Machias boys eager to make run at state title

When the Machias boys soccer team saw its matchup for Saturday’s state championship game, the Bulldogs went back through their illustrious history.

In 1990 Machias played Waynflete for the Class D crown. That Machias team went into the state final with one loss, too, and that year’s squad experienced all the rain this year’s team did.

The Bulldogs beat the Flyers of Portland 1-0 that year, and this season’s Machias team is hoping to re-create the same thing as it again faces Waynflete for the 2003 Class D state championship Saturday.

The Class D title games will be held at MBNA’s Point Lookout field in Northport. The boys will play at 10 a.m., followed by the girls final between Lee and Waynflete at 1 p.m.

The Bulldogs beat Washburn 2-1 in Saturday’s regional final to gain the trip to states. It is the third time Machias has appeared in a Class D final and the first since 2000, a 2-1 loss to Monmouth.

The Bulldogs have been one of the top teams in Eastern Maine all along, but quarterfinal losses in 2001 and 2002 had the team eager to get back to the state championship.

“We’ve been saying it all year. We did not want to lose,” said senior midfielder Austin Roberts.

The Bulldogs did falter in one regular-season game, but the loss may have helped more than it hurt.

Machias finished the regular season with an 11-1 record, with a 3-2 defeat Oct. 17 against rival Washington Academy of East Machias. Six days later the Bulldogs avenged the loss with a 3-0 win over the Raiders in the Downeast Athletic Conference championship game.

“We actually needed a loss,” said coach Bob Sinford, who is in his 20th year coaching the team and earned his 200th win earlier this fall. “They needed to know that they could lose. They’ve just been so determined to win [since the loss].”

Senior midfielders Roberts and Chris Correll hooked up to provide the winning goal against Washburn Saturday – a fitting finish to the game. Roberts and Correll are the only two seniors starting, they’ve played together since peewee soccer, and they have provided most of the offense.

Roberts has a team-high 24 goals, which puts him in a tie with David Haycock (1979) for most goals in a season. Roberts also 10 assists, while Correll has 19 goals and seven assists.

“They’re real fast,” Sinford said. “They were the two fastest players on the field [in the regional final] even though they played two games in two days.”

The Bulldogs have given up 11 goals in 16 games. Goalie Marcus Frutchey, the starter for all but three games this year, has allowed eight.

“Ever since the loss to WA he’s been playing awesome,” Roberts said. “He’s been really focused.”

Other starting defensive players are sweeper Thomas Buck, stopper Ken Morse, and wing fullbacks Brian Millay and Isaiah Roberts, Austin’s brother.

Millay, Morse and Isaiah Roberts are all sophomores who started at least part of last year. Striker Zac McNally is also a sophomore.

“They’re experienced,” Sinford said. “A lot of players get a lot of playing time.”

This week the Bulldogs plan to focus on set plays and finding out what they can about Waynflete, other than the Flyers have 10 players back on defense. They’ll also get a chance to use their whole field – because of the recent rain the team was practicing in just the penalty areas in order to save the rest of the field.

Roberts said there was some concern among the Bulldogs about playing at the MBNA field, which is an artificial surface called FieldTurf.

Roberts and Correll have some experience playing on a similar surface at a bubble in Topsham.

“They were kind of worried about it, but Chris and coach and I said it’s going to be better for us,” Roberts said.

Sinford, who also serves as the Machias athletic director, downplayed the coaching milestone he reached with a 3-1 win over Woodland Sept. 26.

“It’s not about me, it’s about the kids,” said Sinford, who is the program’s ninth coach since 1965. “I’m proud of what the kids have done to make it happen. I’m really proud of this team. They’ve done a tremendous job.”

The Bulldogs’ progress can be followed at www.machiasbulldogs2003.homestead.com. The site was created by the relative of a former player, Sinford said.