Tennis foes share bus en route to their match

This week’s wet weather has meant teams have traveled far and wide to find a dry spot for postseason games and matches. Wednesday’s rain led to a quirky and touching day for the Caribou and Belfast girls tennis teams.

The No. 1 Vikings and the No. 9 Lions were to play in an Eastern Maine Class B quarterfinal which was moved from Caribou to the Edmundston Sports Complex in Edmundston, New Brunswick, across the border from Madawaska.

The Belfast team bus arrived at Caribou High at about 12:15 p.m., but it was determined that the school bus didn’t have the appropriate tags or paperwork to cross the border into Canada.

Caribou coach John Habeeb wasn’t exactly sure what was wrong.

So the Lions jumped on the bus with the Vikings and the two teams rode to Canada together. At first, Habeeb thought, it was “kind of strange” to be on a bus with the opponents.

But the two squads warmed up to each other.

“Their kids were really nice and I talked to their coach for a while,” said Habeeb, who has been coaching the Caribou girls since 1991 and the boys since 1988.

There were a few coincidences that broke the ice. The two teams faced each other in the 2003 Eastern Maine Class B soccer final – Belfast won 1-0 – so the Caribou tennis players recognized several Belfast girls. And Audrey Jarrett, Belfast’s No. 1 singles player, has an uncle who lives in Caribou, and she got to see him briefly at the high school.

The teams arrived in New Brunswick at about 2 p.m. where the Fort Kent boys had just beaten Ellsworth 4-0. Caribou already had the time reserved, so the boys couldn’t finish the fifth match.

Aroostook County teams use facilities in Canada occasionally, but it was certainly a different situation for Belfast. Habeeb took a Waterville team across the border about 10 years ago when Caribou was in Class A.

And the final result Wednesday? Caribou won all five matches to go to 13-0 and earn a spot against No. 4 Mount Desert Island in a semifinal Saturday.

“I was really worried about the ride back, you know, what if this team beats us,” Habeeb said. “But it wasn’t [awkward]. It was actually really nice.”

Dexter still seeking hockey coach

It’s hard to believe, but one of the top field hockey programs in the state still doesn’t have a coach for next season.

That’s right – four-time defending Class C champion Dexter has not had one applicant for the position, which would entail coaching a team that will returns several standout players and has won 63 games in a row.

“We’re desperate,” said athletic director Steve Bell, only half-joking. “I don’t know what we’re going to do. Field hockey can be hard to find coaches for.”

Bell said the school does have a new girls basketball coach but the hiring hasn’t been approved by the school board yet.

Both the basketball and field hockey positions became open this school year when Margaret Veazie announced she would be resigning.

Both teams went undefeated and won Class C state championships this year.

Veazie will be a tough field hockey coach to follow. Last fall she said she believes the Tigers had just five losses and one tie in her seven years as the coach. Four of those losses came in her first season.

Dexter surpassed the state record for consecutive wins (51).