Teams get kick out of soccer program> Young players get a leg up on season

The first summer of an organized high school soccer league for girls in Eastern Maine was a success, according to league director Keith Bosley and some of the participants.

There were 10 teams from nine different schools – Hampden had two teams – and Bosley estimated that there were 250 girls involved.

Each team played eight games and all the games were played at Bangor’s Husson College, where Bosley is the women’s soccer coach.

“We held a couple of meetings before the season started and the coaches said they didn’t want to record the scores or have a championship. They didn’t want to feel performance pressure. This allowed incoming freshmen to play,” said Bosley. “They wanted it to be competitive but friendly. Everyone seemed pleased with it. It’s a developmental league.”

Ellsworth High School coach Jennifer Myers said “There’s so much pressure on the girls in the fall. This was much more relaxing. They could just show up and play and they had fun doing it. My girls really enjoyed it.”

Besides the two Hampden teams and Ellsworth, there were teams from Bangor High, Nokomis of Newport, Orono, John Bapst of Bangor, Mount Desert Island, Winslow and Hermon.

“I thought it was great. It was great to get together with your teammates, get some touches on the ball and be active so we don’t begin theget some touches on the ball and be active so we don’t begin the season out of shape,” said Ellsworth fullback Katie Sirois, who will be a junior this fall.

Myers credited Bosley with doing an exceptional job setting the league up and she added that it was nice to have the games in one location at a top-notch facility like Husson’s.

They concluded the season with a play day in which there were a variety of skills competitions and they had the players count off and become members of a mixed team. “That was interesting. It was neat to play on a team with girls from other schools. You develop friendships and stuff,” said Sirois.

Bosley said a team of girls from Madawaska High School joined in the play day as they were en route to a tournament in southern Maine.

The entry fee was $275 per team and the rosters were flexible.

There were referees for every game and the games were held on Thursdays and Sundays. They played 25-minute halves.

Bosley hopes to expand the number of teams in the league next summer.

“We’ve already had coaches from other teams say they’d like to be a part of it next summer,” said Bosley, who may seek an additional facility to accommodate the expansion.