Bromfield’s girls soccer players were beaten 4-1 Thursday night by the No. 1 seed Douglas Tigers, ending a late season, six-game winning streak and hopes for a trophy in this year’s Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association Division 5 girls soccer tournament.
Junior Darragh O’Connor scored the team’s lone goal, which came in the final minutes of the game. With the game all but decided, the team seemed to gain energy and confidence in the final minutes and on a fast counter O'Connor slipped behind the Tigers defense to tap a service from senior Tilly Fitzgibbons into the net. Bromfield’s junior goalie Samantha Prouty had a busy night with nearly a dozen saves, charging from the net to capture or fall on the many Douglas shots sent her way, and with a scraped knee and broken fingernail at the game’s end to show for her efforts.
Friday’s defeat brought more hugs than tears in the team’s last huddle. After a frustrating start to the season with 11 losses and two ties, the team rallied in mid-October, won its next six games and for the first time in three seasons reached the MIAA D5 quarterfinals. “You left it all on the field,” first-year Coach Evan Woodworth told the ;players. “It was a privilege to be your coach.”
Watch for our story in the Nov. 22 issue of the Press.
In a busy game for the defense, Caroline Ells (11) challenges Douglas for the ball to block a shot. (Photos by Lisa Aciukewicz)
Darragh O’Connor (6) reacts to scoring Bromfield’s only goal in their 4-1 loss to Douglas in the state quarterfinals for division 5, Nov. 14.
