ORANGE — It took some time, but the Mahar Regional boys soccer team’s offense broke through in a 2-1 win over Pioneer Valley Regional at the Woodward Complex on Tuesday afternoon.
Riley Drew scored two second half goals for Mahar after the Panthers took a first-half lead.
“We just came out flat in the first half,” Drew said. “During our halftime, we were talking about how we are better than this team. We know we are. We just went from there.”
The Senators (7-0-1, 5-0-1) stayed unbeaten in the McGrath League match up.
“It’s been a few games in a row of us starting flat,” Mahar coach Dan Guertin said. “The last a couple I chalked up to back-to-backs, tons of injuries and a lot of sickness.”
Drew’s first goal was a laser that tied the game, 1-1, in the second half.
Robert Harris assisted on the goal.
James Temple’s pass split defenders giving Drew a lane to give the Senators the lead.
“We work really well together,” Drew said. “Jamie and I have played together since seventh grade. We are a really strong offensive group. If we are all on the same page, we are unstoppable.”
From there, the Senators continued applying pressure until the final whistle.
“Overall, I am really glad with the way they played in the second half,” Guertin said. “The defense did a really good job.
The Panthers took a first-half lead when Felix Pruitt-Dahl sent a ball toward the Mahar net from around midfield that found the feet of Brad Norwood.
Norwood ran onto the ball and got a touch on it that got past Mahar keeper Logan Dodge.
After the goal the Panthers (2-3-1, 2-2-1) scored, there wasn’t enough offensive opportunities to cushion the lead.
“It was the most complete game we’ve had so far,” Pioneer coach Don Fraser said. “We did some things right. A little more solid in the first half. They are pretty solid all around, but it’s still early in the season and we will see them again.”
Andrew Herk and Simon Powell played effectively for Mahar’s defense, cleaning up any Panther chance that got through the midfield.
“Those guys clean up any mistakes on the outside,” Guertin said. “It’s huge having them. Simon does a better job reading this year than he did last year. Herk is just calm; he stays in his zone and does his job.”
The Panthers lost starting keeper Ryan Potter early in the second half to a thumb injury.
The offensive opportunities in the first half were scarce for both teams.
Pruitt-Dahl made an aggressive run toward net that created a shot for the Panther, but it sailed wide.
Drew had two nice chances, the first went wide and the second went into the arms of Potter.
Temple launched a shot near the 18-yard box just before halftime that sailed high.
Dodge made three saves for the Senators, while Potter and Jacob Quinn combined for six for the Panthers.
Mahar 2, Pioneer 1
|
Pioneer |
1 |
0 |
— |
1 |
|
Mahar |
0 |
2 |
— |
2 |
Goals: (P) Norwood (M) Drew 2.
Assists: (P) Pruitt-Dahl (M) Harris, Temple.
Saves: (P) Potter 5; Quinn 1. (M) Dodge 3.
