Two girls teams remain undefeated as season draws to a close
BY LINDAWILLIAMS CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Despite the rain, wind and cold the U10 and U12 girls teams continued romping through their respective divisions and maintained unblemished records. The U10 girls improved their record to 7-0- 0 defeating a visiting quality Mashpee team, 6-2, maintaining the team's position alone at the top of the leader board. So far Nantucket has amassed 39 points to 13 points against. The U12 girls also ended their weekend with an impressive record of 7-0-0, 32 goals against five for their opponents, and one point out of first place with one game to go. The win ensures the team of a place in postseason play and a possible first-round home game.

In what shaped up as a very exciting game, the U10 girls fought off Mashpee in what Coach George MacLellan characterized as a "real team effort today, with everyone stepping it up." He added that "the girls really come to play every time they enter the pitch no matter how intimidating the other team looks, like Mashpee today."

After Mashpee immediately applied pressure to keeper Renee Perkins, Kate Daniels, who has scored first in all six games, broke the ice at the 13 minute mark. Having picked the ball up at midfield, Daniels dribbled down and floated it over three defenders and the keeper. Perkins was unmovable with nine saves in the first half, including some diving saves pushing the ball just past the posts. Nora MacLellan, Claire MacKay, Margaret Troast and Daniels continued the attack, confusing the Mashpee defense with passing and switching back and forth across the field, but had some unlucky bounces until 22 minutes had elapsed, when Daniels received a spot-on cross from Kelli Molloy, having been fed at midfield by Perkins.

Daniels netted her third goal, for a total of 22 on the season, on a through ball from MacLellan that had been bobbled by the defense to end the half with Nantucket up, 3-0. Kelli Molloy then took up the keeper position and was immediately challenged by Mashpee who stepped up their play. Two minutes in, Mashpee finally scored when Nantucket's defense momentarily was caught flat-footed. Molloy ended the half with three very tough saves. After Mashpee got within one at 3-2, a fired up Nantucket rattled off three more in quick succession. Troast scored her first of the season from a feed from Daniels and then a few minutes later scored off a cross from MacKay. MacLellan scored just seconds before the final whistle off a centering pass from Perkins set up by Hannah Perry for her first assist of the year from midfield.

On Saturday, the U12 girls took on a visiting Yarmouth-Dennis taking them down, 6-0, for the team's third shutout of the season. It was seesaw action until Alexa Crosby scored 25 minutes in for the only goal of the half. Cara Garufiearned a hat trick in the second half with her first goal three minutes in off an assist from Crosby. Her next two goals were second chance shots off the goalie. Crosby and Kate Freed added two more, after Freed had tallied seven saves in the first half as keeper. Keeper Taylor Kopp, coming in 19 minutes in, had three saves. The defense did a great job clearing the ball and helping to shut down Yarmouth-Dennis.

Sunday, the U12 girls welcomed undefeated Dartmouth, that was tied for second place with Nantucket. In a tense, thriller of a match and with the wind in Nantucket's favor, Nantucket managed to jump on top, 2-0, within the first four minutes on Crosby goals. Garufiput the team up, 3-0, seemingly out of reach. However, Dartmouth pushed back and got on the Board but down, 3-1, at the break. Though the wind was in Dartmouth's favor, second half keeper Freed was a sensation, racking up 16 saves for a total of 21 saves for the game. Dartmouth drew closer six minutes into the second half for a nailbiter of a score, 3 - 2. Nantucket increased the lead when Sabrina Dawson took advantage after Crosby fired a ball into Garufiwhose shot bounced off the keeper and right to Dawson. Grace Jensen closed the deal with a goal 29 minutes into the second half for the 5-2 victory.

In other action, the U8 boys and girls #1 team also did double duty traveling to Taunton on Saturday and hosting Sandwich on Sunday. After a rough start to the season, dropping the first two games, including a 10-0 drubbing by New Bedford, the team turned it around and tied the third game and has been on a roll ever since, trouncing three teams in a row as the team gelled. The team edged Taunton, 4-2, and tied Sandwich, 1-1. Nantucket only carried six players on the bus and, leaving it on the field without a rest, kept the play in the Taunton end most of the time. The defensive play of Sophie Kuhl and Natty Davidson in front of David McCarthy between the posts in the first half and Garret Kelsey in the second turned away the Taunton offense over and over. Simon Johnson got a hat trick and newcomer Honor Chotkowski added her second goal in as many games.

Sunday, the U8 Team #1 played a hard and tiring second game battling Sandwich to a 1-1 deadlock. Goalies Kuhl and Kelsey turned aside all but one shot on the day. Davidson continued to control Nantucket's end on defense and Johnson added to his weekend's goal total despite the many chances to take the lead by Thomas Murphy, McCarthy and Chotkowski.

Nantucket's U10 boys came up a bit short against Division 1 leading Freetown-Lakeville Sunday morning in a 5-3 loss on the road. Nantucket struck first when a hard shot by Ben Zieff, that ricocheted off the crossbar, was finished by Noah Davidson adeptly following the play. Freetown pressed hard and finally equalized but Nantucket was kept in the game due to the outstanding defensive play of Noah Wing. In the second half, Freetown came out aggressively and put Nantucket back on their heels, scoring three goals in rapid succession. Nantucket was re-energized after an unassisted goal off the corner kick by Zieff inside with less than five minutes to go. Pressing back hard on offense, Cole Millington and Charlie Harrigan getting good chances, but it was Carter Kuhl who brought Nantucket closer switching momentum back in Nantucket's favor. Unfortunately, the whistle blew before Nantucket could capitalize.

The U12 boys lost a tough match, 8-2, to third place Dartmouth at home. Dartmouth took the lead inside of five minutes and quickly netted again for a halftime leave of 4-0. Nantucket played much better soccer in the second, controlling the passing and movement to the net to no avail. Nantucket finally scored off picture perfect direct kicks by Ben Daniels, which sailed over all defenders just skimming beneath the crossbar and out of the keeper's reach. Christian Lombardi, under constant pressure, made 16 saves. Nantucket's defense held tough with Taylor Aguiar thwarting many runs in Nantucket's end, Dana Sundell's quick movement on the ball, and Keegan Bartlett's solid defensive presence.

The U14 boys continued to run into the top teams in their tough Division 1 age bracket, losing to third place Dartmouth, 8-0. Coach Matt Parker was resigned to having to finish out a very long tough season. "Yes, we are frustrated, but thankfully the kids understand we are in the wrong age grouping and the wrong division this year and are making the best of it with an eye toward next year." Keepers run in the family with Alex Perkins, brother of U10 girls' keeper Renee Perkins, continuing to be strong in goal against overwhelming offensive power and managing numerous saves throughout the game. Josue Figueroa was steady as defensive sweeper and Henry Fee had an exciting breakaway shot which just missed. Shaun Stojak, Matt Kopp, Ocean Kane and Caleb Gomes were standout players with some nice passing combinations in the mid-field.

Also seeing action this weekend was the U9 boys team, who lost a close scoring fest, 6-4, to a dominant second place Norton squad. Ethan Wing, Gus Day, Chris Tran and Jack Sylvia combined for Nantucket's four. Chris Tran in goal in the first half had five saves.

The U14 girls also lost a tough one, 4-0, to a powerful second place Sandwich team at home. The Nantucket team came out strong and aggressive in the first half. Coach Alisa Leib commented that the "girls were passing well and being the first to the ball, all things that they have been working towards all season." Rosemary Glidden, along with Sam Lockley and Katelyn Zieff, was particularly aggressive on defense making several key stops. The Congdon sisters, Blair and Haley, also teamed up to on several occasions to break up the Sandwich offensive plays. "This U-14 team just continues to improve."

Nantucket has its last home game against Taunton on Sunday. Assistant Coach Jordi Cabre thought the boys had a good game." Aside from a couple of injured players, we had everyone show up but one player. The Taunton team was very large (tall wise) but our players really had a good practice all week and it showed on the field." The front line consisted of Riley Wynn, Jake Molloy, Sean Hutton, and Ryan Murray. Wynn actually had a chance to score but was miraculously denied. The score going into the half was only 2-0 in Taunton's favor. Taunton managed to score only one more in the second, being held in check by the Nantucket defense

and keeper Colin Kohler. I