HOULTON – Without the scoreboard lit up and the concessions stand open, Monday evening’s preseason soccer game between the Houlton girls and a 15-and-under team from Grand Falls, New Brunswick, looked like a scrimmage.

But there was a vocal group of about 50 spectators under the lights at the high school field, and with two offenses that combined for nine goals, the scrimmage did have a competitive edge. After all, the Houlton team has less than a week before it opens the regular season next Monday against Hodgdon.

Aroostook County schools like Houlton started practice more two weeks ago and begin the regular fall sports season early to accomodate the three-week break for the potato harvest in September.

Three County schools – Katahdin of Sherman Station, Southern Aroostook of Dyer Brook and Ashland – don’t have a harvest break. They start formal practices on or after Aug. 14, like the rest of the state.

But even teams like Ashland and Southern Aroostook, which play other County squads, have to start practicing earlier than normal.

This year’s harvest break will start around Sept. 16.

Houlton coach Bruce Nason said he was pleased with his team’s effort in its first organized scrimmage in the preseason – a 5-4 win for the Shiretowners, with Sarah Beasley, Natalie Foster, Danielle Hagerman and Jenna Peters all contributing goals.

Thirty-eight girls came out for the team this summer.

“We did OK for the first time and I saw some good things tonight,” Houlton coach Bruce Nason said. “First half we did not look good. Second half the offense picked up. I tried to get everyone in, and we start next Monday, and I want to see who can and who can’t and give everyone an opportunity to prove they can play.”

The Houlton team meets informally once a week over the summer, usually on Sundays, until preseason starts. The Shires will play Eastern Maine Class D champion Van Buren Wednesday.

Monday’s scrimmage was held at night to get the players used to playing under the lights again.

The introduction of the open tournament along with the harvest will cause some problems for Houlton this year. With a new schedule that squeezes the regular season even tighter and assures every team of at least one playoff game, the Shiretowners have three games to play during the first week of break.

Nason may be out some players who are busy with the potatoes – or rely on players who have been working since 6 a.m.

“They’re probably going to have get off work early or have their parents fill in for them,” Nason said.

After the first week of harvest Nason plans to give the team some time off, then start practices in the third week.

“He’s pretty good about scheduling practices late at night. He understands,” said Houlton senior Megan Miller, who works the harvest. “He’s not gonna kill you if you’re two minutes late.”

“It’s hard, but our parents fill in for us so that’s pretty good,” senior Hagerman said with a laugh.

While Houlton got ready for its scrimmage Monday, the Hodgdon girls wrapped up their practice at the McIntyre Road field.

Hawks coach Brian Fitzpatrick also said his team’s practices were going well. Around 25 girls are participating in preseason practices this year.

“It’s been a good turnout and a good start,” said Fitzpatrick, who is starting his 15th season at Hodgdon. “There’s been some sore muscles and things like that but the effort’s been excellent. On the average we’ve had good attendance even though we start so early.”

Some of the Hodgdon girls get together during the summer to practice ballhandling and play informal games. Hawks seniors Courtney Kennedy, Danielle Fitzpatrick and Samantha Smith said they can’t wait for practice to get under way in July.

“We get real excited because we love it and soccer is a big thing for the girls here at Hodgdon,” Danielle Fitzpatrick said. “We’re like, `Soccer’s coming!’ We don’t even think about school until it comes but we’re pretty bored up until soccer comes.”

The girls said starting early gives them an incentive to get conditioned.

“When practice comes I look forward to it so I can get back into shape,” Smith said. “Starting early helps us. The first week we’re usually dead but you can see us getting better every week.”

Like Nason and many other coaches, Fitzpatrick also offers informal practices during the break, often at night so that players working the harvest can attend.

“[Farm owner Andrea Nightengale] will let us off early, we’ll come and scrimmage,” Kennedy said. “If we’re late, [Fitzpatrick] doesn’t care just as long as we can try to get there.”

Kennedy and Fitzpatrick are both planning to work a potato harvester’s conveyor belt, which loads potatoes onto the trucks. The worker’s job is to remove mud and rocks from the belt.

“Your arms are usually pretty sore, but we’re not taking a break, sitting home and doing nothing,” said Kennedy, who works along with Danielle Fitzpatrick at the farm of teammate Jamie Nightengale.

The Houlton-Hodgdon area has seen a lot of rain this summer, so the players are unsure what to expect from the potato harvest.

Whatever the yield, the harvest is sure to be a lot of work. And working on the harvester may add a layer of muscle just in time for the playoffs.

“You have to pick all the rocks and the mud out and sometimes it’s really bad because sometimes there’s huge clumps of mud and grass stuck together, all the way across the conveyor belt,” Danielle Fitzpatrick said. “You have to throw it all the way behind you and it’s really heavy. Girls come back from harvest and they’re a lot stronger. They really are.”