Mount Greylock Boys Bounce Bombers
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.. — The Mount Greylock boys soccer team won its third straight game with a 3-1 victory over Westfield, at home, on Thursday night.
After a slow start to the season for Mount Greylock (3-3), dropping its first three games, it seems the Mounties have found their footing under new head coach Erin Sullivan. Mount Greylock started Thursday’s game on the front foot, getting the game’s first chance just five minutes in with a nice long field switch that unlocked the Westfield defense. But the Mounties were unable to get it past the keeper.
Mount Greylock continued to find success down the right side of the field, using its pace to get in behind forcing the Westfield defense into a lot of work early on.
The breakthrough finally came in the ninth minute, when Mount Greylock won a free kick on the right wing, which Everett Bayliss eventually was able to track down and send it over to Everett Crowe, who buried it in the net to give them the 1-0 lead.
The pressure from the Mounties continued with Everett Crowe using his pace up the sideline over and over again making it difficult for the Westfield defense to mark up.
“We have a lot of dynamic qualities in the front four and it’s just about finding them in spots to get the best of their ability," Sullivan said. “A lot of them thrive on the wing and seem to get a few more looks faced up with the defense.”
The speed of Mount Greylock caused issues all game long, really keeping the ball in the final third for most of the first half. In the 20th minute Westfield finally had a nice little patch of possession linking up with a few nice passes forcing the keeper into a nice save on what was a relatively quiet night in net. The Mount Greylock defense did well to respond to any half chances Westfield mustered up and was able to get the ball out quickly to their dynamic front. Greylock went into the break up 1-0 but with some work still to do.
The response from Mount Greylock started immediately, almost intercepting the opening kickoff and taking it right down the field for a goal. One minute later that continued pressure found them a second goal when Kofi Roberts was able to finish a deflected shot off the breakaway before running into the keeper to make it 2-0. It wouldn’t take long for Greylock to find a third in similar fashion when Bayliss split the defense up the middle and slotted one home past the keeper to make it 3-0 and seal the game.
“Westfield has played some lopsided games, but some close halftime scores, so when you’re trying to maintain a lead and teams are still knocking at the door it’s pretty dicey,” Sullivan said. “Games can turn in a quick minute so I thought we did a good job with our senior leadership at the back and then just a team effort to finish it off.”
Mount Greylock will look to continue this win streak when they take on Hampshire, Monday, on the road.