Saturday October 24, 2015
The Lewiston boys soccer team finished their season with an undefeated record, ranking them 24th in the nation.
LEWISTON, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- There are few teams in Maine dominating the world of high school soccer the way the Lewiston boys team is. They defeated Hampden Academy 5 -1 on Saturday in their last regular game of the season finishing with an undefeated 15-0 record. It's their success on a national level that is even more impressive.
The blue devils game of speed and quick goal keeping is what sets them apart according to their coach, Mike McGraw. The team is hungry for a state championship after being named runner-ups two years in a row. According to McGraw, who has been coaching the team for 32 years, this is their year to go all the way.
"They worked and improved over the off season and I mean, I'm just a lucky coach," said McGraw.
Another thing that makes the team great is its diversity. There are as many as seven different languages being yelled out during plays with players from Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa, Germany and several other countries on the team.
"Most of the guys don't speak the language very well, but the game is one thing we all have in common and as you join the team and get to know the other players you just learn everything from each other," said senior captain, Abdi Shariff.
The blue devils are in first place for Class A north. Their first playoff game will likely take place during the semi finals on October 28th.