Shires high in Class C; teams battling for spots

    Local high school soccer teams are jockeying for position as playoffs near. The last countable game is Oct. 19, with preliminaries set for Oct. 22-23, followed by the quarterfinals on Oct. 26-27; semifinals, Oct. 29-30 and Eastern Maine championship on Nov. 3.
Shiretowners in top of Class C standings
    As of the latest Heal Point standings,  with three league games not counted, Houlton was fourth with a 7-1 record behind No. 1 Fort Kent, 5-1-3; No. 2 Madawaska, 6-3 and No. 3 Orono, 7-0-1.
    During last week’s action, the Shiretowners defeated host Lee Academy, 5-1 on Monday, after shutting out host Central, 5-0 on Thursday.
CONTROL — Hodgdon’s Cierra Willette and East Grand’s Shaunna Beaudoin fight for control of the ball during last week’s game in Hodgdon. The Lady Hawks won, 4-2.
    Dylan Gard provided two goals, while Jimmy Fitzpatrick scored a goal and assist for the winners. Garry Fowler and Cody Woods each scored a goal, with Ben Ward adding an assist. Combining in goal, Cody Briggs and Kole Buzzeo were a perfect 10 blocks on 10 shots faced.
    Central goalie Justin Weymouth made 14 saves off 20 shots.
    Last Tuesday, Houlton shut out visiting Lee Academy, 7-0 behind three goals apiece from George Bessa and Fitzpatrick. Fowler chipped in with a goal and an assist, while Gard, Jordan Russell, Isaac Cone and Bessa each tallied assists. Goalie Briggs stopped all nine shots he faced.
    The Shiretowners are scheduled to play in East Millinocket today at 4 p.m. and Friday they will travel to Calais for a 4 p.m. game before playing a home game with Katahdin at 6 p.m. on Oct. 5.
Lady Shires fifth in Class C
    The Houlton varsity girls are fifth in the recent Heal Point standings with just one game in the league not counted into the equation.
    The Lady Shires are fifth with a 5-3 record behind No. 1 Fort Kent, 7-1-1; No. 2 Madawaska, 6-4; No. 3 Central, 4-2-1 and No. 4 Orono, 6-0-1.
    Also in Class C, the Hodgdon Lady Hawks are ranked 15th with a 3-6 record.
    Last Thursday, the Houlton girls added two more wins to their record with a 3-1 victory over Central in East Corinth.
    Amanda Fogarty propelled Houlton’s victory with two unassisted tallies in the first half, with Collette Ritchie adding another goal in second-half action. Goalie Marina Cameron turned back 15 of 23 shots.
    Last Tuesday, the Lady Shires blanked visiting Lee, 4-0 behind Chelsi Murray’s two goals and assist. Abby Kinens and Taylor Bailey each added goals. Kinens also picked up an assist. Netkeeper Cameron had four saves on six shots.
    For Lee, goalie Felicia Thorton made six saves on 14 shots.
    The Lady Shires will play Schenck at 5:30 p.m. in East Millinocket on Thursday and Friday will travel to Calais for a 2 p.m. game. On Oct. 8, the girls will be in Fort Kent at 4 p.m. before their next home game on Oct. 9 with Calais at 2 p.m.
Lady Hawks defeat EG
    Last Wednesday, the Hodgdon varsity girls topped visiting East Grand, 4-2 on two goals by McKensie Palmer and single tallies by Kim Levesque and Amanda Ryan. In goal, Marissa Malone stopped 10 of 13 shots.
    For the Lady Vikings, 0-5, Kaitlyn and Shauna Beaudoin each scored, while goalie Kim Armstrong set back nine of 16 shots.
TAKING IT TO THE CHEST — Houlton’s Micah Goetsch plays the ball off his chest, as a Lee defender jumps into the play during last Tuesday’s game in Houlton. The Shires won, 7-0.
    Last Friday, the East Grand Vikings fell to Highview Academy, 5-2.
    The Hodgdon girls will be in action again on Friday at 4 p.m. in East Millinocket at Schenck High School and will have their second meeting with Schenck at home on Monday, Oct. 4 at 4 p.m.
    The East Grand girls will host Woodland on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. and Shead on Friday at 2:30 p.m.
SACS girls lose to Ashland
    The Southern Aroostook varsity girls soccer team is ranked third in the latest Heal Points with a 7-2 record behind top-seeded Ashland, 6-2 and second-seed Washburn, 7-3-2.
    Last Wednesday, the Southern Aroostook girls suffered their second loss to rival Ashland by the identical score of their last meeting, 3-1.
    In Presque Isle, Rachel Gillis scored twice off Kayla Cote’s setups to lead the host Hornets to victory. Brooke Labelle added a first-half tally off a Whitney Donovan assist. Goalie Macie Bellanceau stopped nine of 10 shots.
    For the Lady Warriors, Jasmine Rockwell scored an unassisted goal in the second half, as goalie Mallory Lawlor blocked nine of 22 shots faced.
    Lee Academy will play in Dyer Brook on Thursday at 3:30 p.m., with the Lady Warriors traveling to East Grand on Oct. 6 for a 2 p.m. contest.
TRIPPED – Houlton’s Dylan Gard was tripped up by a Lee Academy defender during last Tuesday’s game in Houlton. The Shires defeated Lee, 7-0.