HOULTON, Maine — A beautiful Sunday afternoon made for the perfect setting for the annual Houlton Elks Soccer Shoot penalty kicking contest at Houlton Middle-High School.
As in previous years, there were four age categories, with divisions of each age group for boys and girls, namely, under age 8; ages 8 and 9; ages 10 and 11; and ages 12 and 13. Winners and runners-up in each division and age group received a trophy.
Miles Berthiaume watches his kick head to the goal during Sunday’s Houlton Elks Soccer Shoot. (Joseph Cyr)
Unfortunately, the Houlton event did not draw any participants in the girls 10 and under or the boys 14 and under categories this year. Attendance was down for every category, with only 11 total participants this year.
In the girls under 8 age group, Ellie Berthiaume was the winner, with Annika Ciszewski runner up; Allison Worthley won the under 12 division and Jenna Cochran beat out Amelia Callnan for the under 14 category.
For the boys, Iver Hall won the under 8 division, with Tobias Ciszewski runner up; Caleb Ciszewski won the under 10 division and Raiden Cochran won the under 12 division with Miles Berthiaume runner up.
The winners of Sunday’s event advanced to the Elks Maine North District Soccer Shoot contest to be held in Ellsworth on Sunday, Sept. 29.
Allison Worthley launches a shot at the goal during Sunday’s Houlton Elks Soccer Shoot at Houlton Middle-High School. A total of 11 youths participated in the event. (Joseph Cyr)
Contestants in the youngest age category, under age 8, utilized the “five-goal” competition. In that contest, each competitor was given three attempts to kick a youth-size soccer ball through each of five different size goals, ranging from 48 inches wide to 17 inches wide, from a distance of 15 feet. Increasing points were awarded for successful kicks as the goals become smaller.
Contestants in all three older age categories, attempted 15 “penalty kicks” from a point 18 feet from the goal for the under 10 age group; 27 feet from the goal for the under 12 age group; and 30 feet from the goal for the under 14 age group.
More points were awarded to kicks through the segments of the goal which are tougher to defend, namely the upper corners of the goal, the top of the goal, and the extreme sides of the goal. All contestants used a number 4 size soccer balls, except for the oldest age group, who will use a number 5 size soccer ball.
