McCann Tech Reaches Western Mass Semis
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – A change in formation paid big dividends for the McCann Tech boys soccer team on Monday afternoon.
Zachary Howland scored twice, and Ben Harris stopped nine shots to lead the Hornets to a 2-1 win over Smith Vocational in the quarter-finals of the Western Massachusetts Class C tournament.
Howland’s second score of the game, which gave the hosts a 2-0 lead at the time, came after he changed positions.
“My assistant coach actually said something to me midway through the second half,” McCann Tech coach Stephen McAllister said. “He said, ‘What do you think about moving Zach over to the right wing? He’s gonna beat ‘em over there.’ I said, ‘You know, let’s give it a shot.’
“And what happened? We got that second goal. Beautiful shot. He was beating them on that side. Good thing I have an assistant coach to help me out.”
The Hornets (9-2-4) helped themselves to a berth in the regional tournament’s Final Four, where McCann Tech will take on top-seeded Mount Greylock on Tuesday afternoon.
McCann Tech, which is 3-0-3 in its last six games, came out like a house afire on Tuesday, keeping Smith Voc locked in its defensive zone for the first six minutes and continuing to dominate until the Hornets finally converted in the 20th minute of play.
That is when Alex Boyer sent a corner kick from the left wing that Howland headed into the goal to put McCann Tech up, 1-0.
The Hornets had a lead but failed to seize the momentum. Instead, the Vikings were able to keep the hosts on their heels through the rest of the half and long into the second.
“I told them [at half-time], ‘Guys, as soon as we scored, our momentum changed,’ “ McAllister said. “I felt like we started playing a little too much kickball. Our passing wasn’t there like it should have been. … Definitely the jitters got to them.
“[Smith Voc is] pretty good, but the first 20 minutes of that game, I feel like we controlled the game, and that’s the way it should have been the remainder of the game. I guess my talk during half-time didn’t work.”
McAllister took a timeout 11 minutes into the second half, and Smith Voc still generated a couple of dangerous chances.
In the 61st minute, the Vikings’ Joel Charboneau fired a tester from the left wing that required a diving save from Harris to keep it 1-0.
Four minutes later, there was a scary moment on a couple of different levels for McCann Tech.
Two Hornets defenders collided head-to-head going for the ball inside the 18. Both players went down, leaving a Smith Voc forward unmarked to fire a shot that Harris saved.
After a visit from the trainer, one of the two McCann Tech players left the field with assistance, not to return.
After withstanding Smith Voc’s pressure for about 25 minutes, the Hornets answered with a goal to double their lead.
Jaxson Pilot got the play started by beating a Viking defender on the left wing and crossing the ball. A Smith Voc defender deflected it just outside the 18 to Howland on the right wing, and he played it into the penalty area before firing it past the keeper and inside the far post to make it 2-0.
“The kid’s just got natural talent,” McAllister said of Howland. “This is his first year playing soccer for McCann, and he’s a junior. I recruited him, kind of. I begged him and begged him to come play for us.
“I knew he was an athlete, and I knew he could do good things for us. And since day one, he’s just gotten better and better and better. He’s remarkable at finishing, and he’s strong. He’s one of those kids that will fight for the ball and never give up.”
Smith Voc put a goal on the board in the 74th minute, but the Hornets did not give up any good chances for an equalizer before the final whistle sounded.
The win sets up a rematch of last year’s Western Mass semi-final, also at Mount Greylock, a game the Mounties won, 6-0, en route to a regional championship.
“It’s going to be a tough one,” McAllister said. “Last year, we went down and beat the No. 2 seed [Athol, in the quarter-finals], came up and had to play back-to-back games. Unfortunately, we have to play back-to-back games again with them having two days off.
“So, it’s going to be tough. Hopefully, we these guys get rested up tonight and get things together. Hopefully, we’re focused tomorrow because Greylock is a tough team.”