|
Wednesday, 05 November 2008 |
|
By STEVE MAZZONE Sports writer NORTH SMITHFIELD – The Broncos weren’t able to pull off a playoff stunner, but the game certainly didn’t turn into a blowout like many probably anticipated.
In a too-close-for-comfort Division III semifinal contest Wednesday night, Burrillville High made unbeaten Tiverton sweat it out until the final whistle as the top-ranked Tigers left the field with a slim 2-1 triumph.
“They did a great job,” BHS head coach Dave Dusseault said. “We knew Tiverton would be coming out firing. It’s great that we held them to just two goals, considering the power they have.”
Just how powerful is Tiverton? Prior to the tilt, held at North Smithfield, the Tigers (16-0-0 in III-South) were the highest scoring team in the league with 72 goals, an average of just over four per game. The next best offensive team was North Smithfield with 49 tallies for the season.
In somewhat of an upset, the second-seeded Northmen (15-1-0 in III-North) fell to St. Raphael Academy (8-6-2 in III-South) by a score of 4-2 in the other semifinal contest on Wednesday.
Burrillville was able to keep the game honest with a strong defensive effort that was led by senior captain Hannah Morrissey and sophomore Nikole Moutinho. The Broncos, a No. 2 seed in III-North with an 11-4-1 mark, were also able to limit the touches for Tiverton’s best goal-scorer, junior midfielder Samantha William.
“They all played well,” Dusseault said.
“They just came out very determined,” said THS coach Chris Messenger, whose squad posted an easy 5-0 shutout of the Broncos on Oct. 1 in the only other game between the two squads this fall. “They are very well coached. They only played us once. They played key players. They had someone on Sam. Sam’s very hard to manage. She really is. She’s a very good midfielder. She’s like the energizer bunny.”
All the scoring was done in the first half and it was the surprising Broncos that were able to get it started. At the eighth minute, junior midfielder Kaitlin Connell was able to get around the tight coverage of Tiverton’s Jenna Pare and fired a beautiful shot in from the right side, about 15-yards out. With the two players battling for possession, Connell was knocked to the ground. But in the process of falling, she was able to get her foot on the ball and slam it into the left corner of the net – a shot that Tigers’ keeper Erin Goulart had no chance at saving.
“She just has so much speed,” Dusseault said. “She just stuck it to her. It was a great goal.”
“It came right from our forward, who made a mistake, and she got it stolen from her and she stood there and the progression just came right along,” Messenger said. “(Connell) just beat one girl and she beat another girl and came right down and did her job.”
Tiverton knotted the score at the 17th minute on its first shot of the game. The Tigers’ Megan Raposa was the recipient of that one, booting the ball from about 25 yards that went high over the head of Burrillville goalie Taylor Maurath. Just a few minutes later, freshman Victoria Fryzel found the net with the eventual game-winner at 21:00.
Even though the Tigers controlled the game the rest of the way, the Broncos kept their lethal offense from scoring the remaining 59 minutes of the game.
That’s not exactly an easy task and it certainly did let Messenger relax and enjoy the game.
“I did not give up on my nerves,” she said. “I did not give up on my pacing. They have a warn spot over there on the field…(Burrillville’s) got speed. (Burrillville) wanted the ball more than some of us did tonight. (We) had to be reminded that they needed to want the ball to win the game.”
Tiverton will now take on an upset-minded Saints squad in the state finals this Saturday at 5 p.m. at Pierce Field.
“I think North Smithfield went into the game feeling that we can take this team - no problem,” Messenger said. “(Head coach Steve Demeo), I’m sure, had no idea that his team would have four goals against them. I think they only had 12 all season. We practiced for Burrillville, we practiced for Cranston East (a 2-0 win in the quarterfinals) and we’ll go back and practice for St. Ray’s and hopefully turn that around.”
***
Tiverton 2 - 0 – 2
Burrillville 1 - 0 – 1
First half – 1. B, Kaitlin Connell 8:00; 2. T, Megan Raposa 17:00; 3. T, Victoria Fryzel 20:40.
Second half – No scoring.
Saves – B, Taylor Marauth 7. T, Erin Goulart 4. Shots – B 5. T 9. |
|
Last Updated ( Thursday, 13 November 2008 )
|
Horoscope