County Coaches talk about heading into playoffs as top seeds

PRESQUE ISLE, Maine (WAGM) - Three County soccer teams head into the post season as the top seeds.

The Easton boys and Wisdom/Van Buren and Fort Kent girls all finished first in the final standings. Rene Clouley tells us that the coaches all agree it doesn’t matter where you finish, the playoffs brings added pressure.

<(Ryan Shaw):” It’s a new season come playoff time. People talk about upsets, and we have to take it one game at a time.”

(Pete Clavette):” There is added pressure, but that pressure would have been there whether we were number one or number nine.”

(Doug Cyr):” We do put added pressure on ourselves, but at the end of the day, sitting in the number one spot we have always had a target on our back.”

Fort Kent and Wisdom are both 13-1 on the season. The teams split on the regular season. The Easton Bears also suffered just one loss on the season. Home field advantage is key in the playoffs.

Shaw:” It’s nice to be in the playoffs and nice to know that we will on our home turf for a couple of games.”

Cyr:”Home field advantage is very important. We figured that out last year when we were on the road for the quarterfinal and semifinal game. You don’t have that 12th man your fan base. We did have a lot of fans that went, but it doesn’t have the same feel as playing at home.”

Wisdom coach Pete Clavette says his team is once again enjoying the ride

Clavette:” We took a different approach to this season. In past seasons we always made it a goal to get back to the state game. This season our captains who choose our goals decided to choose the goal of enjoying the ride and the journey. Getting in there in the top seed is icing on the cake, but it is accomplishing our goals along the way as well because they are enjoying that part of the journey.”

All three coaches are now waiting to see who their first opponent will be as they get their teams prepared for what they hope are deep runs in the playoffs.

Cyr:” Seeing who we are going to play is always wait and see. Regardless of who the competitor will be we will be hungry and host and come out victorious.”

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