NSSA U12 girls continue playoff run
BY LINDAWILLIAMS CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Saturday, three of the Nantucket Student Soccer Association teams saw postseason action. The first place U12 girls team went into formal postseason play hosting eighth-seeded Taunton. Scoring action started five minutes in when Nantucket's Alexa Crosby buried a beautiful cross from Sabrina Dawson. Hanging onto the slim lead until the 22-minute mark, Taylor Kopp netted a goal, sending Nantucket into the break nursing a 2- 0 lead. Dawson added icing to the cake five minutes in off her left foot. For the remainder of the match, Nantucket's defense stayed strong in the face of constant Taunton pressure preserving the 3-0 shutout off keeper Kate Freed's 14 saves and a spot in the semi-final round.

Taunton only had two subs to a full 17-player Nantucket complement in the 8 v 8 set up. Taunton wore down against Nantucket's fresher legs. Coach Shelly Brannigan subbed in seven players at each change, with the bench as deep and talented as any Nantucket has ever fielded. Although Taunton stepped it up in the second half, Nantucket's defense of Olivia Rand, Kylie Maguirea and Sumner LeBaron-Brien held tough. Rich Brannigan singled out Kyra White as well. "She is the oldest player on the team and is a real presence on defense and that is very important. She makes good decisions and is a stabilizing influence because she has played up in age for several years." Isabella Day, Grace Jensen, Kali Sherburne and Mya Kotalac at mid-field, with Samantha Freed, Jacq Raynor and Marissa Jones at the forward position, and Cara Garufiand Hannah Pykosz on both sides of the ball, round out the team.

The semi-final playoff game will be either Saturday or Sunday on Nantucket against fourth seeded Westport with a record of 6-0-2. They snaked by fifth place Falmouth 1-0 to earn the trip to Nantucket, with Nantucket having beaten Falmouth 4-0 in the first game of the season. With a win Nantucket insures that the championship game will be played on Nantucket for the first time in NSSA history. Nantucket has triumphed over Westport twice in the past two years.

With no formal postseason play for teams under 11, younger teams participate in invitational tournaments with as many as 20 teams signing up. The U10 girls traveled to Mariner having finished their second undefeated season in a row in first place with a perfect 8-0-0 record. Drawing the toughest bracket, Nantucket had to face Falmouth first. Nantucket narrowly beat Falmouth, 3-2, in a hotly contested battle relegating Falmouth to second place and itching to avenge their only loss. Playing in a shortened two 20-minute half format, Nantucket jumped into the lead within three minutes off a fine run from center by Kate Daniels. Keeper Kelli Molloy aggressively defended the net. Falmouth scored twice within nine minutes to go into the break with Nantucket behind for the first time this season 2-1. Keeper Renee Perkins made several diving, crawling and leaping saves to give Nantucket a chance in the second. The league's high scorer Daniels had bad luck on the day with at least seven shots skipping wide or over the net in the second half alone. Just before the final whistle blew, Falmouth sealed the deal for Nantucket's first taste of defeat, 3-1.

Nantucket then played two clearly older and bigger Division 1 teams than any Nantucket had faced in Division 2. Kelli Molloy was not intimidated under the constant attack, making five incredible saves to keep Nantucket in the game at the half down, 2-0. First-time keeper, Olivia Slade, usually on defense and at midfield, took position between the posts to give Molloy and Perkins a break. She was imposing in goal before two dribbled by on strange hops on the uneven grass. Perkins then came in with ten to go and stopped all but one shot to end the game with the first shutout against Nantucket in 20 games, 5-0.

Nantucket finished off with its "A" game against Barnstable losing, 4-2, but repeatedly charging the net, narrowly missing one shot after another. The shock factor of playing D-1 girls had worn off and the girls showed great determination and confidence in this game. The U10 boys came away with a 1-1-1 record, playing three teams for 30 minutes each in quick succession, at Swansea-Somerset. Nantucket lost first to the host, 2-0, in a tight match. Nantucket faced top D-2 team Yarmouth-Dennis next and took them down, 3-0. After Carter Kuhl netted off an "insane perfectly placed ball" from Zach Goddard, Ben Zieff added two and for the second time bent one in off his own corner kick. With Coach Kuhl switching players into different positions, first time keeper Cole Millington faced only a few shots on goal with the defensive play of Goddard, Morgan Kohler and Leon LeFebvre.

Nantucket ended with a 4-4 draw with New Bedford. Goddard and Kuhl split time in the net, with Ethan Wing scoring one and Zieff adding two more. Nantucket equalized off an odd goal, that Goddard got credit for but actually appeared to go off Noah Wing's head. Natty Davidson was outstanding in all three games on defense,

backed up by Charlie Hannigan. I