Natalie Denkiewicz scored with seven minutes to play and Frontier Regional School survived an upstart Smith Vocational & Agricultural High School girls’ soccer team with a 4-3 victory in an independent game Tuesday night in Northampton.
Denkiewicz scored twice in the second half as Frontier had to overcome deficits twice in the game. Smith Voke’s Ella Sherman scored three minutes into the second half to give the Vikings (5-4-0) a 3-2 lead. Denkiewicz tied the game in the 51st minute when she finished off a cross from Tori Speth. The game remained tied at 3-3 until late when Frontier took a timeout and moved a third player forward. The move paid off when Hamilton hit Denkiewicz in the box and the Frontier sniper buried it past Smith Voke goalie Lizzy Hardy for the eventual game-winner.
“It wasn’t pretty, but it was a necessary win for morale,” Frontier coach Phil Pittelli said. “We were making a lot of mental mistakes. Their style of play was giving us a hard time. We got a little panicky when we got down, which is something I never really see from this team.”
Smith Voke scored five minutes into the game when Marissa Mayhew stole a pass from the Frontier backfield and ran toward net on the right side. There, she fired a shot off the far post and in.
The score remained that way until Frontier scored back-to-back goals in a three-minute span, beginning in the 30th minute when Denkiewicz sent a cross into the box that was finished off by Cambrie Hamilton. Three minutes later, Denkiewicz again sent a cross into the box to Hamilton, only this time Hamilton touched a pass back to Katie Thompson, who fired it home.
The Red Hawks were unable to take the lead into the break, however, when Mayhew again took advantage of a giveaway in the Frontier backfield and broke in on net to score in the 35th minute.
Lexa Boyden made two saves to earn the win. Hardy stopped eight shots in the loss.
Mahar 6, McCann Tech 0 — Visiting Mahar Regional School scored three times in the first three minutes and rolled past McCann Technical School, 6-0, in an independent girls’ soccer game Tuesday in North Adams.
Hannah Paul scored just one minute into the game, while Mollie Burke followed a minute later to make it 2-0. Kianna Reilly registered a goal 48 seconds later, and Mahar (7-0-3) was well in control up 3-0.
Delaney Parker, Sam Rowe and Micalyn Mailloux also scored goals in the win, while Parker, Paul, Tori Tenney and Emma Savoie recorded assists.
Mahar’s Marie Nottleson made two saves to pick up the shutout, as the Senators held a decisive 38-2 edge in shots.
Mahar hosts Pope Francis High School today at 4.
Gateway 4, Mohawk 0 — Jessica Van Heynigen notched a second-half hat trick, scoring her 100th career point in the process, and visiting Gateway Regional High School pulled away late for a 4-0 win over Mohawk Trail Regional High School in an independent girls’ soccer game Tuesday in Buckland.
Mohawk (2-5-1) trailed just 1-0 at halftime, with Gateway’s Erin Harris finding the back of the net in the 14th minute. But Van Heynigen made it 2-0 just over 10 minutes into the second half and scored two more after that for the 4-0 final.
“We played very well in the first half but we just need to find a way to close games out,” admitted Mohawk coach Steven Tomi.
Mohawk goalkeeper Lilly Seaver recorded 14 saves in net, while the Warriors managed just three shots on goal.
The team hosts Frontier Regional School Thursday.
Hopkins 8, Greenfield 0 — Juliette Cook had two goals and host Hopkins Academy stormed out to a 5-0 lead en route to an 8-0 win over Greenfield High School in an independent girls’ soccer game played Tuesday in Hadley.
Greenfield goalkeeper Dina Samake recorded 20 saves in net, as the Green Wave managed two shots against the Hawks (6-2-2).
“Our focus for the day was playing more directly, more aggressively, and with more pace offensively,” began Greenfield coach Patrick Garland. “We knew we would give up more goals in the process, but we improved as a team today. I am excited to get back to playing the second half of our league schedule.”
Greenfield is off until Oct. 11 when it travels to Ware High School.
Four Rivers 2, Charlemont 1 — The A-Team — Anna Goldstein, Alexis Dimitriou and Alouette Batteau — led Four Rivers Charter School to a 2-1 win over the Academy at Charlemont in a River Valley Athletic League girls’ soccer game Tuesday afternoon in Charlemont.
Goldstein scored once in each half for the Otters, the first of which was assisted by Dimitriou and gave the Otters a 1-0 lead at halftime. Goldstein upped the lead to 2-0 in the second half when she had an initial shot stopped but followed it up and booted it home.
That was enough for Batteau, who made nine saves in the win. She had her shutout bid spoiled late in the game when Ruby Chase scored for the Aardvarks.
FC Tech 1, Sci-Tech 0 — Olivia Whittier scored in the first half and Tabi Hamilton stopped all five shots she faced as Franklin County Technical School defeated Springfield School of Science & Technology, 1-0, in a Tri-County League girls’ soccer game Tuesday in Springfield.
Whittier scored in the 29th minute off an assist from Vanessa Mareno and Hamilton made the goal stand up, pitching a shutout to pull the Eagles (4-5-0) back to one game away from .500 on the season.
“The win was nice but we still have to significantly improve our effort level if we are going to make tournament,” Tech coach Dan Prasol said.
Olivia Goodrew made six saves in the loss.
Four Rivers 11, Paulo Freire 0 — Ben Yu registered a hat trick, and Milou Riggoloud and Aidan Delorenzo scored two apiece as Four Rivers Charter School blanked Paulo Freire Social Justice Charter School, 11-0, in a River Valley Athletic League boys’ soccer game Tuesday afternoon.
The Otters (6-0-1), fresh off a 6-0 win over Hartsbrook School on Friday, also received goals from Mica Van Iderstine, Evan Leaf, Max Schnoor and Nick LaCoy.
Four Rivers plays Buxton School today.