Lady Shires were ready for playoffs

By Gloria Austin  
Staff Writer
    The Houlton Lady Shires varsity soccer team earned a home playoff game yesterday through some tough play down the stretch.
    “We are very happy to be playing at home. Last year, we were able to host a prelim game against Lee Academy, and we were able to win that one. So, maybe it does make a difference,” said Houlton coach Tim Tweedie.
ON THE CHIN – Houlton’s Chelsi Murray takes one on the chin during an earlier season soccer game in Houlton against Fort Kent. The No. 4 Lady Shires hosted No. 5 George Stevens Academy Eagles for the right to advance to the Class C semifinals on Friday against the winner of No. 1 Orono and No. 8 Searsport.
    However, the Lady Shires were 6-1 at home and 6-1 on the road this year, and Tweedie admits it probably doesn’t “matter as much as some people would think.
    “I do know that the atmosphere is fun for the kids,” he said.
    The No. 4 Lady Shires hosted No. 5 George Stevens Academy, with the victor going to the semifinals on Friday to play the winner of top-seeded Orono/Searsport.
    The Lady Shires won three big games against — Schenck, Madawaska and Calais — in a five-day span to earn a home playoff. They did that without the help of their leading scorer Abby Kinens, 14 goals in nine games, who was injured in a home match against Fort Kent.
    “We certainly are going to be hurt by the loss of Abby,” said Tweedie. “But, we’ve been in a playoff mode for awhile now.”
    Houlton’s bench players have been significant contributors during Kinen’s loss, along with filling in when last year’s top returning scorer Chelsi Murray was sidelined for a seven-game stretch.
    “We were able to go 7-0 [during that span],” said Tweedie. “Everyone has stepped it up when they needed to and that’s why we are 12-2.”
    Tweedie is looking for several players to continue making an impact in the postseason — Amanda Fogarty, who finished the season with nine goals and leads Class C with 11 assists; Vanessa Sanderson, who finished with 11 goals and eight assists; Martha McPartland, who finished with four goals as a defender and of course, goalie Madison Lezotte, who Tweedie said, “has been great between the posts all year.”
    Looking at all middle of the pack match-ups as 50/50 games, Tweedie wasn’t taking George Stevens Academy (8-5-1) lightly.
    “They are obviously a good team,” he said. “They play a tough schedule with opponents like Ellsworth, MDI and Orono. So, we will not underestimate them. If we do, then we are in trouble.”