BLUE HILL – When the George Stevens Academy girls soccer team got a look at Heidi Sappier, they may not have been sure what to think.

That’s because the Eagles didn’t see the Lee Academy forward when they scrimmaged the Pandas in the preseason.

Sappier didn’t practice with Lee before the season started because she transferred late this summer from Woodland High School to Lee.

Her presence has been a big help to the Pandas this season. In addition to scoring the game-winning goal in Monday’s 1-0 Eastern Maine Class C championship win over No. 1 George Stevens Academy, the lanky junior left wing has relieved the defensive pressure on Lee standouts Amanda Gifford and Aarika Ritchie.

In her position on the front line, Sappier has used her left foot to become one of the team’s top passers, too.

“It’s not just her scoring,” Lee senior sweeper Brooke Harris said. “She’s good at getting the ball away from defenders and getting distance so she can make those good crosses. We’ve had plenty of headers off those crosses because she gets them way up in the air.”

Sappier said she transferred because Woodland High “wasn’t really me.”

“Now that I’m here, I’m just real happy,” she added.

It took a while, however, for Sappier to get used to Lee’s style, coach Stephanie Thurlow said. The Pandas play a 4-4-2 set on the field with only two players on the front line, which is different from many teams that play three up front or in the middle.

“It kind of just congested the [left] area and we had to work on that,” Thurlow said. “But she’s stepped it up, and she knows how to finish.”

Sappier didn’t score often in the regular season but has picked it up in the postseason. She had one goal each in the Pandas’ 2-0 quarterfinal victory over Fort Kent and the 4-0 semifinal win over Orono.

Sappier contributed two assists in the final regular-season game of the year, a 6-0 win over Penquis of Milo that completed Lee’s undefeated regular season.

The Pandas like her attitude, too.

“She’s awesome,” Harris said. “She brings a lot of fun to the team. She’s happy-go-lucky and keeps us laughing. We give her a pat on the back because she’s really helped us.”

No subs, no problem

Thurlow had plenty of chances to use her bench during the regular season.

But the Lee girls won Monday’s Eastern Maine Class C title despite using just one substitute, and even then freshman Kellsey Grass played for just a few moments because Sappier was dealing with some cramps.

So how did they do it?

Thurlow said her bench was relatively inexperienced at the beginning of the season – some of the backups hadn’t played soccer before – so she knew she’d have to get her starters in top form.

The key has been a whole lot of running.

“We have a half-mile track set up and we do it a lot in practice,” Thurlow said. “That’s just something we do every day. Then we have sprinting drills, jog, sprint, walk for five minutes, take a drink, then do it again and do it again. Six of them run cross country, too.”

The Pandas know teams will try to wear them out.

“A lot of people … were saying there’s no way they can win this without a sub,” Harris said. “But we’re in shape and we use that to our advantage. We can go without a sub if we need to.”