Scarborough senior soccer standouts Lana Djuranovic, left, and Talia Borelli are all smiles Monday after committing to play next year in college. Michael Hoffer / The Forecaster
Monday saw numerous local athletes celebrate the opportunity to compete next year at the college level.
Scarborough senior soccer standout Lana Djuranovic, widely recognized as the state’s top player, just scored a goal, her 32nd of the season, Saturday, as the Red Storm beat Bangor, 2-0, to repeat as Class A state champion. Djuranovic, who can do a little of everything on the field, signed a National Letter of Intent during a ceremony at the high school to play soccer at the University of Miami in Florida, where she plans to study biology with the hope of someday becoming an orthodontist.
“This day means a lot,” said Djuranovic. “I always knew I wanted to play in college. Last winter, especially after the high school season, winning states, I knew I couldn’t let (soccer) go. The recruiting process was definitely stressful at times, but in the end it was fun meeting new people. I always knew Miami was at the top. Not just the soccer part, but the whole school. There were many factors. I toured it when (my sister Una) did and we both fell in love with it at the same time.”
Scarborough coach Mike Farley believes that Djuranovic can make the leap to playing at highest level in Division One.
“If there’s ever a player who’s come through here that can play at that level, it’s Lana, because she’s the best technical player I’ve ever seen,” Farley said. “She’s so good and can score in a variety of ways. Whether she plays in the middle or out wide, she can make an impact at the D1 level. I know it’s a high level, but when a coach sees her scoring on corners, on free kicks, they’ll want a player like that in a game.”
Scarborough senior Talia Borelli, like Djuranovic, a captain and key contributor, signed a celebratory Letter of Intent to attend and play soccer at Salisbury University in Maryland, a Division III school, where she plans to study health science.
“I was choosing between playing club (soccer) at a large Division I school or going to a D3 school and (D3 is) what I chose,” Borelli said. “I really connected with the coach and I felt it was the best fit for me. Playing (for Scarborough) made me focus hard and earn every chance I got.”
“To be fair to Talia, she’s playing out of position,” Farley said. “Last year, I really needed a wing player to add some pace with Ali (Mokriski). This year, we still needed that and our backs were strong. She’s been a great support player for us. They’re getting a really good player who can play out wide, up top, or outside back. She’s very versatile.”
The girls were happy to share in the excitement Monday.
“I’ve been dreaming about this for a long time and doing this with my best friend, I couldn’t imagine it any other way,” Borelli said.
“I’m excited to do it with Talia as well, since we’ve played together since we were in the third grade,” said Djuranovic. “It’s a full-circle moment.”
Cape Elizabeth standouts
Cape Elizabeth seniors Cookie Mahoney, left, Keegan Lathrop and Hadley Mahoney sign their NLIs Monday. Michael Hoffer / The Forecaster
There was also a signing at Cape Elizabeth Monday for three standouts who drew an enormous crowd of relatives, friends and teammates.
Keegan Lathrop, a lacrosse standout who is also a force on the soccer pitch, signed his NLI to attend and play lacrosse at the University of Delaware.
Cookie Mahoney, a star in the pool, will compete in swimming and attend Davidson College in North Carolina.
Hadley Mahoney, a top distance runner in cross country and track, will attend and run at George Washington University in Washington D.C.
Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net. For game updates and links to game stories, follow him on Threads: @foresports2023
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