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The weather hasn’t cooperated yet. But Cheryl Stokes, the president of the Atlantic Sports Group who teamed up with Seth Brown to bring Premier League Soccer to Bangor his summer, likes what she has seen so far.
The Maine Tide Women’s Premier League team has given a good account of itself in 2-0 and 3-1 losses to Soccer Plus (Conn.) and AC Diablos (N.J.), and the Maine Sting men battled to an impressive 1-1 tie with AC Diablos.
“I’m very pleased. We’ve held our own with these teams. When you consider it’s our first season and that we’re inexperienced in this league, it’s something to be proud of,” said Stokes.
It’s also noteworthy that the players haven’t been together long and come from several different states and countries.
Opposing players have been impressed by the play of the Sting and the Tide.
“[The Tide] played with a lot of heart and gave us a run for the money, that’s for sure,”
said Soccer Plus defensive midfielder Maggie Tomecka, who played for the USA Under-21 national team and starred at powerhouse North Carolina. “For a first-year team, I didn’t expect them to be as organized as they were.”
“They’re going to be very good the next couple of years,” predicted AC Diablos striker Alicia Hall.
“[The Sting] came out ready to play and they’re a very decent team,” said AC Diablos goalkeeper Buddy Custer. “It’s exciting for the league to have new teams like this.”
That is music to Stokes’ ears because league officials, as with any new franchise, were concerned about their level of competitiveness.
Stokes and Brown have had a lot of juggling to do in putting this franchise together.
Since it is an amateur league, they’ve been finding jobs for 45 players.
“It’s going well. It’s been a little slower than anticipated. But it comes with the territory,” said Stokes. “Our biggest challenge is making sure the players are well taken care of.”
They have formed a partnership with Orchard Trails in Orono to house the team.
“That has been great for building camaraderie,” said Stokes.
The players have immersed themselves in the community and Stokes wants a strong bond between the community and the players.
The coaches and players hold free clinics at the Sports Arena every Tuesday night from 5:30-6:30 for youngsters ages 4-10 and from 6:30-7:30 for 10-14 year-olds. There are 40 spots for each and they can preregister at the Atlanticsportsgroup.net Web site. Or they can just show up.
The FieldTurf at Boucher Field has been very well-received.
“I love the turf. It’s a nice facility,” said AC Diablos striker Sean Wise.
“The rug is amazing. It’s a great playing surface,” said Tomecka.
As a soccer junkie, I’ve been pleasantly surprised at the high level of play in this league. It’s as good as you’ll see in this area.
For example, Soccer Plus is grooming players who will be in the new seven-team women’s professional league next spring.
Not only is there a lot of skill, but you also learn the value of verbal communication.
The attendance has been hampered by the weather, 100 for the women’s opener and 125 for the doubleheader, but attendance should improve.
Soccer is flourishing and this is an exceptional learning tool for youngsters.
It also supplies much-needed low-cost entertainment ($5).
It deserves to be well-supported so it can become a permanent fixture in the area.
lmahoney@bangordailynews.net
990-8231
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