Hollis Brookline girls soccer slips past Souhegan (video)
Peter Clarke told his Hollis Brookline High School girls soccer team that Tuesday’s game against Souhegan would be a dress rehearsal for the postseason.
AMHERST – Peter Clarke told his Hollis Brookline High School girls soccer team that Tuesday’s game against Souhegan would be a dress rehearsal for the postseason.
The Cavaliers nailed the practice run, getting a second-half goal from Sydney Brackett and holding off a late charge by the Sabers for a 1-0 win in Division II action.
Brackett scored off an assist from Magnolia Moskun in the 61st minute and Olivia Cleghorn made eight saves to preserve HB’s fifth shutout of the season. The Cavs improved to 11-2 with the win and remained in third place in the division with three games to go.
“I told the girls coming over here, this rehearsal for playoffs,” Clarke said. “The rivalry, the atmosphere, the lights, the crowd noise, the quality of the opposition, and if we’re going to figure out how to get through it, we’re going to have to take a game like this and solve the issues on the field. I was delighted with the way the kids played right from the get-go.”
The Sabers (7-5-1) weren’t without their chances, as they controlled large portions of play in the first half, and nearly took the lead early in the second half, when an arching shot from Emma Estabrook hit squarely off the middle of the crossbar. Souhegan got 12 saves from goalie Makayla Lachance.
“They played really well,” Souhegan coach Amy Sparks said. “They did what we asked. They didn’t give up and I’m very proud of them. Hollis is one of the best teams in the division, without a doubt, so for us to play them and hold them and be in there with them, it’s (a positive). But on the other hand, there have been a lot of games like this for us, this well-played.”
It was the eighth one-goal game the Sabers have been involved in this season, and they’re 3-5 in those contests, including a 2-1 overtime loss to the Cavs in the first game of the season.
“Our defense has been amazing,” Sparks said. “This is our 13th game and we’re averaging less than a goal a game. Our defense is rock solid, fast, smart, on the ball, they’re a huge part of how we came this close (Tuesday).”
Lachance came up with some big saves in the second half, including a diving one on Torrey Cook just moments after Brackett gave HB the lead.
Souhegan came close to going ahead in the first half, when Cleghorn couldn’t corral a loose ball and it went right to Marlena Culver in front of the goal. Culver shot at the open net, but HB’s Kenzie Day got a foot on the ball to deflect it away.
Midway through the second half, Souhegan got the ball deep in HB’s end, but Holly Eisenberg was able to clear it out. Moskun got the ball near midfield and sent it to the left of the Souhegan goal, where Brackett was able to track it down and tuck a shot just inside the far post.
“Maggie Moskun is so dangerous distributing the ball coming out of the midfield, and she’s got Syd to work with,” Clarke said. “If you can put a ball in front of Syd, you’re chances are pretty good.”
The Sabers almost tied the game with about two minutes to play, but a shot by Katherine Hollister hit off an HB defender at the goal line and caromed out of bounds.
“This was a great rehearsal to stress to our defenders that they have to keep shape, and our mids have to get their mark, and our forwards have to make themselves available, both to defend and transition,” Clarke said. “We need to keep things taken care of in the back to have a chance to win playoff games.”
