Category: Girls Soccer
Quick Start Leads OA Past Stoughton and Into Quarters
NORTH EASTON, Mass. – When you’re the underdog, the team that is new to the playoff experience, the team on the road facing the top seed and league champion, you want to make sure to stay close early in the game. You want to keep within touching distance to build confidence and let the favorite start to fell the pressure.
Stoughton went into Wednesday afternoon’s visit to Muscato Stadium with that game plan, but it last all of 40 seconds before Oliver Ames opened the scoring. The Tigers would add two more within a minute and then kept the Black Knights at arm’s length for the final 70 minutes to secure a 3-0 victory and a place in the Div. 2 quarterfinal.
“They came out gunning for us,” said Stoughton coach Jon Grant. “They came out very fast. They came out very clean and they capitalized on every moment. I tip my hat to them, they’re a phenomenal team. They basically punched us in the mouth the first 10 minutes and then we battled and battled and battled. It’s hard to comeback from a three-goal deficit.
Before the crowd had even gotten settled into the bleachers on a chilly night, OA was on top. Emma Gavin picked up the ball in space in the midfield and slid a pass out to the right wing for freshman Jolie Diaz to run onto. Diaz carried the ball to the end line and then cut the ball back to Gavin, who was making a late run into the box and smacked it past Stoughton keeper Katrina Varnum (seven saves) with a first-time shot.
Eight minutes later, OA doubled its lead on a very similar goal. This time it was Lucinda Li Cotter on the right wing and she dribbled her way to the end line and fired a low cross to the edge of the six-yard box where Jenna Gilman was waiting to power her shot inside the post.
Less than a minute was off the clock before OA had put daylight between itself and the visitors. Diaz again provided the assist with a hard-hit cross into a mass of bodies in the box. Varnum made a diving parry on the pass, but only managed to knock it to the feet of Carly Gibson, who made no mistake with another unerring finish.
“We had senior night here and it was 0-0 and we spent the whole night in their half, but they’re so hard to break down,” said OA coach Britt Sellmayer. “You have to get to the end line and get the ball across because you’re not going to beat [Katrina] high. The first two goals were low and Carly’s was just a bullet through a crowd.”
Holding onto a 3-0 lead took some of the impetus away from the Tigers, who were content to hold the ball and continue looking for its dangerous front three of Cotter, Gilman, and Diaz.
The rest of OA’s chances in the first half came from set pieces. Taylor deVos forced Varnum into a save with a 35-yard free kick. Another deVos delivery, this time from a better angle, went straight across the box to Gavin at the far post, but the sophomore midfielder could only find the side-netting.
Stoughton was struggling to create anything going forward, which wasn’t helped by an injury to sophomore Emma Tran midway through the half. OA keeper Janiya Matier was forced into only one save, on a ball that ricocheted off the knee of Makenzie O’Connor. The Black Knights almost forced an opening in the final minute when Morgan Cook slid a pass into Shayla Ford, but Matier was off her line quickly to collect on the slide.
Coming out of the break, OA nearly added to its lead. A ball in behind the Stoughton defense let Gavin have a chance from close-range, but Varnum was able to smother it. Seconds later, the ball was recycled out to Gibson, who forced the Stoughton keeper into a nice diving stop to her right.
Stoughton had more possession and more of the territorial advantage than it did in the first half, but the Black Knights still struggled to create any chances of note. The OA back line of deVos, Sophia Byron, Catie Wilson, and Molly Capece was impenetrable.
“First half we had to basically stop the bleeding, we had to stop them from scoring,” Grant explained. “In the second half, it was okay lets see if we can get some offense going. We were able to get a little more forward in the second half, but their counterattack, they dump and they’re fast and they’re good. They capitalize on any mistake.”
In the end, OA managed the second half well, making sure to keep the game from getting dramatic in the closing minutes. After a loss at this stage last year, the Tigers were determined to get to the next round.
“We talked about that,” Sellmayer admitted. “Having Jenna gives us an edge and having Jolie gives us pace up front.” When asked about managing the lead late in the game, he added, “It wasn’t as efficient in terms of containing the ball, but we didn’t give them any corners kicks, they had a couple scary chances. They’re a real physical team and we wanted to match it but didn’t want to foul.”
For Stoughton (8-8-4), this season marked the first playoff appearance in 14 years and has the potential to be a jumping off point for a talented sophomore class that makes up a good chunk of the team’s starting lineup.
“Phenomenal,” said Grant. “Absolutely night and day from last year. The work ethic has been phenomenal, the leadership from the seniors has been phenomenal, they’re going to be missed. We do have a young crew coming up and hopefully they can match the leadership that’s been there, but this has been a good building block for the next two years.”
Oliver Ames (14-3-1) will host the winner of Canton and Duxbury, who meet on Thursday, in the quarterfinal on Saturday at a time to be determined.
Panthers Roar Past Belmont Behind Zub’s Hat Trick
FRANKLIN, Mass. — Behind a pair of goals in each half and a strong 80-minute performance, Franklin’s postseason run got off to a great start.
Junior Anya Zub scored a hat trick and sophomore Kelly O’Connor added another as the 8th-seeded Panthers quelled the excitement of the visiting 25th-seeded Marauders of Belmont with a convincing 4-0 decision in a Division 1 Round of 32 matchup.
“We had a problem early in the year not coming out strong enough so we’ve been pushing and pushing the idea of coming out hard and ready to play,” said Franklin head coach Tom Geysen, “They came out hard tonight and at halftime, we just talked about it being an 80-minute game. The first 40 was yours, you have to make the second 40 yours too. They came out and did exactly that.”
Belmont was fresh off a 3-1 win over Brockton in the preliminary round and entered Monday’s clash with a high excitement and intensity level. But it took just minutes for Franklin to register its first serious scoring chance and the Panthers’ back four of Alli Powderly, Lily Deforge, Norah Anderson, and Katie Ewald denied the visitors of any dangerous scoring chances all game.
It took just five minutes for Franklin to start knocking on the door defensively. O’Connor flicked on a ball from Deforge to herself in behind the defense and was in alone on goal but forced the keeper to a big save off the line.
Less than 10 minutes later, O’Connor snuck in behind the defense on a service and beat the keeper to the ball, but her bid was just wide at the far post.
O’Connor and the Panthers finally cashed in in the 18th minute on a set piece. Anderson delivered a ball into the area that the keeper came off the line to try and get, but only managed to get one hand to it. The ball fell in behind and O’Connor was there to smash it home from inches out to make sure it crossed the line.
The Marauders didn’t have a ton of chances, but their two best came minutes after Franklin’s first half strikes. In the 21st minute, Belmont got a look on goal with a shot just outside the 18 but Rachel Welch was easily able to collect.
Franklin doubled its lead just minutes before the halftime break. Powderly’s quick throw found Tori Carmignani, and her ball was deflected by a defender to O’Connor. The defense was able to recover to prevent a shot from the sophomore, but Zub made a nice overlapping run around and O’Connor laid it off. Zub blasted a low left-footed shot that got through the keeper and in to make it 2-0 in the 24th minute.
It was more of the same for the Panthers in the second half. After 10 minutes had expired, Franklin junior Olivia Costa nearly added to the hosts’ lead but was denied by the post. Senior Avery Greco looped a ball in to O’Connor, who cut back and sent a cross to the far post. Costa ran onto it and, despite a tough bounce, got her foot to it but it hit off the near post and stayed out.
Greco and Costa linked up a minute later, the former dropping a pass off for senior Bridget Leo’s blast from distance but it went just wide.
Franklin’s pressure up top paid off again as Zub got her second in the 60th minute. Deforge launched a ball from her own half over the defense that Zub was able to get to first, using her left foot to get into space and then using her right to lift over the oncoming keeper for a 3-0 advantage.
Ewald won a challenge on the left side to freshman Mia Eglintine, who connected with O’Connor. O’Connor battled her way into some space before finding Carmignani in the middle of the pitch. Carmignani carried at the defense before slotting a perfect through ball to Zub, who finished on her left to complete the hat trick in the 34th minute.
“Anya and Kelly, the two of them, plus Olivia Costa, she’s the same way, they just go forever,” Geysen said of the constant pressure. “So you have those three running up front, they are putting a lot of pressure on the ball and on the defense.”
Franklin girls soccer (15-3-1) will host #9 Wellesley (9-1-6), who took down Marshfield 2-0. The game is currently scheduled for Thursday at 4:00.
Girls Soccer Photos: Stoughton vs. Marblehead
Casna Makes Stoughton’s Playoff Return a Winning One
STOUGHTON, Mass. – It had been 14 years since the Stoughton girls soccer team had gotten a taste of state tournament play. To put that into perspective, none of the current Black Knights were in school when Stoughton last made the postseason. A huge crowd turned out on Monday at Memorial Field to cheer on the Black Knights, making it a memorable occasion for the players.
In the final minute of a tie game, sophomore left back Caitlin Driscoll curled a cross into the box. Driscoll’s classmate Bianca Casna read the flight of the ball, making a late run from midfield. Casna snuck inside her defender and managed to get a foot on the cross, knocking it past the onrushing Marblehead keeper and into the net.
Casna’s goal ensured the game wouldn’t just be remembered as the night Stoughton returned to the playoffs, but for the 2-1 win that sends the Black Knights to the Sweet Sixteen and a rematch with league champion and top seed Oliver Ames.
“We were trying to keep it similar to a league battle and I was hoping that was the intensity we were going to come out with,” said first-year Stoughton coach Jon Grant. “I was a little concerned where we’ve never been here before, but the senior leadership has been tremendous. They’ve kept the energy high, the excitement high, and you can’t beat this crowd here right now.”
“It means everything,” added senior forward Shayla Ford about the experience of playing in the tournament. “We put our heart and soul into this whole entire season. We haven’t been here for 14 years, it’s a new feeling and I’m just really happy that we got here and showed up today.”
She continued, “We were excited. We couldn’t give this opportunity up. With everyone supporting us, we didn’t want to let anyone down.”
Despite not having been on this stage before, the Black Knights came out of the gates ready to meet the physical demands of tournament soccer. The game was filled with robust challenges on both sides, as neither team was willing to give an inch or back down from a tackle.
The Black Knights had a good early chance when Emma Tran crossed from the left sideline to Casna arriving at the back post, but the header went just wide. Marblehead’s first scoring opportunity came off a set piece on the edge of the box, but Samantha Dormer’s shot was well over.
In the 15th minute, Tran gave the crowd reason to get even louder. A foul right in front of the Stoughton bench gave the Black Knights a free kick from about 35 yards out. With the wind at her back, Tran curled a ball into the box. Whether it was intended as a shot or as a cross, only Tran will know, but the ball arrowed towards goal, over the keeper, and just under the bar.
“As she kicked it, I was like oh no, keep it away from the goalie, keep it away from the goalie, that’s going in!” Grant joked. “Whether she was shooting or crossing, it doesn’t matter because it was in the back of the net.”
Marblehead’s most dangerous player was Sydney Ball and she showed off her skills to work shooting space a few minutes later but her effort was right at Stoughton keeper Katrina Varnum. Freshman Julia Vasconcelos had a try from distance for the Black Knights, taking a big hit in the process, but it was also right at the goalie.
Stoughton would have one more chance with the wind at its back. Morgan Cook played a high ball towards the Marblehead back line. Ford watched the bounce of the ball elude the last defender and was on it like a flash, but so was Magicians keeper Kate Ford, who was off her line quickly to collect.
It was a game in which the fouls, and the delays for injuries, outnumbered the clear-cut scoring chances, so it was always likely that set pieces would play a big role. Just three minutes after the break, the Magicians had a chance to line one up. A handball on the edge of the box gave Dormer another opportunity and this time she made it count by belting a shot into the top corner.
Rather than letting the equalizer get the down, the Black Knights went right back on the attack. Less than a minute after the goal, Makenzie O’Connor made a run down the left wing, angling into the box and forcing a diving save with her left-footed shot. The keeper spilled the initial try and Ford was the first to the rebound, but Burns redeemed herself by leaping up and smothering the second shot.
Stoughton’s back line of Sabrina Rodrigues, Lauren Mitchell, Emma Tremblay, and Driscoll (two sophomores and two seniors) were excellent all night, keeping everything to the perimeter and not allowing a chance inside the 18.
“When he called a timeout, I knew there’s only about a minute left and I said, girls they’re going to throw it in the box, we have to counter,” Grant explained. “They’re going to push forward because they have the wind right now, weather the storm and lets hit them on the counter attack.”
Chances remained at a premium. Tran played in a nice free kick from the left to Casna but her downward header bounced wide. Dormer would get two more free kicks in the span of a minute. The first from 35 yards she blazed over and the second one from 10 yards closer was smashed into the wall.
The game looked destined for overtime. Then Driscoll delivered the perfect ball and Casna delivered the finishing touch to create celebration more than a decade in the making.
“They all play on a club team with each other, so they’re all close, connected and you can see that on the field,” Ford said about the play of the underclassmen, including six starters who are sophomores or freshmen. “We just love playing with each other and everyone’s proud of each other and how they performed today.
Stoughton (8-7-4) will take on top seed Oliver Ames on Wednesday afternoon. The teams had two close games in the regular season, with the Tigers winning by a goal in the first meeting and the second finishing in a draw.
“They’ve been the best team, so I wouldn’t want anything less,” Grant said about facing the Tigers again. “I trust these girls and I know they’re going to be excited for [Wednesday].”
Girls Soccer Photos: Oliver Ames vs. Ludlow
Girls Soccer Photos: King Philip vs. Beverly
Girls Soccer Photos: Foxboro vs. Diman
Hockomock Soccer Playoff Seeds & Matchups
Below are the seeds and matchups for the Hockomock boys and girls soccer teams in the MIAA playoffs, which are subject to change. We will update this post with any changes that are made.
Boys Soccer
Division 1
#10 Franklin (14-3-1) will host #23 Belmont (6-5-7) on Monday, 11/7 at 6:00.
#17 Attleboro (11-4-3) will travel to #16 Hingham (12-3-4) on Saturday, 11/5 at 1:00.
#19 Milford (11-5-2) will travel to #14 Marshfield (14-2-1) on Saturday, 11/5 at 6:00.
Division 2
#1 Oliver Ames (15-1-2) will host the winner of #32 Reading (4-11-1)/#33 Northampton (10-5-3) on Sunday, 11/6 at 6:30.
#14 Canton (8-6-4) will host #19 Nashoba (9-7-2) on Saturday, 11/5 at 6:00.
#15 North Attleboro (8-7-3) will host #18 Sharon (6-6-6) on Saturday, 11/5 at 10:00AM.
#18 Sharon (6-6-6) will travel to #15 North Attleboro (8-7-3) on Saturday, 11/5 at 10:00AM.
#24 Mansfield (5-10-3) will travel to #9 Longmeadow (8-5-5) on Saturday, 11/5 at 4:30.
Girls Soccer
Division 1
#8 Franklin (14-3-1) will host the winner of #25 Belmont (9-8-1)/#40 Brockton (10-6-0) on Monday, 11/7 at 4:00.
#10 King Philip (13-4-1) will host #23 Beverly (8-4-5) on Saturday, 11/5 at 4:00.
#31 Attleboro (7-9-2) will host #34 Bridgewater-Raynham (12-4-2) on Saturday, 11/5 at 3:00.
Division 2
#1 Oliver Ames (12-3-1) will host the winner of #32 Ludlow (3-10-5)/#33 Leominster (9-7-2) on Sunday, 11/6 at 1:30.
#6 Mansfield (11-3-4) will host the winner of #27 Walpole (5-9-4)/#38 Marlboro (9-8-1) on Monday, 11/7 at 6:00
#9 Canton (10-3-5) will host the winner of #24 Scituate (7-9-3)/#41 Falmouth (11-5-1) on Monday, 11/7 at 5:00.
#16 Stoughton (7-7-4) will host #17 Marblehead (9-4-5) on Monday, 11/7 at 6:00.
#30 Sharon (5-10-2) will host #35 Pembroke (8-8-2) on Friday, 11/4 at 5:00.
Division 3
#23 Foxboro (4-11-3) will host #42 Diman (10-7-2) on Friday, 11/4 at 3:30.
