McCann Tech Girls Edge Smith Voc

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. -- No one was jumping for joy on the McCann Tech girls soccer team sideline after the Hornets earned their 10th win on Tuesday -- least of all their coach.

 

"We played well in the first half," Mike Dowling said after a 1-0 win over Smith Vocational. "We just didn't play well in the second half.

 

"I don't think we were clicking. We weren't running, we weren't hustling, they beat us to the 50/50 balls."

 

McCann certainly did not click like it did in a 4-1 win over the Vikings back on Sept. 10 in Northampton.

 

The Hornets (10-2-1) did convert the one chance they needed to finish.

 

Midway through the first half, Natalie Diesz fed Aimee Dowling from the left wing, and the sophomore striker hit the back of the net to register her 13th goal of the season.

 

Alanza Quinones made six saves to earn the shutout in goal.

 

The Hornets outshot Smith by a margin of 7-2 in the first half but were outshot, 4-2, after half-time.

 

"It was kind of a sluggish day," Mike Dowling said. "I don't know if it's because we didn't have practice yesterday with the long weekend. I don't know."

 

He does know McCann will need a better effort on Friday when it travels to Pathfinder, a team it tied at home, 0-0, back on Sept. 14.

 

"We got a 1-0 win, and hat helps us in the league standings," Dowling said.

 

"I guess sometimes you don't play well. I just hope this isn't a trend. It's not like they're undefeated. They got it handed to them twice by [Mount] Everett. You'd think those would be wakeup calls."