Houlton Survives Penalty Kicks, Caribou Scores Six as County Soccer Playoffs Continue

Saturday brought plenty of playoff excitement for Aroostook County soccer teams, including a penalty-kick thriller, a six-goal performance and another shutout victory for one of the region's top seeds.

Houlton's boys survived a dramatic shootout against Penquis to advance in the eight-person tournament, while Caribou's boys rolled past Medomak Valley 6-2 in Class B North.

On the girls' side, top-seeded Fort Kent continued its postseason run with a 3-0 victory over Maine Central Institute, while Katahdin's season came to an end in a penalty-kick loss to Penquis.

Three County teams are moving on, and the regional quarterfinals are bringing some interesting matchups.

Houlton Boys Survive Penalty-Kick Thriller Against Penquis

It doesn't get much more dramatic than deciding a playoff game from the penalty spot.

Ninth-seeded Houlton traveled to eighth-seeded Penquis on Saturday for an eight-person boys preliminary matchup, and neither team was able to break through during regulation or overtime.

With the game still scoreless, it came down to penalty kicks.

The Shires converted three attempts to Penquis' two, giving Houlton the victory and a place in the regional quarterfinals.

The result goes into the books as a 1-0 win for Houlton, with the Shires taking the shootout 3-2.

For a team that entered the tournament as the No. 9 seed, it's a big road victory and another opportunity to keep playing.

Caribou's Three Two-Goal Scorers Lead Win Over Medomak Valley

Caribou's boys made the most of their home playoff opportunity Saturday, defeating Medomak Valley 6-2 in a Class B North preliminary matchup.

And the Vikings didn't have to rely on just one scorer.

Louie Hebert, Declan Miller and Carter St. Pierre each scored twice for eighth-seeded Caribou, accounting for all six goals.

Liam Doughty scored both goals for ninth-seeded Medomak Valley.

The victory sends Caribou into the regional quarterfinals, where the Vikings will face top-seeded John Bapst.

It's a familiar opponent for Caribou, but the stakes are considerably higher this time around. The Vikings will need another strong performance to keep their tournament run going.

Fort Kent Girls Shut Out MCI to Advance in Class C North

Top-seeded Fort Kent opened its Class C North postseason with a 3-0 quarterfinal victory over eighth-seeded Maine Central Institute.

The Lady Warriors took care of business at home, earning the shutout and advancing to the regional semifinals.

Fort Kent entered the tournament as the No. 1 seed following a strong regular season, and Saturday's victory keeps the Lady Warriors in the hunt for a regional championship.

With the field narrowing, the competition will only get tougher from here.

Katahdin Girls Fall to Penquis in Penalty Kicks

Katahdin's girls were involved in another dramatic eight-person preliminary matchup Saturday.

The ninth-seeded Lady Cougars traveled to eighth-seeded Penquis, and the two teams remained scoreless through regulation and overtime.

The game eventually went to penalty kicks, where Penquis came away with the victory.

The final is recorded as a 1-0 win for Penquis following the shootout.

It was a difficult way for Katahdin's season to end, especially after keeping Penquis off the scoreboard throughout open play and overtime.

Three County Teams Move On

Saturday's results leave three more County teams advancing in the 2026 MPA Soccer Championships.

Houlton's boys are moving into the eight-person quarterfinals after their shootout victory, while Caribou's boys will take on No. 1 John Bapst in Class B North.

Fort Kent's girls have already secured a place in the Class C North semifinals after their shutout win over MCI.

For Katahdin's girls, the season comes to a close following a hard-fought preliminary matchup.

There's still plenty of tournament soccer ahead, and I'll have more County results, updated brackets and previews as the postseason continues.

The 2026 MPA Soccer Championships on 101.9 The Rock are proudly presented by Pineland Farms in Mars Hill.

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