Schoolboy soccer

Fort Kent High School’s 8-0-1 Warriors are a team on a mission.

They are well on their way to making the Eastern Maine Class B schoolboy soccer playoffs for the sixth consecutive year under Coach Dave Minzy.

But Minzy is still looking for his first regional championship, and his Warriors would like nothing better than to oblige.

“We’re really pushing for it this year,” admitted the 35-year-old Minzy, who is in his sixth season as the head coach after spending three as an assistant coach.

“That’s been on a lot of people’s minds up here, including mine and the players’. We’ve been knocking on the door,” Minzy said. “We feel it’s our time. We know what it’s going to take. The hunger is there, that’s for certain.”

“We have a big group of seniors, and we’ve been talking about it quite a bit,” said senior striker and tri-captain Laughn Berthiaume.

“For the seniors, it is our last year and we want to prove something before we leave,” added center midfielder and tri-captain Ben Collings.

Minzy and his players know that finishing on top of the Class B standings would give them a dramatic edge in the postseason because it would ensure the home-field advantage.

Fort Kent’s seniors have lost only one home game over the last four seasons. Their three losses in the postseason, two to Camden-Rockport in the Eastern B finals and one to Mount View in the first round a year ago, have come on the road away from the large, friendly crowds that attend Warrior home games.

“Yeah, that (winning on the road in postseason play) has been a problem,” acknowledged Berthiaume. “Our style of play is suited for a nice spread-out, wide-open field. That’s what we have up here.”

“We get pumped up at home and we know every corner of our field,” said Collings.

“The home-field advantage was the deciding factor in all three of our losses,” said Minzy.

Minzy is not surprised by this team’s record.

“We have a real strong senior group. We have 10 seniors who have all played for a long time,” said Minzy. “We thought this could be our year.

“At the outset of the season, I couldn’t find a weak spot on our team,” added Minzy. “My only concern was how we would be on the wings and our wingers have turned in some real solid games. They’ve come alive.”

The wingers are Ryan Martin and Luke Jondreau, who have scored eight and four goals, respectively. They flank Berthiaume, an eight-goal scorer and speed merchant.

Minzy believes he has one of the best goalies around in senior Chad Boucher, who has allowed only five goals in nine games.

Boucher is surrounded by four solid defenders in sweeper Brian Currier, right back Shawn Lovely, left back Robbie McBreairty and stopper Jeremy Desjardins. All are veterans and Desjardins has also been an offensive contributor.

Collings, who can run all day, according to his coach, anchors the all-senior midfield. He is flanked by Bi Collings is also among the team’s leading scorers.

Besides their starting 11, the Warriors have quality depth in sophomore utility player Corey Thibodeau, junior midfielder Dean Campagna, freshman utility man Jason Stedt and senior defender Craig Hebert.

“We have kids who can come off the bench and play just as well as the starters,” said Berthiaume.

Fort Kent is an aggressive team that goes to the ball and pressures teams all over the field. Fort Kent has always been known for having small, quick, skillful players, but the Warriors have added a different wrinkle this year.

“We have some size this year to go with our speed, and that has made a difference,” said Minzy.

The pieces appear in place for the Warriors to make a run at a state championship. The immediate goal is to finish in first place in Class B so the road to an Eastern Maine title will have to go through Fort Kentroad to an Eastern Maine title will have to go through Fort Kent.