MBNA’s artificial turf a hit with soccer teams

Last Friday’s girls and boys soccer games between Camden Hills and Rockland may have provided a taste of what’s to come for the state championships in November – not necessarily the two teams involved, but the field on which they played.

The Tigers and Windjammers squared off on the artificial turf field at MBNA’s Point Lookout Conference Center in Northport.

The reason for using the Point Lookout complex was a scheduling conflict with a Rockland football game, but Camden Hills athletic director Dave Cook said the Maine Principals’ Association may consider using the site for state championship games.

Most Maine high school soccer teams play on grass, but Cook said he doesn’t think inexperience on turf would make a difference in a state title game.

“Most teams want to play on the best possible surface and certainly in early November [Point Lookout] would be one of the best facilities to play on,” said Cook, an MPA soccer committee member.

Cook said MBNA is willing to let the MPA use the fields, but state championship sites depend on the location of the teams involved.

The artificial grass, made by a South-Portland based company called FieldTurf, used on the MBNA field is used on some Major League Baseball fields.

Point Lookout is also on the larger side (the minimum size field for state games is 110 yards by 65 yards; the MBNA field is about 120 yards by 75 yards).

Meanwhile, Camden Hills may continue to use Point Lookout for the regular season if need be. The Windjammer boys are going to play Lincoln Academy of Newcastle there Sept. 22.

So far the teams have enjoyed the new playing surface.

“It was great,” Camden girls coach Meredith Messer said after her ‘Jammers earned a 3-0 win. “The ball moved so fast and the girls loved it. They said it felt so springy under their feet.”

Martin overcomes injury

Ashland striker Amanda Martin has been scoring goals pretty much for her entire career. She entered the 2001 season within reach of Heidi Maker’s Ashland career schoolgirl goals and scoring records, but had to overcome a foot injury to do so.

“I had an abscess on the bottom of my heel, so I had to get that cut off,” she said. “It’s all better now, but it did bother me. It was different not being able to practice and then come into a game. It was a little rough.”

Martin missed a week of practice, went scoreless in her first game back (against perennial power Van Buren) and again didn’t score against Wisdom of St. Agatha. She broke through with a goal and an assist against Fort Fairfield.

Martin set the records – 48 career goals and 70 career points – Friday when she tallied three goals and assist in a win over Washburn.

“It’s really neat to get that many goals,” Martin said. It means a lot.”

Martin scored three goals in her freshman year as Maker was still the top striker. In her sophomore year she knocked in 19 goals and set a single-season scoring record.

Martin had 18 goals in her junior year and she’d like to remain consistent this season.

“I’m hoping this year I can score about the same number of goals,” she said.

Friel returning to Stearns

Former Stearns boys basketball coach Greg Friel is back at the Millinocket school to coach the girls basketball team.

“I think it will work out better for me in terms of travel time with practices and home games,” said the Millinocket resident who teaches physical education at Schenck of East Millinocket. “And I know the administration there, and they’re a good group of guys.”

Friel is taking over for Jerry Burleigh, who coached the girls for 19 years. He resigned at the end of the 2000-2001 season in which Stearns lost in the Eastern Maine Class C semifinals.

Friel coached the Minutemen boys from 1994-97, compiling a 43-29 record with four trips to the Eastern Maine Class B tournament.

A 1980 Stearns graduate, Friel skippered the Schenck girls last season. He was Burleigh’s assistant for six years before taking over the boys’ post.

Jessica Bloch’s High School Report is published each Tuesday. She can be reached at 990-8193 or jbloch@bangordailynews.net