SOUTH DEERFIELD — Something about the postseason seems to bring out the best in the Frontier Regional School field hockey team.
The third-seeded Red Hawks put together arguably their most complete performance of the season Wednesday. The hosts scored three goals in each half, blanking No. 6 Turners Falls, 6-0, in a Western Massachusetts Division 2 Tournament quarterfinal.
The victory sends Frontier (11-5-3) through to the semifinals for the 10th consecutive season. The Hawks will play No. 2 Southwick (16-2-1), a 3-2 winner over No. 7 Belchertown Wednesday, for a spot in the sectional title game. The time and location for that semifinal game is to be determined, but likely will take place Monday or Tuesday.
“This was huge for the girls,” said Frontier coach Missy Mahar of the dominant effort against Turners. “All season, we’ve talked about what they need to do in order to be successful and it was very nice to see them bring it for all 60 minutes today.”
Frontier was on its game from the get-go, needing just 4 minutes, 35 seconds to get on the board in the first half. Olivia Vecellio powered the ball into the striking circle, Lily Spencer kept it going and Alyson Barnes swept it into the back of an empty net for a quick tally that set the tone for what was to come.
“Scoring early is critical,” Mahar said. “It relaxes everyone a bit and we’re able to settle in and play the kind of game that we want.”
Conceding early was not part of the game plan for the Thunder (11-7-1), who hoped to use the momentum from a tight 4-2 loss to Frontier during the regular season when the teams met for the rematch Wednesday.
“We didn’t come out and play as aggressively as we needed to as a team,” Turners coach Becky Dame said. “And we had some people put their heads down after we got behind early. You can’t do that against a team as good as Frontier and hope to get back in the game.”
Turners stemmed the tide for just over 10 minutes after allowing the early goal, but the dam broke twice in a span of 2:03 when Spencer and Vecellio tallied back-to-back goals. Vecellio’s strike on a standout individual effort gave Frontier a commanding 3-0 lead with 11:27 left before halftime, and the advantage carried into intermission.
Led by shutdown performances from Amelia Sobieski and Maeve Huitt, the Frontier defense managed to keep Turners — and star senior Cassidhe Wozniak — off the board. Wozniak was second in the Recorder area with 32 goals this fall.
“They did a great job on her,” said Mahar of Sobieski and Huitt, who each spent time man-marking Wozniak. “We didn’t do that the first time we played them and she was a huge threat. We wanted to try something different with her, try and limit her opportunities because she’s such a great player.”
Frontier kept rolling in the second half, with goals coming from Emily DeMaio, Vecellio (her second) and Shelby Clark to propel the Hawks to the 6-0 victory.
Frontier, which received assists from Spencer, Vecellio, Barnes, Sobieski and Lila Roche, held a 13-3 edge in shots on goal with goalkeeper Skyla Burniske recording three saves. She teamed with Ella Flanders to pitch the team’s 10th shutout of the season. Turners keeper Haleigh Greene made seven saves.
After missing the postseason a year ago, Turners returned to the party this time with a very young group. Wozniak is the team’s only senior, and Dame said her squad wanted to make a run to send her out in style.
“She’s a great leader,” Dame said of Wozniak. “I think everyone went into the year wanting to make (the tournament) for it being her last year. I’m proud of them for being so young and stepping up.”
Frontier 6, Turners 0
|
Turners |
3 |
3 |
— |
6 |
|
Frontier |
0 |
0 |
— |
0 |
Goals: (F) Vecellio 2, Barnes, Spencer, DeMaio, Clark.
Assists: (F) Spencer, Vecellio, Barnes, Sobieski, Roche.
Shots: Turners 3. Frontier 13.
Saves: (TF) Greene 7. (F) Burniske 3, Flanders 0.
Corners: Turners 3. Frontier 7.