fill the void quite nicely with junior Darby Beaulieu and sophomore Desiree Johns.

Beaulieu has seen almost all of the action in goal, moving from forward back into the goal.

“If she didn’t have to play goalie, she’d be a starter in the field,” said Oak Hill coach Brant Remington.

Wednesday, Beaulieu did just that. Trying to spark the offense, Remington pulled the junior and put her on the front line. That gave the Raiders some energy up front. Johns played goal and made a sensational diving stop to keep the Raiders within reach of Winslow, which eventually won 3-0.

“I have confidence in Desiree,” said Remington. “She’s just a sophomore.”

kmills@sunjournal.com