Sandwich Girls' Soccer Blanks Nauset

By: Dan Crowley
Published: 09/21/12

 After four games on the road to open the fall season, the Blue Knight girls’ soccer team played their home opener Tuesday, defeating Nauset by a score of 2-0.

The strong wind was a factor but the Knights kept the ball on the ground, moving it effectively through the Warriors defense, finishing with 11 shots on goal. In addition Sandwich hit the post three times and banged shots off the top crossbar three times.

In the 13th minute Leah Noonan fired a shot from the right side that hit off the far post. In the 23rd minute the hard work paid off for SHS as Stefanie Briggs launched a cross from deep in the right corner out in front for Carolina McKenna who slammed home the first Blue Knight goal.

With less than two minutes left in the opening half, Kenna Garrison set up Ashley Solari with a running shot from the right that sailed wide, leaving the Knights with a 1-0 lead at the break.

Sandwich pounded the Nauset net in the second half. In the 44th minute Leah Noonan took a nice left-to-right cross kick from Taryn Gaffney, but Noonan’s shot slipped just wide. Noonan had another chance a minute later from out in front but the Nauset keeper shut her down. In the 59th minute it was Noonan again, this time with a ringing shot off the post.

Nauset had a chance to tie the match in the 70th minute on a ball that bounced high in front of the Sandwich net. SHS keeper Kasey Noonan got to the loose ball before anyone else to spoil the Nauset bid.

In the 72nd minute Garrison hammered a shot off the crossbar as Sandwich poured on the pressure. McKenna drilled a shot that the keeper smothered from inside the 18-yard line in the 75th minute. It wasn’t until the 79th minute, with just 30 seconds left in the match, that the Knights put the game away when McKenna fired a hard shot from 20 yards away from the left side that found the back of the Nauset net.

“Maddie LaRochelle played a good game in the midfield for us,” Coach Dave DeConto said, “and I thought Kenna Garrison had one of her best games. She really took over. Our whole back line played very well. Katie McKenna, Jessica Lizotte, Erin Hurley and Rachel Lake all were steady.”

Sandwich travels to Plymouth South on Tuesday for a match with the Panthers at 4 PM.

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