Robare Scores Game-Winner as Drury Advances in Tourney
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – Drury’s Lindsay Robare broke a scoreless tie in the 61st minute, and the Drury girls soccer team went on to a 1-0 win over Smith Vocational in the quarter-finals of the Western Massachusetts Class C tournament on Wednesday.
Brooke Bishop made 10 saves for the fourth-seeded Blue Devils (9-7-1) who assured themselves a winning record and a berth in next week’s Division 5 State Tournament with the win.
First, Drury continues Western Mass tournament play on Friday when it travels to face No. 1 and defending champion Monson, an 8-0 winner over Athol on Wednesday.
There was no such scoring explosion in Drury’s part of the bracket, and that was largely due to the play of Bishop and Smith Voc’s Maggie Lauder, who made nine saves and got a hand on the game-winner.
Most of Lauder’s stops came in the second half. It took a little while for Drury’s offense to start putting the ball on frame in the first 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, the visiting Vikings generated most of their good chances before half-time.
In addition to the seven first-half shots stopped by Bishop, Drury got big plays on attacking Smith Voc wingers from Jacinta Felix midway through the half and Isabella Moore with just more than two minutes left
until the half.
until the half.
Bishop said the Blue Devils used the break to make some adjustments and get control of the game.
“We were mad at half-time that nothing was going well for us in the front half of the field,” she said. “So our defense used its speed to their advantage [in the second half] and it worked.”
In the 51st minute, Drury’s Megan McGrath sent a through ball into the 18 for Madison Saunders, who took a shot that Lauder cut down by coming well off her line to keep the match scoreless.
But 10 minutes later, Drury finally struck paydirt.
Saunders started the play with a shot from just outside the 18 that forced Lauder to make a diving save.
She gave up the rebound to her left, and Robare, alertly running to the goal on the right wing, lifted a shot over the scrambling keeper who got her fingertips on the ball but could not stop it from finding the net.
For her troubles, Lauder landed headfirst against the goalpost and earned a visit from the on-site EMT before getting up and getting back into the game.
“I think about what would have done, and she … she stayed in,” Bishop said. “She’s a trooper. I think about that a lot. I think, how could I prevent that from happening? Because that can happen to anyone diving.
“She’s brave and tough for staying in. And she made a really good play on it, too.”
Smith Voc pressed for the equalizer, getting an opportunity for an unmarked Caitlin Willard in the 18 on a run up the middle in the 67th minute, but Bishop made the stop.
Drury’s best chance to extend its lead came just moments later with a try from Saunders that ended in a diving save by Lauder.
Drury, which started the season 1-5-1, takes a seven-game winning streak into Friday’s game at 2022 state semi-finalist Monson. Regardless of the outcome, Drury will be guaranteed a winning record and a spot in the state tournament field.