UMF, Thomas vying for WMAC soccer crown

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Thomas College soccer coach Jim Evans said his team’s 1-0 loss to rival University of Maine-Farmington on Saturday has put the Beavers in the “driver’s seat” to wrest the Western Maine Athletic Conference crown away from his team.

“It’s theirs to win or lose. They’re the favorites,” said Evans. “The rest of us will be fighting for second place.”

It was UMF’s first win over Thomas in four years.

UMF Coach Bob Leib didn’t agree with Evans’ assessment.

“I’m not too sure we’re going to be driving anywhere,” said Leib. “I don’t see any one team that’s a whole lot better than anybody else. Parity is the word. I expect teams to beat each other. We’re certainly beatable. We’re just going to battle each game like anybody else.”

However, Leib would acknowledge that the victory over Waterville-based Thomas was “certainly a big win.”

UMF’s last win over Thomas came in the 1987 NAIA District 5 semifinals (1-0).

In addition to last year’s WMAC title, Thomas also claimed the NAIA District 5 Eastern Division title by beating UMF 2-1 in overtime (4-3 in penalty kicks). Western champ Johnson State (Vt.) beat Thomas 1-0 in the District 5 final.

The conference is improving according to Evans.

“The league is really coming on,” he said.

“The conference is very strong,” agreed St. Joseph’s Coach Jim Mingo, who guided last year’s St. Joseph’s team of Standish into the district playoffs in its first varsity season. “UMF is the team to beat and Thomas is a lot stronger than last year.”

Thomas and UMF both returned a flock of starters off last year’s district playoff teams and have interspersed them with some talented newcomers.

It’s the same with St. Joseph’s although the Monks have struggled out of the starting blocks, going 1-4 including a 6-0 WMAC loss to Thomas.

UNE of Biddeford, the WMAC champ two years ago, has gone 0-4-2 in its first six games.

UNE Coach Doug Biggs said this team “is much better than the one that won the conference two years ago” and expects his team to start winning once it breaks a scoring drought.

Husson Coach Bill Ashby has had to replace Chris Klee, the state’s leading scorer a year ago with 15 goals and 8 assists, but he has done so with a mixture of newcomers and veterans.

“I’ve been really pleased so far,” said Ashby of his Bangor-based team. “And we have people on the bench who are just as good as the people on the field.”

St. Joseph’s College

Coach – Jim Mingo, 2nd year

Last year’s record, current record – 5-8-2, 1-4

Top returnees – striker Chris Lawrence, MF Don Plourde, MF-striker Jamie Header, stopper Jon Lindholm, sweeper Dwayne Buxton, FB Juan Bustamante, MF Chad McPherson, MF Willie Collins, striker Nelson Peters

Key newcomers – striker Shawn Humphrey, goalie Brian Carr, FB Michael Smith, MF Chris Hayward

Outlook – This is just the second varsity season so the players are still inexperienced and have suffered the growing pains. Mingo has emphasized offense more this season but the Monks have made their share of mistakes in the transition game. St. Joseph’s has given up 21 goals so far. Freshman goalie Carr is making the adjustment to college soccer and has understandably made his share of mistakes. Mingo expects him to be a good goalkeeper as he gains experience. The midfield is the team’s strength. Plourde was an NAIA All-District 5 selection a year ago and McPherson is also good in the midfield. Senior Humphrey has 4 goals and 2 assists in his first season. NAIA All-District choice Header hasn’t played yet due to tonsilitis but is expected back this week. St. Joseph’s scored 8 goals over the weekend in a win over UM-Fort Kent (4-2 in overtime) and a loss to UM-Presque Isle (5-4).

Thomas College

Coach – Jim Evans, 6th year

Last year’s record, current record – 9-9, 4-2

Top returnees – striker Todd Smith, fullback Scott Caron, sweeper Jamie Eastlack, MF Mike Guarino, striker Pete Legendre, stopper Jeff Gosselin, FB Shawn Boulet, G Tim Chalmers, G Dan Tibbetts

Key newcomers – MF Haydn Howman, striker Flavio Periera, MF-striker Mike Ferreira, FB Jim Ouellette

Outlook – For the first time, Evans has two quality goalkeepers in Chalmers and Tibbetts. He also has six players who can put the ball in the net. Brazilian Pereira has 4 goals and 3 assists so far; Smith has 3 & 5 and Englishman Howman has 3 & 1. Smith was the leading scorer a year ago with 8 & 5. Gosselin and Boulet, in their first seasons as starters, have been impressive in complementing Caron and NAIA All-District sweeper Eastlack. Thomas has given up only two goals so far, both coming in 1-0 losses to UM-Farmington and Salem State. The biggest concern for Evans is finding the right combination in the midfield. They have been too offensive-minded in the midfield so far.

University of New England

Coach – Doug Biggs, 5th year

Last year’s record, current record – 5-9-2, 0-4-2

Top returnees – striker-G Mark Butt, FB Jeff Nardone, FB Keith Fournier, Sweeper Steve Niles, MF Roger Hough, MF Kevin McMillion, MF-striker Sean Nugent, striker Billy Kobs, MF-FB Mike Ennis

Key newcomers – MF-striker Dan Fortin, striker John Murray, striker Jeff Berndt, MF-forward Chris Seagrave, G Jeff August

Outlook – The Red Knights have scored only three goals so far and that is the primary area of concern for Biggs. The talent is there as Hough had 7 & 3 a year ago, Butt had 6 & 2 and McMillion notched 4 & 4. And Fortin has been a much better player than Biggs had anticipated. Kobs had also been a good goal scorer until slumping to one goal last season. On paper, this is Biggs’ best team, by far. They have suffered 1-0 losses to Bowdoin and Bates and outshot Husson 28-12 only to lose 3-1 on defensive mistakes and their inability to capitalize. Freshman August has played very well in goal but will have to play with a cast on his broken thumb for several weeks. Butt, the scoring leader with two goals, manned the net against Husson. UNE is solid in the back.

Husson College

Coach – Bill Ashby, 3rd year

Last year’ record, current record – 7-12-1, 4-3-1

Top returnees – sweeper Phil Byra, FB Carl Crawford, striker Tom Largay, FB Eric Rhoades, MF Chris Steppe, striker Gary Thompson, stopper Al Tripp, FB Erin Weber, FB Pete McPhail, G Mike Haggerty

Key newcoemrs – G Jason Brewer, MF Jay Darling, MF Peter Duchnowski, striker Jason Hill, FB Aki Ishikawa, MF Matt Stelzer, MF Craig Stuber

Outlook – This is Ashby’s deepest team and several freshmen have made key contributions already: Hill has 6 goals and 4 assists, Stelzer has 1 & 4, Stuber has 2 goals and Brewer has allowed 8 goals while going 3-1-1 and earning the starting goaltender job. Sophomore Thompson has chipped in 1 & 3 and senior Largay has scored a pair of goals. The fullback corps has done a very good job limiting the number of quality shots. Ashby is looking for better midfield play and for his midfielders and backs to do a better job keeping possession of the ball. He is using one sophomore and three freshmen in the midfield and expects them to improve steadily as they gain experience.

University of Maine-Farmington

Coach – Bob Leib, 15th year

Last year’s record, current record – 11-4, 2-1

Top returnees – sweeper Solomon Sylva, MF Steve Brooks, MF Peter Grosso, MF Matt Duffy, MF Mike Grey, FB Gareth Slattery, FB Tom Lynch, striker Frank Caron, G Jeff Woodward, FB Kelly Cates, MF Kyle Morey, MF Butch Taylor

Key newcomers – striker Dennis Harmon, striker Aime Service, G Darby Anderson.

Outlook – Leib returned his entire midfield corps and has NAIA All-District and All-American Sylva anchoring a solid back line. Caron had 10 goals and 5 assists a year ago and Sylva had 6 & 1. Harmon had a hat trick in a 4-1 win over the University of Maine-Machias. UMF has scored only 5 goals in its three games, 4 against UM-Machias, and that has been the team’s weakness. Part of it can be attributed to inexperience because Leib is breaking in freshmen Harmon and Service. Woodward has made a good transition from back-up goalie behind four-year starter Jeff Neal to starting goalie.