Frontier Edges McCann Tech in Western Mass Quarter-Finals
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. -- The Frontier girls soccer team Monday ended McCann Tech’s chances of a Western Massachusetts title, but the Hornets have plenty of soccer left to play.
And games like Monday’s will prepare McCann Tech for what lies ahead.
“These guys are definitely a quality team, that’s for sure,” McCann Tech coach Mike Dowling said after Monday’s 2-0 Western Mass quarter-final loss. “We played them a few years ago, and we got hammered by them both times.
“I’m proud of the way the girls played. They’ve still got a quality program, Frontier.”
Isabel Marrapese scored off a Anna Petrin corner kick midway through the first half to give the Hawks a 1-0 lead, and Makayla Santos scored on a counter midway through the second half.
Frontier outshot the Hornets by a margin of 16-4, but McCann Tech had one of the best early chances of the match.
In the ninth minute, Camryn Belisle outraced a Frontier defender to a through ball from Izzy LaCasse, and Belisle’s pressure forced the game’s first corner kick for the Hornets.
On the ensuing set piece, Emma Dupuis nearly got a boot on the ball at the far post. LaCasse intercepted a Frontier clear and sent the ball back into the 6, where it deflected off Mia Parese and just wide of the goal for a corner kick.
“We didn’t put the ball in,” Dowling said. “We had a couple of good chances, and if we had one go in there, I think it would have been a whole different game.”
After opening the year 10-0-1, McCann Tech is 1-2 going into Wednesday’s Western Massachusetts consolation match and -- more importantly -- the State Vocational tournament and MIAA State Tournament that lay beyond.
One common denominator in the two losses is the level of competition the Hornets have seen in the last week -- first Wahconah on the road and then Frontier at home. Another common denominator was the play of keeper Keira Lennon, who had a big role in keeping McCann Tech close on Monday.
“She’s the most improved girl on the team this year,” Dowling said. “I didn’t have a goalie. My other goalie didn’t come back for her senior year. And then you’ve got Keira just getting better and better every game. She was just phenomenal in the Wahconah game. She stopped about 25 rockets.
“And she’s only a junior.
“I’m not saying this is a building year, but after taking a whole year off [due to the COVID-19 pandemic], I’m pretty happy with the way things are going.”
McCann Tech will host Smith Vocational, another quarter-final loser, on Wednesday in the teams’ regular season finale.