The Trojan girls varsity soccer team defeated the Blackstone Valley Beavers 4–1, Friday, Nov. 3, home at Harvard Park in the first playoff game of Central Division 3. Then, on Tuesday, Nov. 7, the girls overcame the No. top-seeded Holy Name Napoleons in double overtime, 2–1, earning a place in the semifinals.
Ashtyn Chipman goes up for a header as teammate Jenny Andrews looks on. (Photos by Lisa Aciukewicz)
In last week’s first-round game, freshman Olivia Kehoe scored Bromfield’s first goal just minutes into the first half off a pass from her sister, freshman Bella Kehoe. Bella stole the ball from a dribbling opponent, moved it through the middle, and then connected with Olivia, who drew in close to the goal and scored. Bromfield’s three forwards, the Kehoes and sophomore Sam Schoenberg, communicated well and executed overlaps frequently to exchange possession. Bella Kehoe scored the Trojans’ second goal, and the half ended 2–0 in Bromfield’s favor.
The Beavers played a stronger game at the start of the second half, keeping the ball in Bromfield’s territory and putting the Trojans on the defensive. Blackstone Valley ran several plays on Bromfield’s left side, pressuring sophomore defenders Caroline Mara and senior Carolyn Garvey. Senior Sarah Moore scored the Trojans’ third goal, weaving through Blackstone Valley players down the middle of the field and getting off a shot to the lower left corner of the net. Hailey Skowronski scored the Beavers’ first goal, but Bromfield’s Schoenberg retaliated with a sprint down the left wing, shoulder to shoulder with a Beaver player, to score Bromfield’s fourth and final goal.
Sarah Moore (center) celebrates her goal-scoring kick in double overtime to win Tuesday’s game against Holy Name.)
“We’ve been working really hard in practice this week … fine-tuning what we’re supposed to do,” said Bromfield’s goalie, senior Sierra Gomez, after the game. The team had to “work on stamina,” she said. “Halfway through the first and the second half, we started losing our spark,” Gomez admitted. “Once we have the spark for … the whole game, we’ll be set, because almost everything we do is perfect.”
Holy Name quarter final
The stamina of Bromfield’s players paid off in their quarter-final game against Holy Name High School Tuesday afternoon, which lasted 95 minutes into double overtime. Bromfield’s Olivia Noyes was first to score, 25 minutes into the first half. A corner kick by Sarah Moore sent the ball into the hands of the Napoleons goalie, who dropped it, allowing sophomore Noyes to shoot the ball into the net. In spite of numerous opportunities, Holy Name was unable to score until midway through the second half when junior forward Issabella Betancur popped the ball over the head of Bromfield’s Gomez to even the score. As the clock ran down and regular time expired, the game remained tied. But 5 minutes into the second overtime period of the afternoon, senior midfielder Sarah Moore scored the winning goal on a well-placed kick from beyond Holy Name’s penalty box.
“It was a great match,” said Holy Name Coach Bill Manzello. “Bromfield’s a good little team. People are going to take them lightly, and they shouldn’t. They’ll do well.”
Next up for the Trojans is a Central District 3 semifinal match against fifth-seeded Sutton High School on Thursday evening, Nov. 9, at Foley Stadium in Worcester. Start time is 5 p.m.
Julia Deng is a Bromfield junior.
John Osborn contributed to this story.
