Caribou’s Corrigan garners All-New England honor

BANGOR – There were some mild but pleasant surprises from several award recipients after Sunday afternoon’s Maine Soccer Coaches banquet at the Spectacular Event Center.

“I’m still kind of shocked,” Caribou senior forward Kyle Corrigan said a few minutes after he was named an All-New England honoree.

So was Ellsworth boys soccer coach Brian Higgins, who was named one of two boys Coaches of the Year. Lee girls coach Stephanie Thurlow knew about one of the two awards she received, but was unaware two of her players would be honored on the Eastern Maine all-state team and one of them, Aarika Ritchie, would be the Class C co-Player of the Year.

Players and coaches from around the state were lauded at Sunday’s banquet. Awards were given out to all-region and all-state teams, Players of the Year in four classes, All-New England and All-America winners.

Among other winners, Alex Martin of Van Buren was named the Class D Player of the Year for the second straight season, while Greely of Cumberland Center goalkeeper Oliver Blum was named the boys All-America and junior forward Rachele Burns of Gorham was the All-America on the girls’ side.

Corrigan, Blum, Brunswick senior fullback Sam Kaplan, and Deering of Portland senior forward Tony Yeboah rounded out the boys’ All-New England team.

Burns, Greely senior midfielder Teal Bryan, Winslow senior midfielder Kate Caron, Waterville junior forward Stephanie Whitten and Marshwood of South Berwick junior forward Elise Amioka were the girls All-New England honorees.

The girls Players of the Year were Burns in Class A, Caron in Class B, Ritchie and Waynflete of Portland senior midfielder Alex Woodhouse, and Richmond senior forward Melanie Schanck earned Class D honors.

Boys Players of the Year were Kaplan, sophomore forward Gabe Hoffman-Johnson of Falmouth in Class B, North Yarmouth senior midfielder Taylor Gorman in Class C, and Martin in Class D.

Corrigan, who made the Eastern Maine state team in 2006 and 2007, finished his career with 51 goals and 13 assists. He broke a 30-year-old school scoring with 27 goals this season, helping the Vikings to a 12-3 record.

“I didn’t really come down expecting I’d get this,” said Corrigan. “I wasn’t really into soccer my freshman year but I started working hard my sophomore year. Good thing it happened.”

Higgins’ Eagles team beat Corrigan’s Vikes 1-0 in the Eastern Maine Class B quarterfinals en route to the Eastern Maine crown.

Higgins couldn’t exactly remember his last coaching honor from the Maine Soccer Coaches, despite 15 Eastern Maine and four state titles in 34 seasons. It may have been as long ago as 1996, when his son Darby was also honored with an All-New England award.

This year’s EM crown came with some bumps at the beginning of the year, however.

“Going into the preseason I thought we were going to be good,” he said. “We struggled early, we were 2-2-2, then 4-3-2, then that was it. Going into the [state game against Falmouth] we were 9-0-1 on the road. That’s really saying something, if you win them all on the road.

Thurlow was aware she was the recipient of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Region I Private School Coach of the Year award, because the association called to make sure Lee Academy was a private school. She was pleased, however, to see both Ritchie and center midfielder Amanda Gifford on the Eastern Maine all-state team. And both were on the All-America and All-New England ballot, Thurlow added.

“We were hoping to get two names there, which is great for Lee Academy,” said Thurlow, who was also a Maine Soccer Coaches’ Coach of the Year award winner.

Ritchie made a little history with her selection as Class C co-Player of the Year as it marked the first time there’s been a tie for the award. Ritchie shared the honor with Waynflete of Portland’s Alex Woodhouse.

“Aarika had a great season, scoring over 100 goals [in her career] and leading us in assists,” Thurlow said. “[She’s an] unreal athlete. Very unselfish.”

Other Coach of the Year honors from the Maine Soccer Coaches went to Greely boys coach Mike Andreasen and York girls Wally Caldwell.

Andreasen won the NSCAA Region I boys big school Coach of the Year award, while Richmond’s Joe Scribellito took the award in the small school category. Caldwell (big schools) and Richmond’s Troy Kendrick (small schools) were the girls winner.

This was the second year that two Maine girls coaches were selected as regional coaches of the year. All NSCAA honorees will compete for the national award.

Former Greely boys coach Glenn Hutchins, who led the Rangers to four state titles, was the Maine Soccer Coaches Service Award winner.