Natick finally reaches goal
RedHawks snag D1 South crown
After years of coming up just short, Natick completed its climb to the top of Division 1 South girls soccer.
Abby Gerdes and Kelly Pease each scored goals while freshman goalkeeper Allison Jeter had five second-half saves as No. 10 Natick held off top-seeded power Newton South, 2-1, to win the Div. 1 South crown yesterday at Hingham High.
The sectional title is the first in program history for the Redhawks.
GIRLS SOCCER
“This team has been through a lot, and for these girls after what they lost after last year, it’s huge for them and it’s huge for the school.” Natick first-year coach David Wainwright said.
With Natick (14-2-5) already on top 1-0 as the game entered its 70th minute, Pease appeared to put the game firmly out of reach. The sophomore midfielder drilled a strike from 25 yards out that carried right over the outstretched arm of Newton South goalkeeper Olivia Dubin to put Natick on top 2-0.
“(Coach Wainwright) always says aim small miss small so I always try to get top shelf,” Pease said.
The Lions, however, answered with Larissa Williams finding the back of the net off a feed from India Blythe to trim the deficit to 2-1 in the 74th minute.
The Redhawks grabbed the lead in the 28th minute with Gerdes dribbling down the left wing before maneuvering around Dubin and chipping it home.
Division 2
Revenge is a dish best served cold, and in chilly conditions against No. 4 Danvers in the Div. 2 North final at Manning Field in Lynn, that’s exactly what secondseeded Winchester got.
A year removed from losing a sectional final to the Falcons, the Sachems got off to a hot start with two goals in the first three minutes, and multiple defensive stands carried Winchester to a 3-1 win.
Sophomore Hannah Curtin led the way with a goal and an assist in the rematch.
“(Revenge) makes it more sweet, this (win),” co-captain Delaney Markham said.
“We definitely came out wanting it more, (the rematch gave) extra motivation,” added fellow co-captain Grace Casey.
The Sachems got on the board within the first 36 seconds, as Ella Ross trickled a pass through defenders for an open Ally Murphy goal. Curtin scored unassisted on the right side for a quick 2-0 lead in the third minute.
“That was a dream start for us,” Winchester coach Rick Emanuel said.
The Hopkinton defense has been the identity all season, and it most certainly carried into the postseason.
In four sectional games, the No. 9 Hillers have yet to allow a goal. The storyline remained in the Div. 2 South final as Allison Bird’s marker 18 minutes in held up as the game-winner during a 1-0 shutout of No. 6 Notre Dame (Hingham).
“Defense has been fantastic all season,” first-year coach Wayne Sygrove said. “We preached that if we don’t concede, we can’t lose the game. (Senior goalkeeper Natalie Calkins) made some fantastic saves, some great defending back there with the midfield helping out. It was a great team win.”
With 22:56 left in the opening half, Bird controlled the ball at the 18-yard mark of the field. She noticed the opposing keeper out of position and decided to test her luck. It was the right choice, as she found the top left corner of the net for the eventual game-deciding goal.
Division 4
Millis’ dream of repeating as Division 4 state girls soccer champions is still alive. Alexi Vaillancourt’s second goal of the game, a head- er off Jordyn Ferrantino’s corner with 1:30 left, gave the sixth-seeded Mohawks (16-3-4) a 2-1 victory over No.5 Hull in the Div. 4 South final in Holbrook.
“We work on our set pieces every day in practice,” Millis coach Steve Bailen said. “We know what Alexi’s capabilities are and we benefit from that, but it takes a team effort from everyone to make that play work.”
Vaillancourt gave Millis a 1-0 lead with 12 minutes left in the first half, scoring off a corner. The lead was shortlived as Hull standout Lauren Anastos, who scored three goals in the semifinal win over Sturgis West, set up Alison Jenkins for the equalizer. Tom Mulherin, Kyle Prudhomme and Dan Ventura contributed to this report.