Coach Duane Goud is excited about having 24 girls playing summer soccer. Wiscasset hosted Richmond Monday evening on Wiscasset Middle High School’s lower field.

Wiscasset played two previous games this summer losing 1-0 at Winthrop in the season opener June 24 and then settling for a scoreless tie at Rockland against Ocean Side on June 26. Wiscasset’s next game is Monday, July 8 when it hosts Oak Hill.

There were 18 girls on the sideline for the Richmond game. No scorebook was kept but the ballgame was refereed by two certified officials who kept the time on the field. Due to the hot weather, 81 F at game time, the teams played four 20-minute quarters.

Wiscasset’s roster included Gwen Webber, Ellie Pratt, Brianna Orr, Paige Davenport, Kayla Cossette, Natalie Potter, Chrissy Easter, Kylie Peoples, Zoe Waltz and Kaitlyn Main, along with two sets of sisters, Riley and Kateleen Trask and Jade and Jasmine Rego; all are veterans of last fall’s WMHS Wolverine soccer team. Lily Souza, the Wolverine starting goalie, is the summer team’s goalkeeper, and Davenport is the team’s backup keeper.

WMHS student Cara Viele, a competitive swimmer and a member of the Wolverine track team this past spring, played striker Monday night; she had three shots on goal. Jodi Harrington, a student at Chop Point School in Woolwich, is also playing. Harrington trained with the Wolverine track team this past spring and won the state C high jump. She played on the frontline against Richmond and had three shots.

Richmond’s first goal of five came about 10 minutes into the game. Nicole Tribbet’s shot from inside the penalty area deflected off the charging Souza and rolled into the net. In the second quarter, Webber’s pass from midfield found Harrington open on the left side but her shot was intercepted by the Richmond keeper and cleared away. With 10 minutes left until halftime, Orr made a nice run down the right side before losing the ball. A shot by Potter was wide left.

Late in the second period, Richmond’s Bry Shea had her shot careen off the cross bar before Pratt cleared the ball from in front of the Wiscasset net.

The visitors scored three times in the third quarter. They went up  2-nil after netting a direct kick from just outside the 18. Richmond’s other goals came on a corner kick and penalty shot. They scored again in the final period. In the closing minutes of the third period, Vielie broke free on the right side and shot from inside the 18-yard line. Her aim was off, with the ball carrying over the crossbar. Harrington’s shot from the left side on a cross pass from Vielie careened off the near post before being scooped up by the Richmond goalkeeper.

Souza made some nice stops for Wiscasset as did the Richmond keeper. Both girls finished with six saves.

It being the Fourth of July holiday week, Wiscasset was minus several of its other veteran players, including Latisha Wright, Eliza Paradise, Emily Richardson, Alyssa Bassett and D’Nashia Dawkins.

Coach Goud said incoming WMHS freshmen include Antonia Parsons, Angelina Haggett and Carolyn Potter, Natalie’s younger sister. Potter made some nice defensive plays in Wiscasset’s backfield running down and clearing away two Richmond fast breaks.

Wiscasset will play Richmond at least twice more: July 10 at Richmond and Aug. 24 at the annual round robin tournament Richmond will host.

Looking ahead to September, Goud said the Wolverines are moving up from Class D to Class C soccer competition. The team will still compete in the Mountain Valley Conference.