FRYEBURG — Coach Bob Hodgman-Burns is smiling these days, and that’s a good thing. The veteran Fryeburg Academy men’s soccer coach saw his team open the season in impressive fashion with three straight wins and the Raiders have sat atop the league table for the past two weeks.
With over 50 guys participating in the program this fall and possibly one of the most talented teams to step onto the court in recent years, the beautiful game has never looked better at the Academy.
Hodgman-Burns has “incredible” numbers for the program this season with just 50 kids signed up. The Raiders will again field a global team with a strong core of local athletes along with students from Italy and Spain, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, France and Germany.
“We have a good combination,” Hodgman-Burns said. “We have some locals who have played a lot of football and appreciate (outside talent). They know that a rising tide lifts all boats. I think talent-wise, we’re better than last year. (Laughing) I know we have more depth.”
Joining Hodgman-Burns as head coach of the junior varsity is new Coach Tucker Barnaby, who brings a wealth of experience to the Academy.
Varsity members include seniors Jacob Adams, Rafael Ajimura, Geri Daui, Patrick Drosa, Will Guthro, James Harrison, Chalie Oliva, Matteo Sbuell and Tazo Tsabria; juniors Tyler Bartick, Boone Douglass, Haedin Fisher, Joey Fusco, Ryan Kenerson, Florian Koeppel, Michael Kratz, Matteo De La Porta, Samuel Perez Rodrigo, Ethan St. Pierre; sophomores Russell Carbanaro, Aidan Clement, Ethan Ela, Pato Fernandez, Gabe Grace and Myles Willimen; and freshmen Tucker Barnaby, Jake Everleth and Calin Smith.
This year’s team captains are Adams, Ajimura, Drosa, Guthro and Sbuell are this year’s captains.
Fryeburg lost 12 seniors – Marcos Barrionueva, Graham Blood, Dameon Doe, Lenny Foe-Essissia, Tim Eulenberger, Dana Hamlin, Tim Hutt, Ian Jacobson, Denali Jensen, JoJo Jensen, Roy Mugbe and Liam Patterson – to graduation. last May.
In 2021, Fryeburg finished his season with a 7-6-2 record.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Maine Principals Association held an open tournament last fall, meaning all schools qualified for the playoffs if they wanted to participate.
The 11th-seeded Raiders faced No. 6 Medomak Valley (13-2) in the first round of the tournament in Waldoboro, Maine, on Oct. 22. The host Panthers scored the only goal with 15 minutes left to make it 1-0. victory.
“We came across a 12-win team that was a little better than we thought,” Hodgman-Burns said after the game. “We had a chance and the three of them. It was a good match, a deserved result for (Medomak)”.
The Raiders had a busy preseason exhibition schedule, opening Aug. 19 on the road against Westbrook High School in Westbrook, Maine with a 3-0 win, followed by a 4-0 victory (Sbuell had a hat-trick). over neighboring Kennett High on August 23; and went 3-1 in a four-game game day at South Portland High School on August 27.
“It was a fast but productive pre-season,” said HB. “I think we are more together as a team than last year. This team loves to sing a lot and have a good time. After the past two years of not having fun due to the (COVID-19) pandemic, they can sing their hearts out.”
The Raiders will primarily play a 4-3-3 formation with four defenders, three midfielders and three forwards up front.
“We want to push,” said HB. “I want my three guys to be up there to put pressure on the ball. We can switch to a 4-4-2 at times and bring in Florian as a central midfielder, but a 4-3-3 serves us quite well.”
Sbuell scored a hat-trick in the first half and the team played defense to open the season with a 5-1 win over rival Lake Region on the road in Naples, Maine in the local derby on September 2.
“I’m very pleased with the way we played,” Hodgman-Burns said.
Sbuell found the back of the net three times, while fellow striker Ajimura scored for a brace (two goals), both of the spectacular variety.
“Matteo is a shooter, he just has a nose for the net and being in the right place at the right time,” Hodgman-Burns said. “Rafe’s goals were quite good. He caught the keeper off his line twice on sweat shots into the far corner from 20 yards out.”
While Jacob Adams, who scored three goals, including the game-winner in a 4-3 overtime clash against the Lakers on the opening day of 2021, was tripled, he allowed Sbuell and Ajimura to open up space to create havoc in the prison of the Region of the Lakes. area.
La Porta was solid in his libero debut for the Raiders, while Guthro and St. Pierre played well at fullbacks and Koeppel looked at home as a stopper and when he moved up into midfield.
Clement picked up the victory in goal for the Raiders. He and fellow sophomore Willimen will see action between the goal posts for the varsity team.
The junior varsity team won its game 7-1 on Saturday against the Lakers.
Fryeburg took care of business again by beating Gray-New Gloucester 5-2 on September 8 with all 25 varsity members watching the field.
“It was a good win,” Hodgman-Burns said. “We had drawn them a couple of times in the last few years, but we hadn’t beaten them in seven years.”
A home contest with York, originally scheduled for September 6, was postponed to October 8 due to rain.
Fryeburg took a quick lead with two goals in the first 15 minutes that had the Patriots hot on their heels for the rest of the afternoon. Ajimura scored the first goal of the match with a perfect corner kick that Kratz deposited into the back of the old onion bag on a single volley.
Adams scored the second goal and made it 2-0.
“He was denied four or five good opportunities,” Hodgman-Burns said. “It was a constant problem for them.”
The Raiders changed from their traditional 4-3-3 formation to a 4-4-2 against Gray.
“I wanted a little more coverage in midfield,” Hodgman-Burns said. “Florian (Koeppel) and Michael (Kratz) did a good job in the middle. We had a little bit more than (Gray) could score.”
Fryeburg was leading 2-0 at halftime.
“We talked at the half about needing to score the first goal of the second half,” Hodgman-Burns said. “We got it 10 minutes from Gari (Daui, senior).
The Patriots got a goal back on a 20-yard strike, but Fryeburg received a double from Sbuell to put the game out.
Willimen, making his varsity debut, had three saves for the Raiders.
The Raiders went on the road to Wells (0-5) on Friday and posted a 7-1 victory. Sbuell scored another hat-trick while Adams added two goals and three assists. De La Porta and Fernández opened their goalscoring accounts in the win.
Fryeburg is scheduled to travel to Yarmouth on Thursday (6pm) for a match under the lights. The Raiders are scheduled to host rival Sacopee Valley next Tuesday at 4 p.m.
Source: www.conwaydailysun.com