BA Holds Winchendon to a Close Game

The soccer team lost a tough match to Winchendon Saturday afternoon. BA went down a goal in the first half on a long shot from twenty five yards out. The ball just barely went over goaltender Ryan Rogers (Falmouth, ME) who made a great diving effort. BA had plenty of scoring opportunities but was not able to finish them. The Wolverine defense shut down the Wapidi offense in the second half giving up very little in the back. Bridgton kept up a continuous attack creating great scoring chances including two shots that hit the post. The boys played very hard but unfortunately the lack of capitalization on shots lead to a 1-0 loss for BA.

"On a day when nothing seemed to go the way of the Wolverines, the team battled to the very end. With Winchendon reeling for the entire second stanza and barely extending out of their own half, we just could not break through. We had a number of close calls, three posts, shots that went just wide and high, balls cleared off the line or deflected by a defender, but at the end of the day we did not do enough to get the job done. We must regroup quickly, and show our resilience to rebound on Tuesday," said Coach Ashenfelter.

The team will travel to Assumption College to face the South Kent School this Tuesday to play at 6:00 P.M.

Crispin Munyanya awarded Athlete of The Month

Crispin Munyanya (Manchester, NH) has been awarded C0-Athlete of The Month for September 2010. The award is given by the Wolverine Strength program and is considered one fo the highest honors given by the Athletic Department. Not only is athletic performance taken into account but also character and sportsmanship both on and off the field.

You can read about it here:

http://www.bridgtonacademy.org/athmonth.cfm

Pictures Up On Facebook

Check out this link for pictures on facebook of the soccer game vs. Kents Hill!

Parents Weekend Is A Success for Soccer

The soccer team had a chance to turn things around as they took the field in front of family and friends for Parents Weekend. They played a great game against Kents Hill and walked away with a 5-2 victory.

In the first half Jordan Stoddart (Brampton, ON) put BA on the score board with a great header off of a nice cross by Noel Rix (Rye, NH). The game was pretty even in the first half with both sides having opportunities to score. However, Bridgton controlled most of the possession taking the game into halftime with a one goal lead.

In the second half both teams took the field ready to play. Bridgton took at 2-0 lead when Stoddart gave a pass to James Dever (Mansfield, MA) who put the ball in the net. A few minutes later Stoddard had a great shot on goal which rebounded directly to Rix who was able to give BA a 3-0 lead. Stoddart worked his magic again as he gave BA in insurance goal with a rocket into the upper left corner. Being down 4-0 Kents Hill had a little success as they were able to sneak two goals by the BA goaltender. It was but enough, especially when Bridgton scored one last goal when Even Thomas (Reading, PA) got a shot off from inside the box to secure the 5-2 win.

Coach Ashenfelter was pleased with his team saying, “we had a solid performance all around. On a great day the team rose to the occasion of Parents Weekend and capitalized on their opportunities netting both highlight reel goals as well as scrappy goals. We will look to build on this collective effort going forward. “

The wolverine soccer team wants to extend a special thanks to the Janos family for organizing a post game meal. It was greatly appreciated.

Bowdoin Slips Past BA

Bridgton traveled to Bowdoin College to play their JV team this Wednesday. Bridgton battled through the rain and cold but was unable to win against a more physical Bowdoin team. The Polar Bears took the lead late in the first half, scoring on a header from a corner kick. The game conditions worsened as the rain continued to fall. Crispin Munyanya (Manchester, NH) nearly tied the score when he fought for a loose ball in the box and was able to get his shot off. Unfortunately, the Bowdoin keeper made a good save to preserve his teams lead.

Bowdoin scored again early in the second half on a loose ball in Bridgton's box. Bridgton's defense worked hard and held off Bowdoin's attack for the rest of the match. The wolverines had a few good chances to score in the second half but were unable to capitalize and fell to Bowdoin 2-0.

After the game, Coach Ashenfelter took saw it as a learning opportunity. "Bowdoin was a very strong team, and it was a great opportunity for us to learn how to play in tough conditions against a strong opponent. Chances went back and forth, and unfortunately on the day Bowdoin was able to capitalize on their chances and we were not," said Ashenfelter.

Ashenfelter also wanted to mention, "A special thanks is due to the Rogers Family who's generous post game meal helped us to recover from the loss, and look forward to getting back on the field this Saturday."

The team will take the field again when Kents Hill comes to BA for Parents Weekend. The team will play at 3:30 on Saturday the 9th.

Parents Weekend is Here!

The team is working hard to prepare for their game against Kents Hill this coming Saturday October 9th at 3:30 P.M. They can't wait for their families and friends to come out and support them!

Soccer Continues Undefeated Streak

After a week off from competition, the wolverine soccer team was ready to get started as they faced The Winchendon School at home this weekend. Bridgton came out and controlled most of the possession in the first half. The Wolverines had a few good chances to put the ball in the back of the net but were unable to capitalize on the opportunities. With ten minutes left in the second half, Bridgton took a penalty inside the box giving Winchendon a Penalty kick. Winchendon scored taking a 1-0 lead into the second half.

Bridgton came out in the second half fired up. Fifteen minutes into the half, midfielder Ty Williams (South Burlington, VT) evened the score when he hit a one time ball from outside the eighteen yard box, into the corner of the net. Bridgton kept the pressure on and had many good chances in the second half. The defense shut down the Winchendon attack giving up only one shot on goal the entire half. Bridgton dominated the play but was unfortunately unable to score leaving the game a 1-1 tie for a final score.

Coach Ashenfelter is happy with the team's performance and is looking forward to helping the Wolverines learn from it. "I am proud of the way the team battled back from another poor start, going down 1-0 on a penalty kick. We have showed great resilience coming back time and time again after conceding the first goal. Had the game been extended another five minutes I believe we may have finally found the game winner. We must continue to improve our shape at the back, and take control of the game early instead of waiting until we get knocked down to start playing," says Ashenfelter.

The team will travel to Bowdoin College on October 6th to play at 4:15 P.M. Then they will play at home for Parents Weekend on the 9th at 3:30 P.M. against Kents Hill.