The Candia Yellow jackets won the 2008 U13 boys Division 2 New Hampshire State Championship on Nov. 9, beating Hudson, 1-0, and capping a nine-game winning streak that began in early October.

Following a regular-season victory on Oct. 5, the team, with players from Candia, Hooksett, Deerfield and Chester, dominated the Columbus Day Tournament in Sanborn, Maine, taking the trophy without allowing a single goal in four contests.

That was just the beginning. After a 3-1 win to close the Seacoast Youth Soccer League regular season, the Yellow Jackets won two tough contests to secure the league title and a spot in the state finals.

In the Seacoast semis, the locals needed penalty kicks to boot Rochester and advance. Evan MacDonald assisted James Grace’s first-half tally, but Rochester tied the match late in the second half. A pair of scoreless, tense overtime sessions followed. But Connor Grace, Garret Bolton and MacDonald connected on their penalty kicks, and goalie Lucas McCabe leapt to stop Rochester’s last chance, preserving the win.

Facing Portsmouth, a team that handed Candia one of its three losses this year, the Yellow Jackets jumped to an early lead in an eventual 3-1 triumph, securing the Seacoast crown.

Ike Dugas’ arching kick gave Candia a 1-0 first-half edge, then Jacob Laliberte extended the lead in the second half. After a Portsmouth goal, Connor Grace left three defenders behind to account for the final score.

Facing the Hudson Roadrunners, the Granite State Youth Soccer League champs, Dugas struck early, tallying in the 13th minute. That was all the scoring necessary as McCabe earned his sixth shutout in the last of Candia’s 14 wins, aided by the nearly flawless defensive play of Jamie Brennen, Travis Dionne, Drew Groves and Brian Jutras. The rest of the championship squad includes Jordon Brock, Brian Caito, Ethan Fultz, Zack Osborn, Joe Rapaglia and Brandon Brown.