It was a highlight-reel goal storm in Northfield on Tuesday, as the Pioneer girls soccer team buried a trio of impressive tallies en route to a 3-1 win over Mahar in a Bi-County League contest.
Dzelila Cecunjanin netted two of the three goals for Pioneer, while Deveney Pillsbury scored and assisted on another.
“Mahar played a solid defensive game,” Pioneer coach Matt Killeen said. “We were helped by a solid backline, industrious midfield, and three special goals from two excellent playmakers.”
Kyler McClelland made three saves in net for the Panthers.
Lexi Murcell scored a beautiful goal for the Senators, finishing off a cross from Lexi Ares up high to beat McClelland and cut the deficit to 2-1.
Athol 5, Smith Academy 0 – Serena Nkengafe and Hannah Cardoso scored two goals apiece for the Bears, which broke out for a season-high five goals in a Bi-County League thumping of the Falcons on Tuesday in Hatfield.
Annelise Devries also tallied in the win for Athol (2-2-1), and reliable goalkeeper Ava Adams stopped all four shots she faced to snag her third shutout of the season.
St. Mary’s 2, Franklin Tech 1 – Mya Kozik netted the game-winning goal midway through the first half, and the visiting Saints held on for a 2-1 Bi-County League win on Tuesday in Turners Falls.
The Eagles, which were playing the second game in as many days, trailed 1-0 just one minute into regulation when St. Mary’s Morgan Lecrenski tallied.
Freshman Faythe Sobieski responded for Franklin Tech just three minutes later though, as she found space in the box and buried a shot inside the far post to tie the game.
Kozik’s 25th-minute winner was enough, despite Tech outshooting the Saints. Eagles goalie Shayly Martin made seven saves, including a couple clutch stops late in regulation on counterattack breakaways when Franklin Tech sent extra players forward to try and find the equalizer.
Tristan Bliss played well for the Eagles, stepping up in the midfield and up top.
Easthampton 4, Greenfield 2 – Arie Kuchyt netted a hat trick, and the Eagles doubled up Greenfield on Tuesday.
Elderina Cecunjanin and Tayler Bergeron scored goals for the Green Wave, and goalies Lexi Berry and Val Bzomowski combined to make six saves.
Boys soccer
Four Rivers 6, St. Michael’s School 1 – Cooper Whitney and Miles Retzlaff buried two goals apiece, and the Otters continued its dominant season with another decisive win on Tuesday.
Silas Kopera and Jasper Greninger were the other goal scorers for Four Rivers.
Quabbin 4, Athol 0 – The Bears dropped their fifth straight in a 4-0 loss on the road Tuesday.
Volleyball
Athol 3, Pioneer 2 – The Bears won their second match in a row, taking to the road and holding on for a wild five-set victory over the Panthers in Northfield on Tuesday.
Set scores were 20-25, 25-18, 25-16, 18-25, 15-11.
Giana Vaillancourt led the Bears (3-4) with a monster all-around effort of nine kills, 10 assists, 10 aces and eight digs, while Abby Spooner (five kills) and Reese Nelson (four kills) aided the offensive effort. Ella Reed also had eight assists and a pair of kills in the win.
Pioneer received contributions from all over its lineup. Kiara Gruszkowski (18 digs, three kills, two blocks), Jacobia Tyminski (21 digs, three blocks, eight kills), Abbie Ray (four kills, seven aces), Evangeline Lewis (14 digs, three aces), Sophia Wood (five kills, 21 assists), Greta Lewis (three kills, eight digs), Serenity Brown (eight digs), Lana Gagnon (five kills, nine digs), Molly Gouin (eight digs, four aces) and Corrie Glenn (16 digs) all had big nights.
Turners Falls 3, Hampden Charter 0 – The Thunder rolled to a 25-17, 25-18, 25-11 independent sweep on Tuesday night.
Maddie Dietz (two aces, five digs, four assists), Maddie Haight (six aces, two digs), Abby Moffatt (three aces, six digs), Janelle Massey (four aces, five kills), Shelby Beck (five aces, three digs) and Autumn Thornton (four aces, three digs) all contributed in a balanced team effort for the Thunder.
Field hockey
Greenfield 6, Amherst 0 – McKenzie Boswell’s hat trick sparked the Green Wave in its 6-0 independent rout of the Hurricanes on Tuesday in Greenfield.
Grace Laurie scored a pair of goals in the win, and Henley Gilstrap also found the back of the net and added two assists for Greenfield (3-3).
The Wave led 2-0 after one quarter and 4-0 at halftime. The hosts also held a decisive 29-6 edge in shots, and goalie Kayden Viencek stopped all six shots faced.
Southwick 4, Franklin Tech 0 – Mila Albano tallied twice for the host Rams, which scored a decisive independent victory on Tuesday in Southwick.
Golf
Hopkins 160, Turners Falls 179 – Ethan Eichorn posted the low round of the day for the Thunder, carding a 40 at Thomas Memorial Golf & Country Club.
Turners matched its low total of the season. Ryley Regan was medalist for the Golden Hawks with a 33.