Top-seeded Fort Kent narrowly escapes Shires

Pioneer Times photograph/Gloria Austin
NEAR GOAL — Houlton’s Jimmy Fitzpatrick nearly got his head on the ball before Washington Academy’s goalie snatches it from the air. Following the play at the left is Fitzpatrick’s teammate Alex Casillas. The Shires played Fort Kent in the semifinals and lost, 1-0.
Houlton boys roll over visiting Raiders in QF
By Gloria Austin
Staff Writer
    The No. 4 Houlton Shiretowners’ season ended last Friday in Fort Kent with a 1-0 loss to the No. 1 Warriors.
    “It was a good game,” said Houlton coach Mike Carlos.
    The Warriors’ Thomas Levesque scored the eventual game-winner on a penalty kick with 14:57 remaining in the first half.
    “The first half seemed to be played in Fort Kent’s end,” said Carlos. “On the penalty, I never really saw what happened on the play.”
    On a penalty call, it’s usually clear something has happened, Carlos explained.
    “It wasn’t that obvious to me,” he said. “But, he made the call and I will respect the call.”
    The Warriors nearly scored another goal in the first half on a breakaway, but Houlton goalie Cody Briggs came out and made a terrific stop.
    “Cody just came out of nowhere and made a great save,” Carlos said.
Pioneer Times photograph/Gloria Austin
LONG THROW — Houlton’s Dan Swallow gets ready to launch a long throw-in to his teammate during last week’s Class C quarterfinal game against Washington Academy. The Shires defeated the Raiders, 4-0, but lost in the semifinals to host Fort Kent, 1-0.
    In second-half action, the Shiretowners turned the tables and were more dominant.
    “The action was all in our end,” Carlos said. “But, we just never finished.”
    Carlos said teams don’t like to lose the way the Shires did.
    “I would have liked to have seen either one of us score without a penalty kick,” he said.
    Houlton’s Briggs set back nine of 20 shots faced. The Shiretowners finish the year at 13-3.
    Fort Kent netkeeper Alex Charette made his team’s goal stand up by stopping four of 16 shots for 12-1-3 Fort Kent.
    “It was a great season,” Carlos said.
    The Shiretowners shut out the visiting Washington Academy Raiders, 4-0 in their Class C quarterfinal matchup.
Pioneer Times photograph/Gloria Austin
INCOMING — Houlton goalie Cody Briggs gets set to field an incoming shot during last Thursday’s Class C quarterfinal game.
    Houlton came out offensive-minded early in the game, as Dylan Gard scored the first tally 1:30 into the game off a Jimmy Fitzpatrick cross. Gard fielded the ball and tapped it to the lower right corner of the net, as the Raiders’ goalie, Troy Shurn,  thought the ball was wide of the goal mouth and didn’t react in time.
    On the next Shiretowners’ goal, Fitzpatrick darted out on a breakaway, out-hustling a Raider defender for a one-on-one with Shurn. The third tally came when Fitzpatrick found George Bessa on the wing, unmarked long enough, to deliver the ball to the lower left twine.
    Even though the Shires held a 3-0 halftime lead, the Raiders continued to make runs in the second half that were continued to be foiled by Houlton’s strong defensive line.
    To close out Houlton’s scoring, Jordan Russell booted the ball in front of the goal where Fitzpatrick put it in.
    Briggs stopped all three shots he faced in goal for Houlton, while Shurn blocked nine of 13 shots for the Raiders who end their season at 7-5-3.
ON THE MOVE — Houlton’s Dylan Gard controls the ball .