Brookline zeros in on title
Warriors shut out Lexington
LYNN — On a cold, blustery afternoon at Manning Field, Brookline’s defense managed to keep an upstart Lexington team ice-cold. The No. 2 Warriors stifled No. 9 Lexington, 2-0, to capture the Division 1 North girls soccer championship yesterday. Maya Leschly recorded a goal and an assist, Maddie Priebe scored the game-winner and the Warrior defense allowed just two shots on goal to Lexington. “The communication out of the back from our centerbacks and keeper is essential to our success,” said Priebe. “We have girls that have all types of speed and composure around the ball,” added Brookline skipper Robert Sprague, “Tonight for them, that’s Warrior defense right there.” After a tense opening 10 minutes, Priebe tallied the first goal of the . The junior midfielder pushed into the Lexington box, settled a Leschly cross and calmly turned and fired a low shot past Lexington keeper Eliza Stokes. Seven minutes later, Hallie Friedman nearly doubled the Brookline advantage, miss-hitting a volley in the Lexington box that Stokes was able to secure. As the half drew on, Lexington continued to press Brookline’s midfield looking for a turnover to start a counter attack but Priebe and Eleanor Fisher proved to be too elusive. The junior midfield tandem found ways to feint or sidestep defender after defender. “Eleanor’s such a great playmaker. She’s so talented on the ball. I think she puts the fear into the opponent,” said Sprague, “and Maddie Priebe was everywhere. She’s was a quintessential two-way midfielder today.” Brookline got the clinching goal in the 73rd minute. Fisher received a pass in midfield and hit Samantha Friedman with a pinpoint leading pass. With only one Lexington defender back, Friedman managed to slot a pass past her defender to a wide open Leschly, who iced the game with a tap in.
Div. 1 boys
No. 3 Lincoln-Sudbury outlasted a dogged challenge from 2017 champion St. John’s Prep, 2-1, to capture the sectional title. First-half goals from Joseph Akisik and Joseph Mepham and a stout defensive performance lifted the Warriors to victory over the ninth-seeded Eagles. “We have a lot of guys who work hard,” said Warriors coach David Hosford, “I thought for the first 20 or so minutes St. John’s outplayed us then we slowly started to find some seams. Credit to the boys, they stuck with it.” The Eagles suffered an early loss in the fourth minute as both Ethan Ambrosh and Ryan Hart had to be subbed off due to injury. In the 61st minute, the Eagles’ pressure finally paid dividends as the Warriors committed a handball penalty in the box. Sam mith stepped forward and slotted a penalty kick past Connor Lachman, to cut the L-S lead in half. With 20 minutes to go, both teams kicked into fifth gear looking to secure the Div. 1 North crown. “We were holding on,” Hosford said. “Five more minutes and it might have been a different result. Just a lot of good heart and working for each other.”