Richards helps Caribou tie rival Presque Isle

CARIBOU – With a ricochet off a goal post, Ali Richards helped the Caribou girls soccer team to a milestone of sorts Thursday night against rival Presque Isle.

For the first time in four years, the Vikings logged a tie – not a loss – against the perennial powerhouse Wildcats, thanks to Richards’ game-tying goal in the first half.

Although neither team could break the 2-2 tie, Caribou was pleased with the result.

“It’s been a while. It feels good,” said Richards, a captain who is one of just three seniors for the 2-0-1 Vikings. “We’re not satisfied, though. Hopefully next time it will come out better. But we’re happy.”

All four goals were scored in the first half, although both teams had plenty of chances in the second and in two 5-minute overtime periods.

With so many goals given up before halftime, both teams felt they were a bit defensive in the second half.

“I think we did [stay back on defense] and when we push up and win the ball we do better,” Richards said. “We felt like we controlled the second half, though.”

Richards scored with 7 minutes, 54 seconds left, when she banged in a shot off the right goalpost. The play started with a pass from Abby Small, who sent a cross into the penalty area from the left wing. Richards was standing about 12 yards out when she kicked the ball at the goal.

The ball hit the right post and rolled into the left side of the goal.

“I was scared it wasn’t going to go in, but it spun in,” Richards said.

Richards had a good chance when she took a hard shot with 3:48 left in the second overtime, but PI goalie Allisen Donovan came out to make the save.

Senior Kayla Legassie paced Presque Isle with two goals. She scored her second to give the Wildcats a 2-1 lead with 20 minutes, 20 seconds remaining.

She also gave the 1-0-1 Wildcats their first lead almost 11 minutes into the game when she blasted in a Sarah Porter pass from about 20 yards out.

Presque Isle had a 21-13 edge in shots on goal, but the Wildcats weren’t satisfied.

“After they scored their second goal I think we had our heads down,” Legassie said. “We had chances, but they just didn’t go in. Personally, I’m not happy. It feels like we almost lost to them.”

The Vikings tied it for the first time on an unusual corner kick in which freshman Lydia Keiffer, who took the kick, tapped the ball to the right flat, where classmate Jenna Selander blasted a shot over Donovan’s oustretched arms.

Legassie scored her second goal with 20:20 left, dribbling through at least two Caribou defenders in the penalty area and drilling a shot on the ground that slid past Caribou ‘keeper Brittany Doak.

The Wildcats were called offsides four times in the game.

“They all push up so when you’re running on to the ball they catch you,” Legassie said. “You had to keep a watch for it.”

Both teams had to deal with a wet field after a day of rain showers, although it didn’t rain during the game.

“The ball skips differently when [the grass] is so wet, but it wasn’t too bad,” Richards said. “It was the same for both teams.”

Donovan made eight saves, while Doak had 16.

JV: Presque Isle 3-0