Houlton edges Howlers in OT

HOULTON – Junior right wing Ashley Gard scored her second goal of the year with a minute left in the first overtime to give the Houlton Shiretowners a 1-0 win over the Penobscot Valley Howlers in the Eastern Maine Class C girls soccer final Saturday.

Houlton will take on North Yarmouth Academy, a 3-1 winner over Wiscasset, in Saturday’s state championship game.

An attempted clear by a PVHS defender glanced off the body of Houlton player and the ball stopped just outside the penalty area where Gard ran on to it and put it in the right hand corner of the net.

It was her first goal since the season-opener.

Anna Lenentine made nine saves for the 12-4-1 Shires, the second seed.

Jen Plourde had nine stops for 8-9-1 Penobscot Valley of Howland, the eighth seed.