FARMINGTON – The Mt. Blue High School Girls’ Soccer team advanced to the quarterfinals of the Maine Principals Association’s Class A North Championship Friday evening with a 2-0 victory over Skowhegan Area High School.
The preliminary matchup was the third time the two schools faced off this season. Mt. Blue defeated Skowhegan 1-0 on Sept. 13, and then 4-1 on Sept. 30.
The sixth-seeded Cougars quickly set the tone for the game, placing pressure on the eleventh-seeded River Hawks. This intensity led to a pair of goals for the Cougars early on in the contest. Senior captain Eryn Parlin netted her first goal of the evening off of a pass from Junior Callahan Towle just four minutes into the game. The team’s second goal came at the 9:38 mark, with Parlin scoring and Meren Zeliger assisting.
The second half was goalless and featured a back and forth battle between the two teams. The teams battled in the midfield, with senior captain Hannah Wilbur breaking up the River Hawks offensive attacks. The Cougars took several shots, however, Skowhegan goalie Reese Dunforth made key saves to prevent the Cougars from logging another goal.
Parlin was excited about the victory yet noted the team must play a stronger second half moving forward.
“I think we played very well especially given the nerves that come with going to the playoffs for the first time. We broke down a bit in the second half so we will need to work on that before our next game,” she said.
Parlin herself had a record-setting night, with her two goals breaking the single-season record for total points scored. The forward had tied the previous record of 41 during the team’s game against Lewiston High School. Parlin now sits at 45 points heading into the next round of playoffs.
The victory marked the tenth win of the season for the team. The squad has recorded seven shutouts, an impressive feat for the veteran-led group and junior goalkeeper Caitlyn Burke. The group has only allowed eleven goals this season while netting fifty goals.
The Cougars are slated to play Brunswick High School. The third seed received a preliminary bye. The two teams faced off Oct. 9, with the Cougars narrowly losing 0-1. Parlin feels confident in her team’s prospects heading into the matchup.
“We are feeling really good. We are taking this weekend to rest up and recover so we can perform to our potential, I believe it will be a great game,” she said.
