Van Buren cruises to 6-0 start Lajoie, Parent guiding Crusaders’ goal of hosting playoff game

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Early this season the Van Buren girls soccer team set a goal of winning 10 games.

Now that they have a 6-0 record, the Crusaders have reevaluated things a bit.

“A lot of girls were skeptical at first,” said senior Lilly Morrow, who plays a variety of positions for Van Buren. “But we seem to be on our way there. We actually had a talk the other day and our second goal is to host a playoff game here.”

Although it’s still early, Van Buren could reach both goals with a strong defense and one of the top players in the state having a stellar season.

Although Van Buren’s 2005 record of 4-5-5 didn’t look impressive, the Crusaders actually finished fifth in Eastern Maine Class D and made it to the quarterfinals where they lost to No. 4 Ashland 2-1.

So the team had a lot of potential, starting with senior striker Megan Lajoie.

Lajoie was a striker during her freshman and sophomore years but was a midfielder last season in order to provide more defense.

New head coach Jay Edgecomb slid her back up front, where she’s flourished so far. Lajoie, whom some County coaches consider the top player regardless of class in northern Maine, has scored seven goals in Van Buren’s last two games. She has 62 career goals.

“I love playing up front,” Lajoie said. “I did have some opportunities where I would get nervous and miss the goal [early in the season] but I’ve been trying to concentrate more when I take shots. I’m staying more focused.”

Lajoie isn’t the only returning player who changed positions. Junior Taylor Parent, who was a wing player last year, is now the center midfielder.

Edgecomb moved Parent back to take advantage of her stamina.

“She can run all day,” he said. “That’s why I moved her. I want consistency there.”

Edgecomb doesn’t do much subbing for his defense, either, which has given up just four goals so far despite some question marks at the goalie position.

“My defense has played really well,” Edgecomb said. “That’s been our strength. The defense didn’t play as well in the last game against Washburn but the first five games they were phenomenal. They really work well as a unit and I don’t have a senior in the group.”

That group, which hasn’t allowed more than 12 shots on goal in a game this year, includes junior sweeper Macy Laplante, sophomore fullback Brittney Bard, junior fullback Kristen Vaillancourt, and junior stopper Kristal Deschaines.

“They’re houses out there,” Morrow said. “They’re like brick walls.”

A key addition this year has been senior Karie Ouellette, who spent last year in Colorado with her family, has returned to the team. She swings back and forth between stopper and midfielder depending on what the Crusaders need at the time.

Van Buren has gone undefeated even without a true starting goalie to replace the graduated Lisa Levasseur. Freshman Jen Ouellette started earlier this year but sprained her wrist. Junior Trisha Gagnon has started the last few games. Vaillancourt is the third-string goalie.

“I’d love to have one goalie I can count on but it’s nice to have three who can play,” Edgecomb said. “They’ve played well.”

The Crusaders picked up a big win over previously undefeated Washburn last week, a 3-1 victory in which Lajoie scored all three goals.

“It’s definitely going to be a good point-worthy game in the end,” Lajoie said.

But it was Van Buren’s season-opening 2-1 win over perennial Class C power Madawaska that gave the Crusaders a shot of confidence.

“To be able to go out and win our first game, on their turf, was a great way to start the season,” Morrow said.

County teams get new coaches

Several Aroostook County girls soccer teams have new coaches on the sidelines, although in two cases the coach is a very familiar face.

Longtime Van Buren teacher Edgecomb moved over from the Fort Fairfield girls soccer team to take over the Crusaders, leaving former junior varsity coach Kerrie Alley in charge of the Fort team.

Kevin St. Jarre has taken over the Fort Kent girls squad, and Tim Tweedie is the new Houlton girls coach.

Edgecomb said he plans to run for school board in Fort Fairfield, which is the big reason he took the Van Buren position.

Because school board members can’t be employed by their districts, Edgecomb had to resign.

“I hated to leave Fort Fairfield. I didn’t want to,” he said. “When this job opened up it was just perfect timing. It worked for everybody.”

Alley, a Fort Fairfield native, previously coached the Penquis of Milo girls varsity soccer team.

St. Jarre, a Madawaska native and a UMaine-Fort Kent graduate, last served as an assistant coach at Noble High in North Berwick.

“I feel lucky to be coaching these girls,” said St. Jarre.

He served in the U.S. Army in Germany and is the author of the “Night Stalkers” series of books under the pen name Michael Hawke.

Tweedie, a former player at Saint Joseph’s of Standish who grew up in Mars Hill, has returned there to work for his family’s business and is now coaching the Shiretowners.

Tweedie is working at Sargent Trucking, which has meant a change in practice time because of his drive from Mars Hill to Houlton.

“The girls have been great,” Tweedie said. “We have practice at 5:30 at night which is something they’re not used to because they’re missing dinner with their family, but it’s the only way I could do this. I can’t leave at 2 or 3 every day from work.”

Also, Peter Belskis took over for a retired Bill Nemer at Ashland.

Jessica Bloch can be reached at 990-8193, 1-800-310-8600 or jbloch@bangordailynews.net.