ALL SMILES. Seniors from the York girls' soccer team share a laugh along with Coach Wally Caldwell after being presented with flowers by their teammates ahead of their final regular season home game. From left to right are Kelsey Cruz, Megan McCrory, Jessica Ehrenborg, Katie Rasche, Haley Westmann and Kiah Voyer-Colbath.
Photo by Lev Yashin
THANKS MOM! Senior striker Robert Cook hands a bouquet to his mother in the traditional recognition ceremony for graduating seniors and their parents just ahead of the Wildcats' final home game against Gray. Cook later added a special touch, scoring the opening goal in York's 2-0 victory.
Photo by Rob Charlton
YORK - Both the girls' and boys' soccer teams moved into the playoffs as their seasons came to a close, with both teams qualifying for a first-round bye based on their regular season records.
Coach Wally Caldwell's girls finished the regular season at 8-4-2, with two losses to both Yarmouth and Falmouth. York is scheduled is host Lisbon in the Western Maine Quarterfinals on Saturday, Oct. 20.
Boys' Coach Jeff Smith and his squad finished the season at 4-7-3, but qualified for playoffs including a first-round bye based primarily on the huge HEAL point bonuses received for a win and a draw against Class A opponents Cape Elizabeth. The Wildcats were scheduled to travel to Falmouth for a Western Maine Class B quarterfinal match on Friday, Oct. 19.
The girls finished out the regular season with one-goal losses away to Falmouth, 1-0, and home to Yarmouth, 3-2, followed by an easy 5-0 thrashing of the Patriots at Gray. The loss at Falmouth was particularly painful to the Wildcats as it saw center-back and team Tri-Capt. Kate Rasche go down to a foot injury, which left her out for the remainder of the regular season and questionable heading into the playoffs.
One bright spot in the loss that followed to Yarmouth was the two-goal performance by junior back Meredith Reid, who headed in twice for the Wildcats in a losing cause.
Coach Caldwell's team should be heavy favorites to roll past Lisbon before reaching the semis, which will likely see the Wildcats return to Falmouth. The undefeated Yachtswomen have had York's number for as long as anybody on this current team can remember and if the Wildcats are going to make their mark this season, they will have to make it in Falmouth.
The boys closed out their regular season with a home loss to Falmouth, followed by an away heartbreaker loss 2-1 to Yarmouth, before wrapping the season up with a 2-0 victory at home against Gray.
The final game saw the Wildcats with a full and mostly healthy lineup for the first time in over three weeks. Heading into the playoffs, the York boys were in the position of underdogs over perennial powerhouse Falmouth, but these underdogs were certainly capable of some bite.
Having played the majority of their season missing key players, the Wildcat team entering the post season is likely to be an unpleasant surprise for Falmouth. Ugly as they are on the field, your writer has grown attached to this Team Kamikaze. Let's hope they have one more issue in them.
See you in the stands - make sure to bring your noise.
