HOULTON, Maine — Sometimes an early goal can hold up throughout a soccer game. Such was the case Tuesday afternoon as the No. 3 Houlton boys squeaked past No. 6 Central of East Corinth 1-0 in a Class C North quarterfinal.
Houlton sophomore Logan Swallow provided the game’s only goal 6 minutes, 45 seconds into the contest. Swallow converted a loose ball inside the scoring area and was able to beat Central goalie Bryce Burns with a well-placed shot to the opposite corner of the net.
Houlton (11-3-1) advances to the semifinals where it will face the winner of the other North quarterfinal, between No. 2 Orono and No. 7 George Stevens Academy. Those teams played a game Tuesday that was suspended and will be replayed Wednesday at 1:30 p.m.
If Orono wins, the semifinal will be played on the Red Riots’ home field, but if GSA wins, Houlton would host the semifinal.
Central ends its season with a 10-4-1 record.
Played amid a steady snow shower for much of the first half, which is a prelude to the stronger snow expected to blanket Aroostook County for much of Wednesday, Houlton did not go deep into its bench, instead relying on its starting lineup to carry the load.
Houlton’s first substitution came with 18:36 remaining in the second half when Jadon Gentle fell hard to the ground and had to be helped off the field. Gentle was able to return about six minutes later, giving the Shires a much-needed boost as Central had started to build momentum with a number of quality shots.
Both Houlton goalie Drew Foley and Central’s Burns made a number of acrobatic saves, often going horizontal and to the ground to cover up the ball. Burns made 10 saves on 11 shots, and Foley finished with three saves on five shots.
Houlton first-year coach Brian Barton said going into the game that Central midfielder Yosef Worster and forward Alex Hewitt were the two players Houlton needed to pay close attention to. The Shires did precisely that, shadowing the two Red Devils for much of the contest.
