HOULTON, Maine — If the Houlton girls soccer team hopes to maintain its goal of returning to the regional championship game, it will have to do so without a couple of key players for the foreseeable future.
Sophomore striker Kolleen Bouchard and senior stopper Emma Drew are both sporting walking boots as the sit anxiously on the sidelines cheering on their teammates. Bouchard has a rare bone injury in her foot that has her soccer season in doubt, while Drew is recovering from a dislocated big toe, suffered in a game earlier this season.
Bouchard will likely miss the remainder of the soccer season, while Drew could be back on the field in a couple of weeks, coach Tim Tweedie said. The loss of two starters would be devastating to most teams, but thankfully Houlton’s bench is deep this season, with a number of younger players eager to step up.
“Our depth and our bench will be tested for sure,” Tweedie said. “(Sophomores) Alexis Miller and Claire Gilpatrick are both getting a lot more minutes now. (Freshman) Jamie Brown is also being asked to take on a bigger role.”
Tweedie said he will have to continue shuffling his lineup, which may move some players from a spot they were comfortable in to something different. So far, Tweedie has moved senior Chelsea Gentle, an all-state defender, to the midfield for a more prominent role. He also shifted senior Natalie Hill from midfield to striker to give the Shires a more potent scoring threat.
“Everything moves around,” Tweedie said. “It has been a process for sure. I’m hoping (the injuries) can bring us closer together. This gives us a little bit of a rallying point where we may now be the underdog coming into some games. I think coming into the season, the expectations were high and there were a lot of targets on our backs.”
Bouchard was diagnosed with “Osteochondritis dissecans of the talus,” according to her father, Marty Bouchard, principal at Houlton High School.
“She landed awkwardly in a soccer game on Sept. 4 and her ankle hurt,” Marty said. “She left the game and did not return. The next morning, we took her to the ER for an X-ray, which was negative.”
Kolleen iced her foot and returned to game action the following Wednesday (Sept. 9), playing the entire game, scoring a goal. The next day, the Bouchard family received a phone call from the doctor saying they spotted “something irregular” about her X-ray and it was sent to an orthopedic specialist.
An MRI was scheduled, but not before she played in another game and scored a goal with three assists. On Sept. 16, Bouchard underwent an MRI.
“In the afternoon Dr. Husted confirmed the OCD diagnosis, informed Kolleen she was done soccer for the season, put her in a walking boot and on crutches and stated she would be that way for at least two months,” Marty Bouchard said.
On Sept. 17, the Bouchards visited a sports specialist in Portland who confirmed the OCD diagnosis, but took her off crutches and placed her in a walking boot, which will remain on for the next few months.
“I was really discouraged when I learned of my injury,” Kolleen said. “One of the hardest parts about my injury is that it is impossible to tell how long I will be out for sure. It all depends on how well my bone heals. We are unsure exactly how the injury happened. It could be a result of me growing too quickly or a traumatic ankle injury at some point in my career. I am devastated to be out for the soccer season. I will continue to be at every game and every practice supporting my teammates.”
For Drew, the injury was more common and the outlook is more promising as she could return to action in a couple of weeks, Tweedie said.
“My injury happened two weeks ago in our home game against Mattanawcook Academy,” Drew said. “I was basically kicked in the foot which dislocated my big toe. Initially, I thought I’d be fine and be able to come back in, but when the pain increased and I took my cleat off, I realized that was not the case.
“I was really scared that I would be out for the season, which would be devastating considering it’s my senior year,” Drew continued. “It’s really challenging to watch from the sidelines, but hopefully I’ll be able to join my team on the field soon.”
