McCann Tech's Dowling Scores 100th Point

WESTFIELD, Mass. -- With McCann Tech junior Aimee Dowling sitting on 97 career points and her team playing its second game against a side it beat, 8-1, earlier this year, it was a pretty fair bet that Dowling was going to reach the 100-point plateau on Thursday afternoon.

 

But the goal that put her over the top still provided a bit of drama.

 

After the McCann striker recorded a goal and assist in the first 16 minutes of Thursday’s 4-1 win at Westfield Technical Academy, everyone on the Hornets’ sideline was poised for a celebration.

 

In the 21st minute, Allie Gibeau sent Dowling in with a through ball up the middle. Dowling took control just outside the 18, dribbled into the box and beat Westfield Tech’s keeper with a low liner that just snuck into the goal off the far post.

 

“I was dribbling up, saw the goalie coming on me and just knew I had to shoot it quick,” Dowling said. “She touched it, so it was going off line. It was a little nerve-wracking, but with a slow dribble, it made it.”

 

Dowling left the game to enjoy a well earned rest and some time celebrating with her family and teammates, and Gibeau scored her second of the game seven minutes later to give McCann (11-5) a 4-0 lead that it carried into half-time.

 

The first goal came in the eighth minute Dowling created some space for herself about 25 yards from the goal and sent a pass to Gibeau on the left wing. Gibeau dribbled into the 18 and fired a shot from just inside the area to make it 1-0.

 

Six minutes later, Dowling took a long, looping pass from Jordan Budaj, dribbled to the top of the 18 and hit a hard strike that eluded the diving keeper.

 

That was as much offense as McCann needed to get the win, but Dowling had her sights set on the century mark -- a milestone that was in view for a couple of weeks.

 

“A few games ago, my dad/coach [Mike Dowling] was doing the stats and realized I had 90 points,” she said. “So we started thinking about it. We had like seven games left, and it started popping into our minds.

 

“I felt it [this morning]. … I did not really think about how it was going to happen. I was trying to feed my teammates but also trying to score.”

 

Dowling, who has 24 goals and 11 assists this season, and the Hornets have two more regular season games left, starting with Monday’s home finale against Renaissance.