Tobin brothers help Reading revoke NA

Reading made yesterday’s Division 1 North quarterfinal win over North Andover look relatively routine. The Rockets will face a much bigger challenge next round.

Reading advanced to the North semifinals with a 13-9 win over the Scarlet Knights, setting up a clash with two-time defending state champion LincolnSudbury.

It was the usual suspects leading the charge for Reading (16-3). A first-half hat trick from Mike Tobin helped the Rockets start the game on an 8-1 run. Tobin finished with four goals and an assist, while brother Kevin flipped those totals with one goal and four assists.

Midfielder Jack Geiger, a UMass-Amherst commit, had two goals of his own and was instrumental in the quick transition offense that set up Reading with plenty of easy goals on the break.

“We were moving the ball great,” Kevin Tobin said. “We talked about it before the game. When we really focus on it, it works wonders.”

“That’s how our team has evolved,” Rockets coach Charlie Hardy said. “If we can pass this well all the time, we can beat almost anybody.”

North Andover (13-6) mounted a second-half rally to cut its deficit to four with just 1:25 left. Steve Canale had five goals in the game, including three in the fourth, but the Scarlet Knights couldn’t climb out of the early hole.

In other boys action, Derek Williams’ game-winning goal with four minutes left capped off a second-half comeback as No. 10 Waltham (12-5) shocked second-seeded Andover, 10-9, in a Div. 1 North quarterfinal.

Brennan Conroy scored three goals in the first half as No. 6 Wellesley (14-5) built a 9-3 lead, then hung on for a 10-9 victory over No. 11 Mansfield in a Div. 1 South first-round contest.

Corbin White tallied the game-winning goal with less than two minutes left to give No. 4 Melrose (127) a 10-9 victory over fifthseeded Burlington in a Div. 2 North quarterfinal. ... Matt Rawding scored four times as No. 3 Beverly (11-9) handled No. 6 Shawsheen, 13-4.

Girls

McKenzie Evans scored the tying and winning goals in the final 49 seconds, giving her three in the game, as No. 4 Andover (16-6) edged fifth-seeded

Winchester, 15-14, in a Div. 1 North quarterfinal.

Maggie Pons and Cescily Wheeler combined for five goals in the first 10 minutes as top-seeded Newburyport (18-0) never looked back in cruising past No. 8 Lynnfield, 19-1, in a Div. 2 North quarterfinal.