FORT KENT, Maine — For 38 minutes Tuesday afternoon, the No. 5 Houlton boys soccer team battled top-ranked Fort Kent to a stalemate in a Class C North semifinal.
During that time, neither team was able to break the scoring ice, and all signs appeared to point to an overtime period.
But all that changed when Fort Kent’s Camden Jandreau kicked in a loose ball inside the scoring box for what became the game-winning goal with 1:45 remaining in the game. Niko Naranja was credited with the assist.
“We knew the whole time we were going to fight to the end. We were going to fight until the last second,” Jandreau said.
The Warriors (13-1-2) advanced to the Class C North regional championship Thursday in Fort Kent, where they faced No. 3 George Stevens Academy (11-1-4). Houlton ended its season with a 9-7-1 record.
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- Houlton’s Ben Grant kicks the ball away from a Fort Kent defender during Tuesday’s Class C North semifinal in Fort Kent. The Shires fell 1-0. (Jessica Potila)
Fort Kent outshot Houlton 23-9, with Fort Kent goalkeeper Reece Pelletier making four saves and Houlton’s AJ Henderson finishing with 14 saves
Houlton coach Caleb Byron said Tuesday’s game marked the first time the Shires had a full roster, which may have surprised the Warriors.
“This was the first time we played Fort Kent at full strength,” Byron said. “We surprised them, and ourselves, at how evenly matched we were. The guys fought hard defensively to keep the game scoreless. We put together a good number of offensive chances, but couldn’t put a scoring opportunity in the net.”
The coach added that Henderson, and the Shire backfield did an exceptional job shutting down Fort Kent’s offense for most of the game, as the team stopped many drives and limited Fort Kent to deep shots from the perimeter of the 18-yard line.
Warriors head coach Oniqueky Samuels praised his players following the semifinal victory.
“They have my full admiration,” he said. “They played with passion because they wanted to win. The team has definitely prepared and they went above and beyond throughout the season and throughout the summer. I don’t think a lot of teams prepare the way we do. They’re a coachable team and they’re a smart team.”
