[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Page 17384]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 BANGOR HIGH SCHOOL'S GIRLS SOCCER TEAM

 Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, today I extend my most heartfelt 
congratulations to the Bangor High School Girls Soccer Team, which on 
November 5, 2011, clinched the programs first-ever Maine Class A State 
Championship, and in doing so achieved the remarkable feat of a perfect 
season! I applaud Coach Johnson and each and every member of the team 
on their milestone accomplishment!
  Indeed, the story of the Bangor Girls Soccer Team is truly inspiring, 
characterized by an extraordinary strength of character and conviction 
that could not be more emblematic of our great State of Maine. The team 
embarked upon this season imbued with the distinct recollection of its 
heartbreaking loss in last years championship match, but under the 
steadfast leadership of 12 seniors who have been lifelong friends and 
teammates, the team admirably transformed that defeat into an 
indefatigable drive to seize the gold ball.
  From that point forward, the team demonstrated an awe-inspiring, 
unmatched fortitude and tenacity that propelled them to victory after 
victory. As senior Liz Hintz stated in a Bangor Daily News article, We 
took every game seriously. We knew we couldnt afford to let down for 
even ten minutes because we knew it could cost us. That undeterred, 
laser beam focus was reflected in their statistics as well. In the 
regular season alone, the team incredibly outscored their opponents 98-
8, and in the postseason, an even more impressive 18-0.
  The teams unwavering motivation led them all the way to their second 
consecutive championship game where, in a rematch of the previous years 
title contest, they again confronted the reigning champion. Undaunted, 
the team played with the unflagging passion and willpower that had 
become its hallmark characteristic, working tirelessly on both offense 
and defense and never relenting to a challenge. That irreversible tide 
of momentum as the opposing coach called it carried Bangor to a 
convincing 4-0 victory and its first Class A Championship.
  The legendary Mia Hamm once astutely observed, The backbone of 
success is usually found in old-fashioned, basic concepts like hard 
work, determination, good planning and perseverance. If any team 
epitomizes that belief, its the Bangor Girls Soccer Team, which 
overcame the heart-wrenching loss of last year to become the best team 
in Class A soccer this year.
  Again, I congratulate and commend the Bangor High School Girls Soccer 
Team on their well-deserved victory as well as their extraordinary 
efforts. What a wonderful success story they are for Bangor and our 
great State of Maine!

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