Frontier Regional School hasn’t let the graduation of 13 seniors derail its plans to qualify for the postseason and defend its Western Massachusetts Division III championship.
The Red Hawks faced the first Holley Division foe in the crossover portion of their schedule and earned a 1-1 independent boys’ soccer draw against traditional power Hampshire Regional High School Monday at Herlihy Park in Whately.
Frontier (4-1-1) struggled at the start and the Red Raiders (3-1-1) were able to grab the lead in the 22nd minute. Brody Dean latched onto a loose ball and sent a cross to the far post, where Harry George headed it into the corner.
It remained a 1-0 game until Ethan LaFleur struck for an unassisted marker in the 60th minute.
Red Hawks keeper Peter Bronke punted a ball to the midfield stripe, which was misplayed by a Hampshire defender. LaFleur stole the ball away from the defender, dribbled past another defender in the attacking third and ripped and 18-yard shot by diving goalkeeper Ioannis Iztroudis, into the far corner.
Hampshire held an 18-8 advantage in shots.
Bronke finished with 9 saves for the Red Hawks, while Iztroudis was credited with 3 stops for the Red Raiders.
“(Hampshire) dominated the first half,” said Frontier head coach Dale Totman. “We were lucky to only be down one.
“We dominated the last 20 minutes,” he added. “We had a lot of good possession in the offensive third, we just couldn’t break through their defense and get any good scoring opportunities.”
Frontier faces another Holley Division foe when it travels to face Monson High School Thursday at Granite Valley Middle School at 4 p.m.
Pioneer 1, Smith Academy 1 — Pioneer Valley Regional School and Smith Academy traded goals in a four-minute span of the first half and that was all the scoring on the day as the teams settled for a 1-1 independent boys’ soccer draw Monday evening in Northfield.
The Falcons took a 1-0 lead in the 24th minute when Liam Pitrat beat Pioneer goalie Ryan Underwood. The Panthers came right back in the 28th minute, as Dana McRae set up Eli Koester for the equalizer. Koester took a rocket from 30 yards out that got under the crossbar in the upper-right corner of the net past Smith Academy goalie Jack Hession.
That was it for scoring, as the teams played a physical game throughout but could not crack the scoreboard again the rest of the way. Smith Academy had chances in the second half on through-balls, and Pioneer managed to build attacks from the back for its own chances, but both goalies stood tall, stopped five shots apiece.
“This is a very gutsy team, and they showed a lot of grit tonight,” Pioneer coach Don Fraser said. “It was a very physical game and we didn’t back down.”
Pioneer (1-4-1) hosts Gateway Regional High School on Thursday.
Sci-Tech 1, Mahar 0 — A fluke early goal wound up being the only offense as Springfield School of Science & Technology held on for a 1-0 independent win over Mahar Regional School in boys’ soccer action Monday at the Woodward Complex in Orange.
Ronald Chilel was credited with the CyberCats’ tally. Senators goalkeeper Bryce Cleveland attempted to clear a back pass, but his low kick struck Chilel and the ball bounced over his head and rolled into the goal as he and Chilel raced after it.
Mahar dominated the stat sheet, recording 13 shots to Sci-Tech’s 2, but CyberyCat goalkeeper Wilmer Lopez turned aside all 13 shots he faced for the shutout.
Mahar (4-2-0) hosts Granby High Scho0l Thursday at 3:30 p.m.
Gateway 4, Greenfield 1 — Evan Lee scored twice and had one assist and Gateway defeated Greenfield High School, 4-1, in an independent boys’ soccer game Monday afternoon in Greenfield.
Lee scored twice in the first half, including his second of the day in the final minute of play.
Alex Auclair and Connor Glebocki each scored in the first 16 minutes of play in the second half.
Greenfield’s Asir Areta scored on a direct kick from just outside the box in the 78th minute to break up Shane Mastello’s shutout bid. Mastello finished with three saves in the win.
Hunter Campbell stopped six shots in the loss.
Greenfield heads to Springfield Wednesday to take on Pioneer Valley Christian Academy.
Granby 7, Mohawk 0 — Seven players scored once Monday afternoon and Granby High School defeated Mohawk Trail Regional High School, 7-0, in an independent boys’ soccer game in Buckland.
Weishan Li scored in the first minute of the game for the Rams, and Noah Bleakley and Alex Joao gave the Rams a 3-0 lead by the 15th minute. Tristan Guzik and Doug L’Abbee scored before the end of the first half to put the visitors up 5-0 at the break. Michael Sosa and Dylan Bragiel scored in the second half for Granby, which held a 30-4 edge in shots.
Zach Gorham made three saves to earn the shutout.
Wyatt Bandy-Page and Souahn Crawford each split time in the Mohawk goal and made eight saves apiece.
Athol 4, South Hadley 0 — Athol High School scored three times in a 10-minute span of the second half to put away South Hadley High School during a 4-0 independent boys’ soccer victory Monday night at O’Brien Field in Athol.
Hayden Herk got the Red Raiders on the board in the 19th minute when he took a pass from Anthony Negron and buried it from 16 yards out.
Mason Tarbell made it 2-0 in the 50th minute after Justin Blake sent him down the left side of the field. Tarbell took three touches, cut it back, and shot it near-post past South Hadley goalie Nehemiah Wilson. Negron was then fouled in the box in the 59th minute and he converted the penalty kick to make it 3-0 in favor of Athol. Thirty seconds later, South Hadley cleared a ball out of the defensive zone, but Athol center back Colin Fish sent the ball right back in and Negron took the pass and buried it.
Colby Mason stopped seven shots in the shutout.
Pathfinder 2, FC Tech 1 — Pathfinder Vocational High School scored twice in the final 15 minutes to beat Franklin County Technical School, 2-1, in an independent boys’ soccer match Monday night at St. Joseph’s Park in Thorndike.
Jovanni Ruggiano scored the Eagles’ only goal in the second minute, assisted by Rueben Galvez.
The Pioneers tied it with Cody Kozlik’s tally in the 65th minute from Teddy King, then King stuck for the eventual winner four minutes later with a helper from Aaron Gilman.
Pathfinder outshot Franklin Tech, 9-7. Mike Tirrell blocked 6 shots in the Pioneers’ goal, while Grayson Funk made 4 saves and Dan Cloutier added a key stop in a short relief role after Funk left due to injury and came back in.
Franklin Tech travels to McCann Technical School Thursday at 4 p.m.
FC Tech 1, Pathfinder 1 — Brooke Adams scored once on Monday and Tabi Hamilton stopped nine shots as Franklin Tech played Pathfinder to a 1-1 draw in a Tri-County League girls’ soccer game in Three Rivers.
Abi Corey had an assist for the Eagles.
Both teams scored in the second half. Tiffany Papesh scored for Pathfinder, and Mackayla Weldon made seven saves.
Mahar 5, Athol 1 — Delaney Parker recorded a hat trick Monday night and Mahar defeated Athol, 5-1, in an independent girls’ soccer game in Orange.
Mahar scored twice in the first half, as Kenzie Tenney scored from Cassie Verheyen, and Parker then scored from Tenney. Mollie Burke made it 3-0 early in the second half on an assist from Hannah Paul, and Paul then set up Parker later in the half.
Athol’s Gracie Dufour scored on an assist from Julia Carey with five minutes to play, and Parker completed her trick with 3:15 remaining on an assist from Katie Cleveland.
Marie Nottleson stopped 10 shots in the Mahar goal, and Tori Tenney made two saves in relief. Taylor Cleveland made 19 saves in the loss.