HERMON – Last season, the Fort Fairfield boys soccer team came agonizingly close to winning a Gold Ball. On Saturday, the Tigers seized their second chance.
A goal by Cayden Ala in the 69th minute broke a 1-1 tie and led Fort Fairfield to a 2-1 victory over Monmouth Academy in the Class D final at Pottle Field. This marks the program’s first state title since 2015.
The Tigers were playing in their second consecutive state final after narrowly losing to Richmond 3-2 last year, conceding the game-winning goal with just 24 seconds left.
“It feels absolutely surreal, it’s a dream come true,” said Ala, a senior. “Ever since the final 30 seconds of that game, we wanted to be right here. Winning regionals was great, but we wanted this game, and this was the game that we got.”
In addition to Ala’s decisive goal, Lucas Cormier also scored for the Tigers, who finished their season undefeated at 18-0-0. Vincent Heibel provided an assist, while goalkeeper Levi Cole recorded two saves.
The Mustangs ended their campaign with a 15-2-1 record. Their lone goal came from Bryce Fletcher, and goalie Gavin Parsons made two saves.
The championship match showcased two contrasting styles of play. Monmouth Academy employed a methodical possession-based approach, looking for open passing lanes to break down the Tigers’ defense. Meanwhile, Fort Fairfield capitalized on the speed of forwards Ala, Heibel, and Cormier to create opportunities on breakaways.
“(The contrast) wasn’t as by design as we liked,” admitted Fort Fairfield head coach John Ala. “We definitely possessed the ball better throughout the season than this evening. We ended up falling into more of a defense, counter-attack scheme, which we were okay with because we had some quickness up top. We would have liked to have possessed more, but that’s credit to Monmouth. They’re an incredible team and extremely well coached – kudos to them.”
Monmouth Academy struck first, scoring 20 minutes into the game when Fletcher found space in front of the Tigers’ net and fired a shot past Cole to take a 1-0 lead.
Fort Fairfield responded swiftly, equalizing less than four minutes later. Cormier received a pass from Heibel in front of the net and finished with a shot into the left corner to make it 1-1, a score that held through halftime.
“I just knew I had to be in the right spot, and I knew Vincent was dribbling through everybody, he’s a great player,” said Cormier, a junior. “I just needed to get into an open space for him to find me, and I was able to get the goal.”
In the second half, the Mustangs dominated possession and outshot the Tigers 7-2. But Fort Fairfield’s Ala capitalized on a breakaway opportunity, receiving a pass and finding space down the middle before firing a shot past Parsons for the go-ahead 2-1 goal.
“I already had an earlier scoring opportunity taken away by the keeper; he made a great save. I knew I had to tuck this one away,” said Ala.
For the final 10 minutes, Fort Fairfield shifted into a defense-heavy formation, forcing Monmouth to take long-range shots that missed wide of the net.
“It was a great game, the fans got their money’s worth, didn’t they?” said Monmouth Academy head coach Joe Fletcher. “We knew they were good, we know we’re good. If we played 10 games, we’d win five. We had one defensive breakdown, but we had opportunities. I’m proud of my group; they played hard.”
At the final whistle, the Tigers sprinted across the field to their fan section near the grandstand, celebrating with community members decked out in red face paint and Tiger costumes.
“It’s a special community,” said John Ala. “We’re a small town, but we’re very close, where sports are very important. I see this kind of support every sports season. It’s a great town and a special community to be a part of.”
https://www.sunjournal.com/2025/11/08/fort-fairfield-boys-soccer-edges-monmouth-for-class-d-title/
