Outdated City women soccer snaps Hermon’s 55-game win streak vs. regional opponents
HERMON – The streak has ended!
The Outdated City Excessive Faculty women soccer crew scored the sport’s first 4 objectives and snapped Hermon’s 55-game profitable streak in opposition to North opponents, together with playoffs, with a formidable 4-2 victory on a steamy Saturday afternoon at Pottle Subject.
The Coyotes, 2-0 losers to Hermon within the Class B North closing final season, had a determined edge in possession and received many of the 50-50 balls en path to constructing their 4-0 lead.
The determined Hawks performed with a higher sense of urgency over the ultimate 25 minutes and scored a pair of objectives to tug inside 4-2 with 3:59 remaining in regulation however it was too little, too late.
Outdated City improved to 2-0 and can host Orono on Thursday at 6 p.m. whereas defending three-time Class B North champ Hermon, now 3-1 after dropping a daily season recreation for the primary time since 2018, will host Hampden Academy on Wednesday at 6.
Senior striker and captain Alexis Degrasse scored the one aim of the primary half earlier than the Coyotes erupted for 3 within the first 14:27 of the second half as a pair of objectives from sophomore wing-midfielder Karina Dumond sandwiched one by junior midfielder Rhiannon Bousquet.
Sophomore ahead Olivia Lizzotte had a pair of assists and Degrasse additionally had one whereas senior goalkeeper Danica Brown completed with six saves on 13 Hermon shot makes an attempt.
Sophomore ahead Madison Stewart scored off a Sam Grover move with 24:35 remaining and senior ahead Grover transformed a Stewart move with 3:59 remaining.
Senior goalkeeper Bella Bowden wound up with seven saves on 18 Outdated City photographs.
Outdated City’s tenacious again line of senior Saige Evans, juniors Allyson Caron and Sadie Might and sophomore Libby Saucier was immense all through the competition, limiting Hermon’s possession, forcing turnovers and triggering counter assaults with their passes or clearances from the again.
“We have now a really quick protection and that catches numerous groups off-guard,” stated Outdated City coach Eric Damboise. “And we had been capable of catch them offsides, which was an enormous assist.”
Evans stated they knew what they needed to do to close down a crew that had averaged six objectives per recreation in its first three contests.
“We had been large on not giving them a lot time or house with the ball. We wished to get it out of the again and get it as much as our offense as shortly as attainable,” stated Evans.
Degrasse opened the scoring off an extended throw-in by Evans which was flicked throughout the goalmouth by the top of Makayla Emerson. A scramble ensued.
“It hit off one among my teammate’s heads and it was kicked into the center,” stated Degrasse who calmly headed the ball into the open web from point-blank vary.
The lead swelled to 2-0 two minutes into the second half when Lizzotte crossed the ball from the left aspect into the trail of the onrushing Dumond.
“It was an ideal cross onto my abdomen and I thrust it into the aim,” stated Dumond.
The fully-extended Bowden received a hand on it however it had an excessive amount of energy on it and carried into the web.
Eight minutes later, Lizzotte discovered Bousquet on the prime of the penalty space and Bousquet hit a superbly positioned shot with the surface of her proper foot contained in the far submit to Bowden’s left.
“I wished to place it to the far nook,” stated Bousquet.
Dumond scored her second 5 minutes later with a nifty transfer that created a one-on-one with Bowden.
“Lexi [Degrasse] performed an ideal by way of ball to me. I used to be capable of faucet it across the goalie after which put it in with my left foot,” stated Dumond, whose two-goal recreation was the primary of her profession.
Stewart put the Hawks on the scoreboard as she raced onto a Grover move and steered the ball previous the onrushing Brown.
Hermon’s Brooke Gallop volleyed a nook kick off the crossbar and Brown got here up with a pair of saves on excessive photographs from distance earlier than Grover concluded the scoring with a 14-yard shot contained in the far submit off a Stewart move.
Speedy Hermon winger and aim scoring chief Natalie Tardie, who had seven within the three wins, sustained a wrist damage late within the recreation and didn’t return.
One of many highlights of the sport was the terrific battle between Tardie and the diminutive Caron, who’re two of the quickest and most extremely expert gamers within the area.
Along with marking Tardie, Caron additionally exhibited distinctive consciousness and used her quickness to slip over and assist her fellow defenders.
“She was the most effective participant on the sector amongst each groups,” stated Hermon coach M.J. Ball.
Caron stated the win “means so much to us.
“We’ve been making an attempt to beat them [for years],” stated Caron. “That is superb.”
Ball referred to as it a troublesome day on the workplace.
“By the point we began to play our model of soccer, it was too late. We scored two however gave up 4 and that’s by no means a recipe for achievement. Give them credit score, they labored tougher than we did,” Ball stated. “However I’d fairly lose now than on the finish of the season.”
