While the rest of the state’s interscholastic athletes and coaches entered a Maine Principals’ Association-mandated two-week no-contact period Monday, most of the schools in Aroostook County have been at it for more than a week while trying to prepare for the early opening of the fall season.

Dan Cyr, the new girls soccer coach at Madawaska, has even taken his Owls out of the area for some games already.

The 2004 Eastern Maine Class C runners-up traveled to Topsham for three days last week. Madawaska played Cape Elizabeth and Mount Ararat, tying the Capers and beating the Eagles 2-1, although Cyr stressed that Mount Ararat had already played two games that day.

“I was very pleased with how well we did.” said Cyr, who was hired this spring to replace Ed Marshall. “We played very well.”

Most Aroostook County schools open early to account for the mid-September harvest break, during which time schools shut down so that students can help with the potato harvest. Ashland, Katahdin of Stacyville and Southern Aroostook of Dyer Brook have typically not taken harvest breaks.

Most of the schools in Aroostook County start the 2005-06 school year the week of Aug. 15 or 22. That’s at least two weeks earlier than the rest of the state.

At Madawaska, school starts Aug. 17 but the regular season gets under way Aug. 15 when the Owls host Van Buren.

Cyr is new to the varsity position at Madawaska but not new to the school system. He’ll be in his seventh year teaching physical education at Madawaska Elementary School.

Cyr, the former Fort Kent and Caribou girls varsity coach, also conducts peewee soccer camps for 180-200 kids in northern Maine.

It makes Cyr a natural to fill the coaching position.

“It kind of fell into place,” said Cyr, who lives in Fort Kent. “I’ve known some of these kids since they were four or five. These students have grown up with me and it’s nice to see them coming in. … It’s my first opportunity to teach and coach in the same school system and I’m excited for it.”

Marshall had been the Owls coach since he started the program in 1982. He retired in the spring but is staying on as the Madawaska athletic director.

Cyr’s biggest challenge will be finding replacements for around 11 players who graduated from a team that fell to George Stevens of Blue Hill on penalty kicks in the Eastern Maine final.

The team is hoping to get that far – and even farther – again this year.

“They’ve been there, they’ve had a taste of it and they know how to win,” Cyr said. “They’ve been working hard the last week or so.”

Among the key returning players are midfielder Beth Girard and fullback Andrea M. Cyr, who will both be in their fourth year starting for the Owls.

“I’m very pleased with what I have returning from last year’s team,” he said. “We’re actually quite tall for the Valley. We’re pretty aggressive and we strike the ball well. And the kids know the fundamentals, which isn’t surprising because Ed coached them.”

In addition to practice, the Owls will also participate in a round-robin tourney at Presque Isle featuring the Wildcats, plus teams from Caribou, Van Buren, Houlton and Fort Kent.

Locals headed to Hockey Night

Several local hockey players have been selected to participate in this month’s Hockey Night in Boston, a showcase for some of the nation’s top ice hockey talent.

Goalies Isabel Cormier and Aaron Buzzell, who are both from Bangor, will participate in the girls showcase and boys major showcase, respectively, which are held in two rinks in Massachusetts and one in New Hampshire.

Keith Maynard of Dedham and Ben. St. Germain of Ripley were on the roster to participate in the sophomore showcase, which was held last month.

The boys tournament started this weekend and continues through Aug. 16, while the girls tourney starts Aug. 14 and runs through Aug. 18.

Buzzell is a 2005 Bangor High graduate and Cormier will be a sophomore this fall.

Players are selected based on regional tryouts.

Other Mainers participating the boys major showcase include forwards Jon Rutt of Augusta, Dan Rautenberg of Cape Elizabeth, Sam Johnson of Portland, Ted Fabian of Oakland, Alex Arthur of Portland, Ted Gosselin of Lewiston, Shawn Feeney of Kents Hill; defensemen Bert Marston of Oakland, Mike Carpenter of Lewiston, Jeff Croteau of Cape Elizabeth, Charlie Pens of South Paris, Max Doyon of Portland, Josh Taylor of Raymond, Jake Edwards of Freeport, Sam Ward of Falmouth; and goalie Ray Quattrucci of Portland.

Defenseman Rhegan Flanagan of Brunswick will participate in the girls tournament.

Alex Fahey, who will be a sophomore at Bangor this fall, participated in the girls tournament last year.

Maine swimmers earn honors

Eight swimmers from Penobscot Valley Conference high schools were named Academic All-Americans by the National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association.

Two swimmers each from Old Town, Bangor, Brewer and John Bapst and one from Orono were named academic All-Americans.

The list includes Old Town swimmers David Chilelli and Robert Vayda, and Bangor swimmers Mike Rubin and David Kleinschmidt.

Brewer teammates Ashley Austin, who is a diver, and swimmer Kate Hanlon also earned the honor. So did John Bapst of Bangor teammates Laura Porter and Kevin Trainor.

Orono’s Mo Nazmy rounds out the group from the PVC.

Other All-Americans were Vanessa Gauger of Portland High, Ashley McElroy of Scarborough, Deering of Portland’s Ashton Piers, Alison Tozier of Falmouth and Waynflete of Portland’s Kathryn Andrews.

The state’s 14 academic All-Americans ranked Maine 22nd in the nation, one ahead of Massachusetts (11 All-Americans). Rhode Island, Vermont and New Hampshire did not have any academic All-Americans.

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