WEST SPRINGFIELD — Samantha Smith made a diving save to the left of the goal. The save maintained Greenfield High School’s 2-1 lead in penalty strokes and left the game in Ashley Hubbard’s hands.
Hubbard drilled a shot right past Frontier Regional School goalie Skyla Burniske, and that gave the top-seeded and unbeaten Green Wave a 2-1 victory over the second-seeded Red Hawks to claim the Western Massachusetts Division II Field Hockey Championship Friday at Clark Field.
“It’s been a long time waiting, it’s been a long time coming,” said Greenfield head coach Erin Thayer. “I’m so proud of them.”
Smith was able to make a big save to start the penalties on one of Frontier top scoring threats, Olivia Vecellio. Audrey Bresciano followed up Smith’s save with a goal. Another save by Smith allowed Alyssa Garvin to slip one just past Burniske. After Emma Wesoloski got the Red Hawks on the board, Katie Haselton’s shot for the Green Wave was saved, which led to Smith’s save before Hubbard put the game-winner in the net.
The win was quite fulfilling for the Green Wave (17-0-3), as they had to come from behind in order to put themselves in position for overtime, and eventually penalty strokes.
Greenfeld was awarded a penalty corner with just under eight minutes left in the second half, and Hubbard slotted a pass to Bresciano, who drilled it in the goal to pull the Green Wave even at 1-1.
Bresciano’s clutch goal late in regulation gave the Green Wave new life.
“It was perfect timing and it was the perfect spot,” said Smith. “Audrey’s just got such a good hit.”
Heading into overtime, Frontier (14-2-4) put the Greenfield defense on their toes. With just under six minutes remaining in the first half of the overtime, Vecellio broke away down the field and took a shot that went to the left corner of the post and Smith made a diving save to stop that threat.
Less than two minutes later, Smith may have made the save of the game when Frontier’s Lauren Macdonald had a break away shot on goal but Smith charged to the ball and was able to make a kick save that cleared the ball away from Greenfield territory.
Making big plays when it mattered most, Smith was able to give her team more opportunities to earn the win.
“She’s the best goalie in Western Mass, as far as I have to say,” said Bresciano.
Being only a sophomore, Smith was given high praise by her coach for her maturity.
“Sam was tremendous in goal, the pressure for that is huge,” said Thayer. “However, as an eighth grader, she did the same thing, same scenario, just two years ago.”
The Red Hawks got on the board first when Vecellio took a whack at a ball that was a slow roller and bounced into the goal with under eight minutes left in the first half.
Not only did the victory mark the Green Wave’s first Western Mass Division II championship since 2006, it also was revenge after Frontier defeated them 3-1 in last year’s final.
“They’re a huge rival,” said Bresciano. “We just came out and we knew we had to beat them.”
Greenfield will now advance to the Division II State semifinals on Tuesday — also at Clark Field — against Oakmont Regional High School of Ashburnham.