NOSE TO NOSE. Both Hornet junior Katie Welch and her Hamilton–Wenham opponent both show a nose for the ball in last week’s game. (John Friberg Photo)
By DAN NUNN
Rout Greater Lawrence 5-1
ANDOVER — The Lady Hornets opened the Division 3 North Sectional Tournament with a 5-1 dismantling of the Greater Lawrence Tech Reggies on Monday. Sophomore Jessica Muise had a fantastic performance with a team-high two goals and two assists.
North Reading got off to a slow start and the Reggies took advantage, scoring the first goal early in the first half. A few minutes later Muise sent her corner kick to junior Anna Tayas at the far post who finished to tie it up. The tying goal opened up the floodgates for the Hornets.
On her very next corner Muise found freshman Rachel Hill, who headed in the go-ahead goal. Late in the first Muise decided to get a goal for herself, placing a free kick to the near post to make it 3-1 at the half.
The Hornets ramped up the pressure in the second half. Muise scored her second goal when her corner was accidentally headed into the net by a Greater Lawrence defender.
The icing on the cake came in the 75th minute when Hill took a throw-in from sophomore Haley Nathan and blasted a shot into the upper 90.
Fall to Generals
The Lady Hornets couldn’t generate much offense and lost a defensive 1-0 battle to the Hamilton-Wenham Generals on October 27. The lone goal came in the 55th minute off a corner.
Fly past Pentucket on Senior Night
The Lady Hornets closed the regular season with a 3-1 Senior Night victory over the Pentucket Sachems on October 28. The victory enabled North Reading to finish the regular season with an overall record of 10-6-2 and a league record of 9-5-2. Meanwhile, the loss meant Pentucket dropped to 5-12-0 overall and 5-11-0 in league play.
Before the game all five seniors were honored. Tri-captains Tori Brown, Kerri-Ann Donovan and Cole Godzinski and Frankie Elliot and Payton Conway-Baker were recognized for their contributions to the program. It marked their last game to be played at Arthur J. Kenney Field.
The Hornets came out ready to play. Less than four minutes in Brown took a pass from Conway-Baker, dribbled around a defender and blasted the ball into the net. They continued to dominate and scored again in the ninth minute. Godzinski stole the ball, turned and placed a beautiful shot just out of the reach of the goalie. North Reading took a 2-0 lead into the half.
The Hornets controlled play early in the second half but couldn’t capitalize with a goal and in the 60th minute the Sachems got back in game, scoring on a deflected shot.
It looked like it was going to be a tight finish but in the 76th minute sophomore Marissa Zarella out-ran a defender and put her shot past the goalie to close the scoring.
Tournament series
Earning the No. 9 seed in a 14-team bracket, after downing No. 8 Greater Lawrence in the first round, the Hornets advanced to the quarterfinal round against CAL foe Newburyport on Wednesday afternoon (after press time) at Cherry Hill in Clipper country. The winner of this game will advance to the semifinal round against the winner of the game between No. 5 Swampscott and No. 13 Stoneham. In the first round games, Swampscott’s Big Blue downed No. 12 Bedford 2-0 while the Stoneham Spartans overcame No. 4 Hamilton-Wenham Generals 1-0.
Both semifinal games and the Div. 3 North championship game will be played at Manning Field in Lynn, a neutral site. The semifinal games will be played on Monday, Nov. 10 and the championship game is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 15.
