Mount Greylock Boys Mount Comeback to Reach Berkshire North Final
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. -- We may never know who'll stop the rain, but we do know that the rain won't stop Julius Munemo.
The Mount Greylock senior scored two second-half goals in a driving storm to give the Mounties a 2-1, come-from-behind win over Lenox in the semi-finals of the Berkshire County North Division tournament.
Oscar Low stopped six shots for the Mounties, who advance to Saturday's league title game against the winner of Thursday's match between Pittsfield and Monument Mountain.
Munemo said that the progressively worsening weather Thursday night did not make it tougher for the Mounties to execute their offense. In fact, he said John Allen Field held up better as the rain fell than it would have looked 24 hours later.
"I think weather like this just makes everyone play harder," Munemo said. "I know I like playing in the rain. I think everyone is just a little more turned on. So the passes are a little firmer anyway. Without puddles, the grass skids, so when it does hit a puddle, it's OK.
"It didn't change things today. But if this game happened tomorrow, it definitely would have."
One thing the weather did do was make it that much harder for the Millionaires to respond after Munemo's second goal put Mount Greylock ahead in the 64th minute.
"They chose that end first half," Mount Greylock coach Blair Dils said. "Normally, I like the wind in the first half, but it worked out for us. We got lucky tonight.
"I think because [the Millionaires] play that long ball style, the ball was getting held up in the wind, and our guys were able to get behind the ball a little better and do a better job of clearning than we did in the first half when we were really under pressure for a while."
Mount Greylock was outshot, 8-4, in the first 40 minutes.
Lenox scored the lone first half goal on a direct free kick about 25 yards from goal on the right wing. Mateo Phillips' try deflected off the Mount Greylock wall and up and over Low's arms to give the Millionaires a 1-0 lead.
It stayed that way until the 59th minute, when Cedric LeMaire set up Munemo about 25 yards from the goal in the middle of the field. The senior calmly took a couple of touches before blasting a shot into the goal.
About five minutes later, the same combination paid off a second time for Mount Greylock.
"Cedric had it on the side," Munemo said. "I'm not sure who played the ball to him. Oh, I played the ball to him. He beat his man, I looped around the back. Leo [Rossiter] dummied it ... and then I just put my foot on it. I think it went through the goalkeeper's legs."
Daniel Munch made six saves for the Millionaires, who took their second 2-1 loss of the year against Mount Greylock.
Mount Greylock senior Low said the Mounties dug down deep after going down by a goal at half-time.
"We realized that this is it," Low said. "This is our last game on this field. And we wanted to do something special. Julius stepped up immensely. We had to rely on our senior leadership for this one. Great game all the way around. I'm super proud of the team."