The Houlton High School girls soccer team pulled off a huge win last Saturday in Orono, as they defeated the defending Eastern Maine champions, 3-1.
“Prior to Saturday, they were undefeated and had outscored their opponents 26-2,” said Houlton coach Tim Tweedie. “In fact, going into Saturday’s game, our win over them last season was their only regular season loss in their last 27 games.”
Natalie Hill set up Kolleen Bouchard and Emily Mooers goals, while Mia Hanning scored unassisted for the 4-0-1 Lady Shires. Keeper Katie Condon rejected 13 of 20 Orono shots, while the Red Riots’ goalie, Kaitlin Richards, made four saves on 11 shots.
Orono’s lone goal was scored by Becky Anido-Lopez.
Tweedie is pleased with the way his team is responding and executing on the field, but he also is wary of the fact that the girls need to continue getting stronger as the season winds down.
“Offensively, the girls are playing very unselfish soccer and have really bought into the whole ‘team first’ concept,” Tweedie explained. “We are getting production from a lot of different places, as evidenced by having eight different players score goals. That is very encouraging because it makes it more difficult for opposing teams to game plan for us. If they try to key too much on any one player, the rest of the team is ready to step up and make them pay.
“We are far from perfect and far from satisfied,” he added. “While we want to win as many games as possible, our goal is not to go undefeated. Our only goal is to be the best team possible by the time the playoffs get here. We’ve got about four more weeks to work on those weaknesses.”
The Lady Shires have been known for their defense and this year is no exception.
“We are defined by our defensive play,” Tweedie said. “Everyone has stepped up and is agreeing to play defense. In our first five games, we have surrendered only two goals. A lot of the credit goes to the back four players, as well as Katie Condon. They have been tremendous so far. But defense is a team concept that takes all 11 players to buy into. Any one weak link can cause defensive breakdowns and thus far, we haven’t had any weak links.”
Last Wednesday, the Lady Shires blanked Lee Academy at home, 4-0, behind two first-half goals by Madelene Anderson. Bouchard and Kelly McLaughlin each added a tally, with Chelsea Gentle and Hill providing the assists.
Preserving the shutout, Condon and Hannah Foley combined in the posts for two saves. Lee’s goalie, Kaylie Sawtelle, had five saves against 16 shots faced.
The next home game for the Houlton girls is Tuesday, Sept. 30 when Calais comes to town for a 6 p.m. game.
Houlton boys lose close game
It took a Kam Stockley penalty kick with 15 seconds left in overtime for the Orono Red Riots to edge visiting Houlton, 3-2, last Saturday.
Orono took a 1-0 lead when Nathaniel DeSisto hit a goal with 28:10 left in the first half on an assist from Anthony Bottie. Houlton tied the game when Abe Lorom, assisted by Connor Grant, scored with 12:27 left before the half.
Orono took a 2-1 advantage with 23:47 left in the game when Jacob Fandel scored on a 20-yard direct shot, assisted by Bottie.
Houlton did not give up. Instead, they mounted a comeback, tying the game with 2:38 left in regulation on Grant’s tally from Noah Blake to send the game into overtime.
On Monday, the Shires lost to Mattanawcook Academy 2-0 and last Wednesday, the Shiretowners picked up a 2-1 win over visiting Lee Academy to improve to 2-4 on the season.
Hodgdon, Katahdin boys look for a win; SACS, EG boys improve records
The Hodgdon boys soccer team is looking for their next win, as they fell to Southern Aroostook, Limestone/MSSM and East Grand.
The Hawks are 2-7 on the season.
In Dyer Brook on Monday, the Hawks were shut out 5-0.
Nolan Altvater led Southern Aroostook (3-2) with two second-half goals to rally the troops. Jackson Mathers, Parker Walker and Matt Tarr also scored for the winners, while Dragon Thibodeau added an assist. SACS goalie, Austin White, had two saves, while Hodgdon keeper Tristan Larson made 15 saves.
In last Thursday’s action, the Warriors overpowered host Katahdin, 7-1. The Warriors led 4-0 at halftime after two first-half goals by Landry, along with single tallies by Gage LeFay, Tarr and Josh Perrin. Second-half goals were scored by Walker and Mathers.
Mathers, as well as goalie White, each chipped in with assists in the game. White turned back seven of nine shots, while Katahdin keepers had 28 saves on 34 shots faced.
Katahdin’s only goal was scored on a penalty kick by Tyson Porter with 3:35 left in the game.
The Cougars were blanked last Wednesday at home by the Central Aroostook Panthers, 4-0. Caleb Harris, Dustin Pryor, Luke Kearney and Colby Kingsbury all scored for the Panthers. Nick Dominique added an assist.
The Panthers outshot the Cougars, 24-10.
Last Friday at Limestone, the game was tied in the first half, as Zeb Keith-Hardy scored for Limestone/MSSM and Jimmy Buzzell converted a Wyatt Foster assist for Hodgdon. Then the wheels fell off the cart, as the Eagles scored four second-half goals to put the game away.
Hodgdon goalie Dalton Wilde turned back 20 of 25 shots faced.
At home last Wednesday, the Hawks took a 3-2 loss to East Grand.
The game was knotted at 2-all before Kyle Gilman hit the unassisted game-winner with 2:43 left in the game.
East Grand (1-1-1) scored two first-half goals from Jacob Davis, assisted by Philip Farley, and an unassisted tally by Farley.
Hodgdon’s goals were knocked in by Daden Palmer and Buzzell, assisted by Palmer, to tie the game.
On Saturday, the Vikings were narrowly defeated by an evenly-matched visiting Shead, 1-0, after Ian Sullivan broke the net with 17 seconds left in first-half action.
The Tigers’ keeper Phillip Farrell rejected 18 shots, while East Grand’s goalie Thomas Gilman set back 13 shots.
SACS overtakes Hodgdon, Katahdin; EG splits
On Monday in Dyer Brook, the Southern Aroostook girls topped Hodgdon, 6-2. The Lady Warriors were led by Jess Nye’s two goals, while Cassidy Lyons, Katie Stevens, Lily Leavitt and Kennedi Smith had a goal apiece.
Hodgdon scorers were Jill Gough and Maddi Merritt.
Last Thursday in Stacyville, the SACS girls snatched a close game from Katahdin, 2-1, as Smith scored with 22:34 left in the first half off a Lyons assist and Nye scored an unassisted second-half tally.
With four minutes left in the game, Erin Robinson of Katahdin scored off of an assist from Georgia Landry. Katahdin tried for the tie, but was unable to convert before the clock expired.
Katahdin netkeeper Courtney Stevens had 24 saves, while SACS’ Marissa Boulier made 15 saves.
In Stacyville last Wednesday, the Lady Cougars were blanked by Central Aroostook, 4-0.
Central Aroostook took the lead on a Jadeyn Giberson goal with 22:25 left before the half on a Karli Levesque assist. Levesque than scored the next three goals, one in the first and two in the second half.
Goalie April Santiago for CAHS had nine saves, while Stevens of Katahdin made 22 stops.
Last Friday, the Hodgdon girls were shut out 2-0 by host Limestone/MSSM. The game-winner was scored with 15:17 left in the first half by the Eagles’ Bailey Chambers.
Limestone/MSSM goalie Jackie Peers got the shutout with 22 saves on 32 shots, while Hodgdon keeper Jessica Drew had 21 saves on 34 shots.
On Saturday, the Lady Vikings triumphed 1-0 over visiting Shead on a first-half goal by Sarah Stoddard off an assist by Allison McEwen.
East Grand’s defense prevailed in the close match, with goalie Chelsea Winiarski recording her fourth shutout of the season with nine saves. Shead goalie Samantha Wilder set back 18 of 19 shots faced.
In Baileyville last Thursday, the East Grand girls overtook Woodland, 4-0.
Stoddard scored two first-half goals, while Bethany Lindsey and Haleigh Shay each added single tallies for the winners.
