Penquis soccer teams both earn Homecoming victories
MILO — The Penquis Valley High School girls and boys soccer teams both won the 2025 Homecoming contests on Saturday, Sept. 27.
The Patriot girls scored the game-winning goal with less than 11 minutes to go to defeat Hodgdon High School 3-2. The Penquis boys picked up four goals in the opening half and then three more in the second to earn a 7-0 victory over Sumner Memorial High School of East Sullivan.
The girls game kicked off the pair of 8-player North matchups as Penquis (the team is now 4-2 and has won four of five since falling at Hodgdon 5-1 in the season opener of Sept. 5) went up a goal before the Hawks tied on two separate occasions at 1-1 and then 2-2.
With under 11 minutes left in regular Penquis junior Ewa Ziolkowska got a hold of the ball, on a pass from senior Amara Driscoll, and ran down the middle of the Hodgdon side of the field.
TWO-GOAL DAY — Penquis junior Ewa Ziolkowska runs past Hodgdon senior Alyssa Estabrook during the Patriots’ Homecoming game on Saturday, Sept. 27. Ziolkowska scored twice, including the game-winner with less than 11 minutes to go, as Penquis earned a 3-2 victory to improve to 4-2.
Ziolkowska got off a low shot that landed inside the left post to give the Patriots the lead again, this time at 3-2 with 10:39 on the clock. She also had a goal earlier in the second half.
Hodgdon (the team fell to 1-5 with its fifth straight defeat) would have several chances to try to tie the game but Penquis senior keeper Brooklyn Decker prevented the team from doing so.
Decker made one of her five saves, four of which came in the second half, on a free kick just over a minute after the go-ahead goal. She also came way out of the goal to dive on a loose ball and prevent any further shot attempts with just over a minute to go on what would turn out to be the final chance for the Hawks.
This season the Penquis boys moved from the 11- to 8-player game, and now in match No. 5 the Patriots have equaled the win total of last season. The seven goals against Sumner helped Penquis improve to 4-1, whereas the 2024 squad finished at 4-8-2 in Class D North play.
PENQUIS HOMECOMING — Patriot senior Wyatt Romero fights for the ball during the Homecoming game vs. Sumner on Sept. 27 at Harris Field. Penquis scored four times in the first half and three times in the second half to earn a 7-0 victory. Romero scored goal No. 5 for his team.
The Patriots also earned a season sweep of the Tigers (3-4 having lost three consecutive games) with Penquis winning in Hancock County 7-1 on Sept. 6.
Senior Kooper Badger paced the Patriots with a hat trick, including two of the team’s first three goals. Badger’s and the team’s first came just over a minute into play, with senior Michael Coburn assisting, and would turn out to be all the team needed
Coburn later had a goal, as did junior Brodie Lovejoy and seniors Wyatt Romero and Sean Chenkin.
Sophomore Jacoby Landry got the start in goal and he made a save with Penquis allowing just three shots. Coburn took over for the second half and he also made one save with just three shots being allowed.
SOFT TOUCH — Junior Adalai Perkins gains control of the ball on Sept. 27 with senior teammate Caysie Moore and Hodgdon junior Ava Ezell looking on.
The shutout is the first of the season for the Patriots, who also have scored seven goals or more in three of the four victories and in the fourth win the team’s total was not too far off at five goals.
Conversely, Penquis kept Sumner sophomore keeper Shawn Green very busy. Green made 12 saves as the Patriots put 43 shots on goal.
This year the Penquis Valley Boosters Club recognizes players of the game for both high school and middle contests.
The girls Homecoming contest honorees are Decker, the description on her award certificate says “stopping the shots!”, and Ziolkowska for “taking the shots, all the shots!”
UP THE FIELD — Penquis sophomore Lucas Hoffman moves the ball near the midfield. A 7-0 win vs. Sumner moved the Patriots to 4-1.
The boys players of the game are seniors Liam Atkinson and Aidan Murano. Atkinson was recognized for “dominating and controlling the center of the field” and Murano for “working his tail off!”
Inbetween the games the soccer seniors were recognized with a ceremony.
The three members of the Class of 2025 on the girls team are Brooklyn Decker, Amara Driscoll and Caysie Moore.
The boys team has eight seniors, Liam Atkinson, Kooper Badger, Sean Chenkin, Michael Coburn, Ethan Lewis, Aidan Murano, Jareth Williams and Wyatt Romero.
FEND FOR THEMSELVES — Junior Ashley Ladd and Hodgdon sophomore Maddie Burrows tussle on Sept. 27. A 3-2 win was Penquis’ fifth in a row.
GIRLS SOCCER
Penquis 3, Hodgdon 2
HOD 1 1 – 2
PEN 1 2 – 3
First: P – Jenkins; H – A. Ezell
Second: P – Ziolkowska (Ladd); H – R. Ezell; P – Ziolkowska (Driscoll)
Saves: H – Matheson 7, P – Decker 5
Corner kicks: H – 0, P – 5
Records: H 1-5, P 4-2
BALL CONTROL — Senior Ethan Lewis gets the ball under control after a high bounce off the turf.
BOYS SOCCER
Penquis 7, Sumner 0
SUM 0 0 – 0
PEN 4 3 – 7
First: P – Badger (Coburn); P – Lovejoy (Atkinson); P – Badger; P – Coburn
Second: P – W. Romero; P – Badger; P – Chenkin
Saves: S – Green 12, P – Landry and Coburn 2
Corner kicks: H – 3, P – 3
Records: H 3-4, P 4-1