Despite early exit in the playoffs, future bright for Apponequet girls soccer
LAKEVILLE — The Lakers are losing their “backbone” but bringing back some serious star power.
No. 21 Archbishop Williams erased a one-goal halftime deficit with three second-half scores to beat No. 12 Apponequet, 4-3, Sunday night in the MIAA Div. 3 girls soccer playoffs.
The defeat marks the end of a stellar season for the Lakers, who finish the year as SCC champions with a 16-2-3 record. The Lakers will graduate 10 seniors.
“They’re the backbone of the team,” Apponequet coach Walter Seaberg said of the seniors. “This team played their hearts out tonight. I couldn’t ask for anything more. I’m very proud of this team.”
Among the graduating seniors are forward Morgan Hayward, the Lakers’ leading scorer who had two goals in her final game. But helping to pick up some of the graduating production next season are sophomore Cece Levrault, the speedster attacker who scored Apponequet’s first goal on Sunday night, defender Leah McGee, who had a stellar play to save a goal, and goalie Grace Schwartz, who played well in relief of senior Casey Radley.
“They’re a great team,” Archbishop Williams coach Gary Burke said. “I know it’s a tough day for them, but they should be proud of what they accomplished this year.”
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Lakers struck first, taking a 1-0 lead about 4 minutes into the game. Hayward streaked down the right side of the field and fired a crossing pass to the middle, where Levrault put a foot on it to get it past Bishops’ goalie Isabella Theroux for an early lead.
Archbishop Williams tied the game at one about 15 minutes later when Kaitlyn Burke came in from the left side of the net at a tough angle and squeezed a shot just inside the right side of net for a goal.
The Lakers took a 2-1 lead 5 minutes before halftime on Hayward’s first goal of the game. Levrault, who attracted attention from Bishop defenders all game with her speed, passed the ball to Hayward in the middle of the field about 15 yards from the net. Hayward turned and fired a hard shot past the goalie on the right side of the net for the halftime advantage.
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The Bishops knotted the score at two less than 5 minutes into the second half when star forward Maeve White fired a hard shot past the diving Schwartz, then took the lead 5 minutes later on Burke’s header off a corner kick.
Apponequet battled back to tie the score a few minutes later when Hayward again fired a hard shot to the right side of the net for a 3-3 game.
The Bishops scored the game-winner with 10 minutes left when White scored to the left side of the net past a diving Schwartz. The Lakers had two opportunities in the final 15 minutes but failed to convert as the Bishops won the game and advanced in the postseason tournament.
SCHWARTZ SHINES IN RELIEF
The Lakers were without their starting goalie, Radley, after the senior suffered a head injury in the team’s last game of the regular season. Schwarz more than held her own in net for the Lakers, making diving saves and keeping the Lakers in the game with her play in net.
“Grace was outstanding,” Seaberg said. “She hung in there and did what she needed to do. We definitely didn’t lose because our starting goalie was out. No one could have stopped the shots they scored on. They’re just a great team, but Grace played really well tonight.”
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STELLAR PLAY KEEPS LAKERS IN FRONT
The Bishops were pushing before the end of the first half on the Lakers’ offensive zone. Trailing 2-1, the Bishops got a foot on a loose ball in the middle of the field that deflected off another player high into the air toward the Apponequet net. McGee ran into the net and kicked the ball backwards inches before it crossed the goal line to save the goal. McGee ended up in the back of the net, but the Lakers cleared the ball and turned away the scoring opportunity.
“That was a special play for sure,” Seaberg said. “That kept us in the lead when they were pressing hard at the end of the first half.”
QUICK HITS
Sunday’s game was the last one for Apponequet’s 10 seniors: Radley, Kaiya Rego, Gianna Sarkisian, Hayward, Jaida Beaulieu, Molly Harrold, Reagan Flynn, Emerson Ricciardi, Isabella Gagnier and Emily Bodwell. Sarkisian and Beaulieu were team captains this year. “They definitely kept the rest of the team on target,” Seaberg said of the captains. “They kept everyone where they needed to be. I relied on them a lot.” … The Bishops (9-7-6) will face the winner of Monday’s game between No. 5 Pope Francis (15-1) and No. 28 Tewksbury (11-5-3) in the Round of 16 later this week. … The Lakers had trouble keeping up with White throughout the second half. The junior is Archbishop Williams’ all-time leading scorer with more than 90 career goals. … Archbishop Williams is, you guessed it, a Catholic school in Braintree that plays in the Catholic Central League with Bishop Feehan, Bishop Stang, Cardinal Spellman and others. … Nice sportsmanship move by Apponequet junior midfielder Emma Seaberg during the first half after she fired a pass that inadvertently hit Bishops’ forward Molly Bita in the head. Bita came out of the game, and during a brief stop in play for a throw in, Seaberg ran over to the Archbishop Williams bench to see if Bita was OK. She returned to the game a few minutes later. … Beaulieu also took a hard ball to the head during the second half but returned to the game after only a few minutes. On a chilly night in early November, the ball probably felt more like a rock than a soccer ball.
This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Apponequet girls soccer falls to Archbishop Williams in Div. 3
