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Western Class C Boys: St. Dominic will play for the state title despite a strong game by NYA's fill-in goaltender.

By GLENN JORDAN, Staff Writer November 5, 2009

AUBURN — Jordan Haskell, a junior at North Yarmouth Academy, opened the fall as a cross country runner.

He ended it Wednesday as an emergency goalie in the Western Class C boys' soccer final, a 2-0 loss for the seventh-seeded Panthers against top-ranked St. Dominic.

Despite no prior high school soccer experience except for two games this season, Haskell turned away 14 shots to give the Panthers (7-7-1) a chance.

The Saints (17-0) return to the final Saturday against Fort Kent – a 5-1 winner against Orono in the East – looking for their second state title in three years.

"Jordan played a great game," said Coach Martyn Keen, whose regular keeper was suspended for violating team rules after Saturday's overtime win over Georges Valley in the semifinals. "We did ourselves proud considering the issues we faced."

The biggest issue was Wednesday's opponent, a traditional rival of NYA that had switched from the Western Maine Conference to the Mountain Valley Conference before this season. The Saints haven't allowed a goal in three playoff games, and only six all fall.

Forest Milburn of NYA nearly made it seven, with a chip shot over the head of backpedaling St. Dom's keeper Nick Brigham in the 22nd minute.

But Brigham recovered well enough to leap and pluck the ball from the air. Five minutes later, with Milburn and Jackson Erickson of St. Dom's racing for a high-bounding ball 20 yards from the NYA goal, Milburn attempted to nudge it with his head to the oncoming Haskell.

"I was trying to head it back to Jordan," Milburn said, "but I got pushed a little from behind and I hit it a little too hard."

The ball sailed over Haskell and trickled into the net for an own goal.

"Something I tell my strikers is to pressure the ball up top," St. Dom's Coach Matt Erickson said. "Jack did that. If you stand and watch, he's got time to do something with the ball. But if you put pressure on, mistakes can happen."

The second goal was no mistake, coming in the 52nd minute at the end of a sequence that involved at least seven passes. St. Dom's methodically moved the ball from the middle, retreated briefly into its own end, then advanced up the left side, with Brian Mathieu finally crossing to Jackson Erickson in front. Erickson eluded one defender and found the left corner.

Protected by a nearly impenetrable defense, Brigham faced only two more threats, a solidly struck but wide shot by Milburn following a corner kick and a direct kick from 30 yards by Asad Dahia that sailed over.

Haskell made 11 saves in the first half – including a double-fisted clearing punch of a dangerous corner kick – and three in the second.

"My team really helped me out," Haskell said. "I'm not that experienced."

"Honestly, he didn't make any mistakes," said Matt Erickson, the St. Dom's coach, of Haskell. "That first goal was kind of a fluke and the second was just a good goal."

Staff Writer Glenn Jordan can be contacted at 791-6425 or at:

gjordan@pressherald.com