Sentinels down Lions
SMITHFIELD — Depending on the results of the final week of the regular season, Saturday night’s Division I clash between Smithfield and Lincoln might’ve been a quarterfinal preview.
Everyone who put their Saturday night plans on hold for 90 minutes to take in the match would agree that another meeting between the local rivals with a D-I semifinal spot on the line would be very interesting.
The Sentinels, behind firsthalf goals from sophomores Sam Nicynski and Kasey Ruo, grabbed a two-goal lead at halftime. The Lions never managed to get back on level terms with the Sentinels, but they certainly played well enough to feel good about a potential rematch. Lily Loparto and Riley Specht scored second-half goals for the visitors in a 3-2 defeat.
“The girls fought hard, played hard and were aggressive,” Lincoln coach Chris Allen said. “We took advantage of some of our chances and they took advantage of some of our mistakes. We have to tighten the ship up a little bit, but overall it was a solid game against a good team. I think we played them well. They didn’t outmuscle us or outplay us.”
Smithfield (11-2 Division I) has now won five straight games and Saturday night’s contest was the beginning of a three-game homestand to close out the regular season. If the Sentinels can earn victories over Portsmouth and Cranston West, they guarantee themselves the No. 2 seed.
Lincoln (8-4-2 Division I) is currently tied with Coventry for the No. 6 seed, but the Lions could climb all the way to the No. 4 seed, which would secure a home quarterfinal. Lincoln hosts East Greenwich Monday night before finishing the regular season with a contest Saturday morning against fourth-place Mt. Hope.
The key for the Lions, according to Allen, is simply getting healthy for the playoffs. Talented midfielder Jenna Iaciofano suffered an ankle injury in the first half and didn’t return. That meant that Allen had to turn to freshmen like Tayla Salome and Sadie Oliver to play important minutes.
“We need to get healthy and continue to play smart,” Allen said. “We need to work on the small stuff. It’s the small stuff that matters in the playoffs.”
The teams exchanged scoring chances in the opening 15 minutes, but it was the hosts who finally made the most of their opportunities. The Lions failed to properly clear a free kick from the right touchline and the ball fell to Nicynski at the top of the box. The sophomore rocketed a right-footed shot over goalie Sam Jarry.
Just minute after Loparto had a sure goal saved off the line by defender Kat Laboissonniere, the Sentinels doubled their lead in the 36th minute when Ruo’s attempted cross from the left side of the box turned into a perfect shot that looped over Jarry before hitting the far post and going into the net.
Lincoln, behind the play of Thompson, Specht and Loparto, dominated the opening 10 minutes of the second half. The Lions cut the deficit in half in the 44th minute when Loparto directed a Thompson corner past Abby Leveille. Thompson played Loparto in on goal in the 48th minute, but Leveille made a superb sliding stop.
“Cam always plays at a high level, she always does,” Allen said. “Everyone around her played hard to keep up with her pace. She always keeps going and everyone matched that to put pressure on them.”
Smithfield hit the Lions on the counter attack for a goal in the 53rd minute when Cobain’s cross from the left side was headed by Riley Hart past goalie Jenna Andrews.
Specht scored a superb goal in the 65th minute to cut the deficit to one, but the Lions couldn’t find an equalizer over the final 15 minutes.
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