Intra-Squad Scrimmages keep Bengals Going
October 5, 2020 • Fort Kent, ME

Bengal Women's Soccer players chasing down a ball during a Sunday scrimmage. 

Fort Kent, ME--One of the hardest things to do in sports, is to repeat as champions. Running the entire marathon over again, climbing the mountain for a second time in a row is a feat only accomplished by the greatest teams of all time. To try and repeat as a champion, in the COVID-19 era, will be an even more difficult task than normal. Head Women’s Soccer Coach, Alex Smith, is up to the task, and knows he certainly has his work cut out for him.

Coach Smith, who took the job a day or two before the first scheduled scrimmage in the Fall of 2019, guided the team to an unlikely championship in his first season as a head coach. Now, with a full recruiting cycle under his belt, and a strong core of players returning from last season, he is very optimistic about a return run to a championship.

“We were very fortunate last year to have an amazing group, and a story book season. Now this year as much as we will forever remember all we did to win a championship, we understand this year is a new season with new challenges.” Said Coach Smith.

Smith traveled far and wide to find new players for the team that match the style of play he is looking for. Smith was able to sign a high number of young ladies from California, as well as Jamaica, two hot spots that other UMFK coaches have had a ton of success in obtaining strong players from. Coach Smith said, “I’m pleased with how recruiting turned out,  we were able to do the bulk of it before the pandemic broke out and we signed a lot of very talented players from all over the country and world.” Coach Smith has been hard at work getting the team into shape, focusing heavily on player development and recently implemented intra-squad scrimmages to keep the competitive juices flowing. Although the team will not play this Fall, they are eager to start the building process now, so they can be a well oiled machine come Spring when they hope to begin their season.

Coach Smith continued, “I think the players really enjoy the scrimmages on Sunday. It keeps their competitive juices flowing and I think it is a great event for people to come to as long as they watch at a safe distance with masks on.”

UMFK Women’s Soccer will always have a target on their back in USCAA play, and the young ladies on the team know that returning as champions will be tougher than usual, but with a little extra time to develop and build strong chemistry, they are confident they will be ready by time their season kicks off in March.