Published November 12, 2020
By DAN NUNN
NORTH READING — The NRHS girls’ soccer team are Cape Ann League champions.
The Hornets closed their season with a 2-0 win over Pentucket at NRHS on Sunday, concluding 2020 with a 6-1-3 record. It was a huge win for North Reading who denied Pentucket a chance at the outright title as both teams finished tied for first in the CAL Kinney division with 15 points.
Senior captain Julia Thorstad recorded 13 saves in the final game of her career. Sophomore Jenna DiNapoli and junior Maddie DiNapoli potted one goal apiece.
Jenna DiNapoli got the scoring started in the 21st minute. A little over 15 minutes into the second half, Maddie DiNapoli put the game to bed with the insurance goal.
The victory in the finale was North Reading’s third win in a row. Their previous game on Nov. 4 was a solid 3-0 victory over the Georgetown Royals. Jenna DiNapoli, Sophia Galuppo and Maddie DiNapoli scored for NRHS. Seniors Julia Thorstad and Megan Macneil combined for the clean sheet.
The game was scoreless for the first 33 minutes. In the 34th minute, Jenna DiNapoli and Galuppo scored 34 seconds apart to put North Reading ahead for good. Just under six minutes into the second half, Maddie DiNapoli tallied the final goal of the contest.
The Hornets’ only loss of the 2020 season occurred in their first game of the year against Newburyport, 1-0. North Reading went undefeated the rest of the way, going 6-0-3 in their final nine games.
Thorstad and the Hornets earned a shutout in six of North Reading’s 10 games this year. Incredibly, they didn’t give up more than one goal in a game all season long.
The defense included senior captain Katelyn Gorgenyi, senior Kaitlyn Copelas and juniors Ella Monteleone, Alyssa Demetri, Samantha Magner and Anne MacLellan. Seniors Clare Scammon, Marykate Lundy and Ashley Rabbitt helped a strong midfield.
This is the first CAL Division title for the NRHS girls’ soccer team since the 2005 season.
