FRYEBURG — It might be time to start using the word dynasty when describing the Fryeburg Academy girls' Frisbee team. The Raiders have not lost a match in Maine in the last three years. They capped off another undefeated season on May 28 by winning their third straight state championship.
And, the girls from Fryeburg made it look rather easy. The Raiders achieved their three-peat by dominating Cumberland 13-2 in the title game. The win was all the more impressive because eight Raiders were working on little to no sleep having come directly from Project Graduation to Portland for the tournament.
Fryeburg steamrolled Falmouth 13-1 in the semifinals to punch its ticket to the championship round.
"Everyone played really well," said Emily Strahler, Raiders' head coach, by phone. "The Falmouth match wasn't close. Our seniors had Project Graduation the night before, but I played them a lot in the first half, and then in the second half they got an opportunity to rest some."
Senior Bridget Bailey, the tournament MVP, threw eight of Fryeburg's 13 goals in the match.
"Bridget has played so much and keeps getting better and better," Strahler said. "She's really embraced the sport. Plus, she works tirelessly to get better. She's tall, has a lot of power — she can throw further than any girl in the state."
Bailey will take her talents to the University of New Hampshire in the fall where she plans to play for the Wildcats.
"I think this season Bridget had more fun than ever before," Strahler said of the school's all-time leading scorer. "She was one of our captains, and did a really good job of leading and keeping everyone upbeat."
"We really wanted to win," Bailey said after the Raiders received the championship plaque. "I don't think we've lost a game in three years in Maine. So we don't accept losing. We make sure we win all the time. We always push really hard."
Coach Strahler said Esmeralda Hernandez also had a strong semifinal. She caught five of the goals Bailey threw.
Junior Ella Forbes went all-out to catch a goal in the end zone for the Raiders. She sustained a concussion on the play, but made the catch.
Freshman Mae Milo also got a goal for the Raiders.
"Over the year Mae got better and better," Strahler said. "She's a very powerful player."
In the finals, Bailey threw nine goals, while Hernandez pulled in five.
Strahler was impressed by a goal caught by Kaylee Barboza.
"Kaylee is just 4'11", but she caught what proved to be the winning goal on her 18th birthday," she said. "It was a nice sight to see."
Stahler also praised the play of Emma Jo Armington, who was all over the field in both matches.
Ultimate Frisbee is not sanctioned by the Maine Principals' Association but the sport is growing by leaps and bounds in the Pine Tree State. Fryeburg is the only program in the state considered a varsity team by its school. The Raiders practice five days a week and also travel to out-of-state tournaments, finishing third in Amherst, Mass. and second in Vt., this spring.
Started in 2009 by the nonprofit Maine Ultimate organization with eight boys' teams, this year the high school league had 45 teams representing 15 towns/schools across four divisions: boys A, boys B, girls and mixed.
It's been a three-year run like no other for the Fryeburg girls.
"The first three games this spring we won 13-0, 13-0 and 13-1," Strahler said. "I wondered if we were really that good or was it the level of the competition we were seeing. We went to to the Amherst Invitational in Amherst, Mass., (last month) and we went toe-to-toe with Amherst, who is considered one of the best teams in the country. We lost 13-8, but we proved to everyone we're pretty good."
"I think one of the things that makes this team so good is the chemistry, it's great," she added. "We have five seniors who have been playing together for the last four years. Their communication is great and that carries over to their teammates. We have a pass play between Emma Jo and Bridget where they can work the disc all the way down the field, it's pretty unstoppable."
This was the final game for Coach Strahler, who along with her husband, Chris, who coaches the boys' ultimate team at the Academy, are moving to Switzerland at the end of this month for the next two years.
"I think we're leaving the programs in very good hands," she said. "I expect Fryeburg Academy to be very good for years to come."