Shires first-ever EM champions

13 years ago

By Gloria Austin
Staff Writer

    The Orono Red Riots might have scored first, but it was the Shiretowners who took their first-ever Eastern Maine Class C championship last Wednesday.
    The Shiretowners behind junior Jimmy Fitzpatrick scored all three goals and sophomore Kole Buzzeo  blocked six of seven shot attempts, as Houlton defeated Orono, 3-1.
    Orono’s Connor McKaig stopped seven of 10 shots faced.
    “This is the first Eastern Maine championship won by a Houlton boys soccer team, which makes it even sweeter for us,” said Houlton coach Mike Carlos. “It feels fantastic. It’s been a long time coming.”
Pioneer Times photograph/Gloria Austin
sp-HHBorono-dc3-pt-45GETS AIR — Houlton’s Jimmy Fitzpatrick goes to the air to control the ball against Orono in the Class C finals last Wednesday.

    Houlton was persistent on each play with several early chances to score. Their opening opportunity came on a corner kick. As the ball landed in front of the net,  a scramble occurred and the ball was wrestled out. On the loose ball, Houlton’s Dan Swallow banged it just wide of the open net.
    The Red Riots opened the scoring just 4:19 into the game when Orono’s Miguel Caballero scored unassisted, sliding the ball past Houlton goalie Buzzeo on a low ground shot to his right.
    As Orono celebrated, it was dampened when Cody Woods passed to Fitzpatrick, who worked his way to an open shot. The ball left his foot and slipped under the crossbar uncontested to tie the game.
     The action went back-and-forth, with Houlton finally snapping the tie on Fitzpatrick’s alert play.
    “Actually I was just tired and running out,” he laughed. “They teach you to watch for the short ball, but I just saw an opportunity. It turned out well.”
    While Fitzpatrick dogged it back, Orono’s goalie kicked a low short ball, which Fitzpatrick trapped, creating a one-on-one situation with the goalie.
    “I wanted to go wide and get the angle instead of having a straight on shot,” he said. “But, he came out, so I shot it. The ball went underneath him and through his legs.”
    As the Shiretowners took the lead, Orono desperately tried to get a goal, but Houlton goalie Kole Buzzeo set back each attempt.
    “I just tried to stay focused,” he said. “That is the biggest part of being a goalie.”
    Fitzpatrick’s final goal of the game was on a corner kick. He lifted the ball toward the net and it swirled into the side of the twine for a goal.
    “Actually there I was just thinking get it close for Kyle to get a head on it because he marks the goalie,” explained Fitzpatrick. “It worked out, too.”
sp-HHBorono-dc4-pt-45ANOTHER SAVE — Houlton goalie Kole Buzzeo comes out to scoop up the ball, while teammate Alex Casillas looks on.
    Buzzeo said that Houlton had lost key seniors last year, but this year’s seniors took a solid leadership role in rallying the team.
    “We are young team, but we all wanted it just as bad,” said Buzzeo. “We played all season – this was our main goal — to win a championship, so we played for the championship the whole year.”
    Carlos was proud of his boys.        “The guys played unbelievable,” Carlos said. “Jimmy Fitzpatrick’s corner kick, I mean, what can you say. I think we surprised a lot of people and we enjoyed surprising a lot of people. I don’t’ think we got any recognition all year long. I am very happy right now.”