Morales' OT Game-Winner Lifts Mounties in State Tourney

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. -- Mount Greylock sophomore John Manuel Morales scored in the third minute of the second overtime to give the Mounties a 2-1 win over St. Joseph Prep in the Division 5 State Tournament Sweet 16 on Tuesday evening.

 

The eighth-seeded Mounties move on to Saturday's quarter-final round, where they will take on top-seeded Bromfield, a 5-0 winner over Tahanto Regional on Tuesday evening.

 

Mount Greylock, which was has gone 3-1-1 in its last five games, fell behind in the first half on Tuesday.

 

It got a dramatic goal from AJ Kruger with 2 minutes, 32 seconds remaining to tie the match.

 

Quin McDermott played the rebound of a Caleb Low shot to Kruger, who finished for his first game of the year to keep Mount Greylock's season alive.

 

In OT, McDermott picked up his third assist of the season, setting up Morales for the game-winner.

 

Morales lofted the game-winner from about 25 yards on the right wing and placed it perfectly, just over the outstetched keeper and into the corner of the goal.

 

Eamon Hetherington made three saves to earn the win for Mount Greylock, which outshot St. Joe by a margin of 9-4.

 

It was the third straight game against a Berkshire County opponent for Boston-based St. Joe Prep. In the play-in round, it beat McCann Tech in Beantown. On Saturday, it edged the Lenox boys in Lenox.

 

Bromfield also will be a familiar face to Berkshire County high school soccer fans. In 2019, the last time there was a state tournament, Bromfield beat Lenox, 5-0, in the state semi-finals en route to a state championship.