Ed Marshall, who started the Madawaska girls soccer program in 1982 and led the Owls to a Class C state title and five Eastern Maine crowns, has decided to retire from coaching.

Marshall coached the Owls to a 232-96-39 record with 10 appearances in Eastern Maine finals. Madawaska won regional Class C titles in 1992, 1996, 1998 and 1999.

He also coached Madawaska to Eastern Maine Class A and Class B runner-up finishes as well as two other Eastern Maine Class C title appearances. The latest came in 2004 when the Owls had a 10-4-3 record.

George Stevens Academy of Blue Hill ended the Owls’ season in the Eastern Maine final with a 4-2 penalty-kick victory.

“I’m going to miss it, that’s for sure,” Marshall said. “We’ve had a lot of good teams over the years.”

Madawaska physical education teacher Dan Cyr has already been approved by the school board to take over Marshall’s post.

Cyr, a well-known face in Aroostook County soccer, has coached the Fort Kent and Caribou girls and has also held summer soccer camps over the years.

“I feel very confident handing this program over to one of the best coaches in the state,” Marshall said. “… He already knows all the girls.”

The Owls earned their state championship in 1997, a 1-0 victory over Georges Valley of Thomaston. That year, Marshall was named the Maine Soccer Coaches Association East girls coach of the year.

Marshall said Cyr will likely continue the Madawaska tradition of taking a trip to southern Maine in the fall for exhibition games against larger Western Maine schools.

Marshall, whose daughter Meghan Marshall plays basketball for Maine Maritime Academy in Castine, said he plans to continue as the athletic director for at least another year. Ed Marshall has been the AD for 32 years.

Father, daughter square off

In recent years, the rivalry between neighboring high schools Houlton and Hodgdon has calmed down a lot, according to Hodgdon softball coach Tim Guiod.

For Tim Guiod and his daughter, Brittany Guiod, the rivalry is actually a lot of fun.

Brittany Guiod is a freshman backup on the Houlton softball team. The two teams – and father and daughter – faced each other for the first time last week, with defending Eastern Maine Class C champ Houlton gaining a 17-9 win.

The Guiods live in Houlton and Tim Guiod is the Title I tutor at Houlton Junior High.

“It’s fun when these games come around,” Tim Guiod said. “We’re all friends. The kids play with each other all year.”

Brittany had a stellar freshman season with the Houlton soccer team. She had never played softball but decided to try it this year, her father said. She is listed as a second baseman and an center fielder.

Tim Guiod played sports at Mattanawcook Academy in Lincoln. Brittany’s mother, the former Pam Nelson, was a standout athlete at Houlton High and now lives in Nashua, N.H.

“[Brittany’s] going on good genes,” Tim Guiod said with a laugh.

Gagnon, Guerrette team up

Things have come full circle, as Mim Gagnon puts it, up in St. Agatha.

Gagnon, the Wisdom High School athletic director and girls soccer coach, has teamed up with former Pioneers star Tracy Guerrette to coach the softball team.

Gagnon coached Guerrette in soccer and basketball before Guerette graduated in 1998. Together, the coach and player won an Eastern Maine Class D soccer title in 1997 and a Class D state basketball title in 1998.

Guerrette went on to the University of Maine, where she played for the Black Bear basketball team for four years. She’s now taking classes at the University of Maine-Fort Kent and also coached the Wisdom girls varsity basketball team last season.

Gagnon took over the softball team this spring when longtime coach Greg Ouellette retired. Gagnon had a few previous commitments, such as an athletic directors’ conference in Rockland, so she asked Guerrette to take over the team for a few days.

Guerrette herself was an Aroostook County all-star first baseman-pitcher for the Pioneers.

“I’ve been wanting to coach softball for a while but as the AD I had a lot of prior commitments so I talked to her and asked if she could help,” Gagnon said. “It’s working out really well.”

Jessica Bloch can be reached at 990-8193, 1-800-310-8600 or jbloch@bangordailynews.net.