Pioneer Valley Regional School opened a busy final week of the regular season with a Senior Night girls’ soccer victory.
The Panthers, held scoreless in the first half, were able to get a pair of tallies over the final 40 minutes to defeat Greenfield High School, 2-0, in a Franklin County League contest Monday night in Northfield.
Pioneer (3-11-1 overall, 2-4-0 FCL) overcame some offensive inconsistencies during the opening period and finally jumped out to a 1-0 lead on Aiden Gries’ goal in the 47th minute.
The Panthers got their insurance goal from senior defender Annalise Holesovsky in the 68th minute, assisted by Aiden Gries.
“I was happy to see some immediate intensity in this game,” said Pioneer head coach Nikki Pullen. “Unfortunately, we weren’t moving the ball as well as I’d hoped in the first half, and the 0-0 halftime score reflected that.
“We were so excited in keeping possession yet we weren’t playing the smart pass — sometimes it’s not always forward,” she added. “After some position changes and perfectly placed corner kicks, we eventually got one in.”
Pioneer outshot Greenfield 10-0. Leah Fuess did not have to make a save to record the shutout. Dina Samake made 8 saves for the Green Wave.
FC Tech 4, Pathfinder 4 — Hannah Montanez scored a pair of late goals to help Pathfinder Regional Technical High School tie Franklin County Technical School, 4-4, in a Tri-County League girls’ soccer game Monday in Turners Falls.
The Eagles (4-6-6) have two games remaining and must win both to qualify for the WMass Division IV Girls’ Soccer Tournament. Franklin Tech heads to winless High School of Commerce Thursday before visiting Smith Vocational & Agricultural High School on Halloween Day.
The Eagles led 3-2 at halftime and Keltyn Socquet scored an unassisted goal in the 60th minute to put Franklin Tech up 4-2, before Montanez scored on a penalty kick and then netted an unassisted goal with four minutes left in the game to help the Pioneers earn the draw.
The first half was back-and-forth. Pathfinder took a 1-0 lead on Abby Emery’s goal from Tiffany Papesh, but the Eagles tied it in the 16th minute on Brooke Adams’ first of three goals. Papesh then scored from Montanez in the 34th minute to put Pathfinder up 2-1, but Adams scored twice in the final four minutes of the first half, one of which was assisted by Kate Garcia, who finished with two assists on the day.
Tabi Hamilton made 14 saves in the Franklin Tech goal, while Mackayla Weldon stopped seven shots.
Mahar 6, Mohawk 0 — Kenzie Tenney scored once in each half and Mahar Regional School once again captured the Franklin County League girls’ soccer title with a 6-0 victory over Mohawk Trail Regional High School Monday night at the Woodward Complex in Orange.
The win meant that the three Mahar seniors, who were playing their final home game, have now won every league game in their four years at Mahar.
“The seniors went out in style if this was our last home game,” said Mahar coach Chad Softic, who’s team could still host a game in the WMass Division III Tournament. “Cassie Verheyen, Kenzie Tenney and Kelsey Killay are playing their best soccer right now when we need it most.”
Mahar outshot Mohawk, 40-4, and scored three times in both halves. Tenney led the way with two goals, while Delaney Parker had one goal and three assists for a four-point day. Jazmyn Vautour and Hannah Paul each finished with one goal and one assist, Jeanne Grutchfield scored once, and Abby Bonk had an assist. Marie Nottleson stopped both shots she faced for the shutout.
Lilly Seaver continued her strong play in the Mohawk goal and finished with 20 saves in the loss.
South Hadley 3, Frontier 1 — Emma Slysz scored late in the first half and South Hadley High School defeated Frontier Regional School, 3-1, in a Pioneer North Division girls’ soccer game Monday at Herlihy Field in Whately.
Slysz scored four minutes after Elaine LaBarbera tied the game for Frontier, and gave the Tigers momentum heading into the locker room. South Hadley rode that into the second half, when they clamped down defensively and made life difficult for the Red Hawk forwards.
The Tigers took a 1-0 lead in the 11th minute when Slysz set up Alexa Blaney, but Frontier tied things up late in the first half when LaBarbera scored on an assist from Julia Riordan in the 33rd minute. Slysz broke the tie in the 37th minute with her unassisted goal that stood as the game-winner. Marley Medina added a goal midway through the second half to seal the victory.
Sophie Gatzounas finished with five saves in the South Hadley net. Eliza Desmarais (six saves) and Alexa Boyden (seven saves) each played one half in the Frontier goal.
Granby 4, Athol 0 — Summer Molin and Nora Young each had a goal and an assist in Granby High School’s 4-0 Pioneer North Division girls’ soccer win over Athol High School Monday in Granby.
Kaeleigh Croteau and Mallory Beauregard also scored for the Rams (13-2-2, 7-0-0 Pioneer North).
Peyton Parker made 9 in net for the Red Raiders (6-10-1, 1-7-0).
Greenfield 5, Mohawk 3 — Silvain Popusoi scored a hat trick to close out his career and lead Greenfield to a 5-3 McGrath Division North boys’ soccer win over Mohawk on Senior Day Monday in Greenfield.
Popusoi scored the first two goals of the match — the first one was assisted by Asier Areta in the 14th minute, the second unassisted in the 24th minute.
That started a flurry of goals, as the Warriors’ Ben White notched an unassisted marker in the 26th minute, Greenfield’s Losef Cavalenco scored unassisted in the 28th and Mohawk’s Bennet Boucias booted home a pass from Adam Benjamin in the 30th. An own goal helped the Warriors tie it before the half.
Popusoi completed his hat trick with an assist from Areta in the 62nd minute, and Fahrah Day converted a penalty kick in the 65th minute to complete the scoring.
Crescens Laborschi made 4 saves in the Greenfield goal, while Hunter Gibson had 3 stops for Mohawk.