HOULTON, Maine — Last year, the Houlton girls soccer team overcame a number of injuries during the regular season and still managed to come just one goal away from advancing to states.
This year, the Shires have set their sights even higher with visions of a state championship as Tim Tweedie returns as the head coach and has one of the deepest, and most talented rosters during his 12 years with the program.
Kolleen Bouchard is one of a number of talented seniors returning for the Shires this fall. (Joseph Cyr)
“We lost one starter from a team that lost by one goal in the regional championship, so we expect to be right back in the mix this year,” Tweedie said.
Members of the Houlton squad are seniors Kolleen Bouchard, Aspen Flewelling, Mia Hanning, Anessa Wilde, Lexi Miller, Claire Gilpatrick, Rebecca Mooers, Carolyn Mooers and Tyra Gentle; juniors Jamie Brown and Tessa Solomon; sophomores Sierra Hoops, Elizabeth Phillips, Amelia Ivey, Samantha Condon, Kennedy Buzzeo, Grace Johnson, Abbie Worthley and Madison Grant; and freshmen Victoria Forbush, Emma Ardell and Rebecca Howe.
Bouchard and Flewelling both were recognized as All-State players, while Hanning, Miller and Solomon were All Penobscot Valley Conference players. Several other players, including Gilpatrick, Brown and Hoops, also were key contributors.
“Hopefully (those players) get their due credit this season, as they’re all among some of the best players in the conference,” coach Tweedie said.
Last season, the Shires finished 11-1-2 in the regular season, dominating the opposition by outscoring opponents 67-10. Houlton earned the No. 2 seed in the Class C North playoffs, beating Fort Kent 3-1 in the quarterfinals and besting Penquis 1-0 in the semifinals before falling to eventual state champ Orono 2-1 in the regional championship.
The team’s veteran leadership is something that should make coach Tweedie’s job a bit easier this fall.
“I’d say experience is one of our strengths,” he said. “We have nine seniors, all of whom have played from the time they were young, so we have that going for us. We’re also quite balanced.”
The Shires were defensive stalwarts last year, which coach Tweedie expects to continue this season.
“On the other side of the ball, we have a group of girls that are hungry to score,” he said. “We have five or six girls that are capable of scoring 10-15 goals this season. It’s going to be difficult for our opponents to concentrate on any one or two players.”
Houlton senior Claire Gilpatrick works on her footwork during a recent girls soccer practice for the Shires. Houlton has a number of returning players this fall and could be poised for yet another deep playoff run. (Joseph Cyr)
The Shires also have two capable goalies in Solomon and Buzzeo. “They have the ability to make saves and keep us in games, if need be,” he said. “We really are quite balanced and deep. We have five or six girls that will come off our bench that would be starting for most other schools. It’s a testament to the amount of time these kids have put into getting better and that competition really helps us maintain a high level of play in practice. So, I think our depth will be another strength.”
Houlton opens its season Thursday, Aug. 31, hosting Madawaska at 4 p.m.
