TURNERS FALLS — Just a couple of years removed from a two-win season, the Franklin Tech boys soccer team is one victory away from a sectional championship after a 3-2 win over Lenox in the Western Mass. Class C semifinals on Friday afternoon.
The appearance in the sectional final is the first in program history for the Eagles. Putting aside personal goals for team goals fueled the new winning formula for Franklin Tech.
“These kids have bought in,” Franklin Tech coach Dan Prasol said. “They are putting in the hard work every day, they are playing as a team. They’re not playing selfishly and that’s been the big difference.”
No. 2 Franklin Tech advances to play top-seeded Mount Greylock on Sunday at Chicopee Comp at 4 p.m. The Mounties are the reigning champions and have won three straight sectional titles in Class C.
“Our philosophy is that there are no big games,” Prasol said. “There are just games. The only thing that makes a game a big game is the noise around it. We’ve really worked to quiet the noise. We have this ongoing joke on the team that anything that’s noise goes into the drawer. You deal with the drawer after the game…then you can silence the noise.”
Cody Yetter and Nathan Gheorghita both scored for the Eagles. The duo has combined for 39 goals this season on the front line of Franklin Tech’s potent offense.
“They have this great chemistry right now,” Prasol said. “They are kind of feeding off each other. You saw that today. But we are working hard. We have all unified behind one goal and one cause and all of that is making great things happen.”
Franklin Tech won a Tri-County North league championship and finished with an undefeated record in league play.
“It’s the discipline we’ve had,” Gheorghita said. “We work really hard in practice.”
Mount Greylock represents the toughest opponent the Eagles have faced all season. Beating the Mounties will be all about preparation and staying focused on the field.
“You have to get a good sleep,” Gheorghita said. “Then let your play do the talking.”
Gheorghita scored with 18 minutes, 38 seconds left in the first half to give Franklin Tech the lead. Gheorghita let go of a fast-moving shot on the ground outside the 18-yard line which found some room just inside the left post.
Carter Leete scored just under a minute later for the Eagles when he serviced the ball up high into the penalty area from around 40 yards out. The ball drifted due to the wind near the crossbar and glanced off the hands of the Lenox keeper, giving the Eagles a 2-0 lead.
Dylan Blake scored for the Millionaires with 14:19 left in the in the first half. That’s when Yetter found some insurance for the Eagles. Yetter got loose on a breakaway and eventually scored on a rebound, giving Franklin Tech a 3-1 lead going into the intermission.
Blake scored again with 26:59 remaining in the second half, cutting the Franklin Tech lead to 3-2. The Eagles held off the Millionaires for the remainder of the game. Anything that got past the defense found the gloves of Franklin Tech keeper Jakob George.
