With the number one ranked men’s soccer team falling at the hands of Plymouth State and the field hockey team having their impressive playoff run stopped by the venerable Keene State Owls, it’s easy to write this season off as another one in the books.
But not so fast – it’s been an impressive fall for the Huskies. And the success of our teams has largely been the product of a fruitful blend of new and old players who, when it mattered most, came together and pushed USM to the top.
Tyler Jasud and Gabby Cyr, both considered top runners in the LEC before the season started, lived up to their hype.
Greg Cox turned up the heat for men’s soccer in conference games, leading the team in goals against LEC foes.
India Lowe and Allison Hill paced a solid field hockey team: a similar storyline to a year ago.
But successes were about more than just Sinisa Bajic and Catilin Albert scoring goals. It was about the new faces that called Gorham home.
Jasud’s dominance over his competitors was mimicked, on many occasions, by freshman sensation Alex Gomes, who was named LEC Rookie of the Week on four occasions. Without Gomes and his fellow rookies, there’s no telling how successful Coach Hutchinson’s squad would have been.
Coach Bonny Brown-Denico had the unusual task of trying to blend nine freshmen into an already well-established team. Thanks to her diligence and the play of players like Brittany Bougie, Whitney MacDaniel and Christine Hill, the Huskies were able to get better on a game-by-game basis and hang with Keene State through an entire game.
Even on the links, the Huskies got some help from underclassmen. In a sport where freshman phenoms aren’t the norm, Cody Berkowitz took long strides towards becoming a very solid competitor in the college golf ranks.
And on and on it goes.
Coach Mike Keller’s squad got a gigantic boost from three transfers who made their first appearance in USM uniforms this season. Sophomores Alex Burnham, Adam Gadbois and Nick Johnson all helped the Huskies earn their first ever LEC regular season title. And when Bajic, the team’s most potent offensive threat, was hampered with injury, it was the surge of youth that led the Huskies to key wins down the stretch.
Cyr wasn’t the only woman running for USM, either. She had some help from underclassmen like sophomore Carly Dion, who after the dynamic duo of Cyr and junior captain Sarah Myrick, was often the fastest girl in blue.
Last but not least, the women’s soccer team, whose season was in large part defined by their youth and inexperience. Two-thirds of coach Lisa Petruccelli’s squad were freshmen or sophomores, a stat that was partially reflected in their 4-12-1 record. But the Huskies will return a strong nucleus next year including 3 of its top 4 scorers.
I could continue, but the point remains the same: USM’s future on the field, trails and links looks bright.