Bowlby, Gamberoni Score to Lift Wahconah at Drury

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. -- The Wahconah girls soccer team Saturday did just enough to crack a determined Drury defense and come away with a 2-0 win on John J. DelNegro Field.

 

Hannah Bowlby and Olivia Gamberoni each found the back of the net to help their team improve to 8-0-1 with one game left in its regular season.

 

Wahconah, which exploded for nine goals less than 24 hours earlier in a win over Taconic, had a little trouble finishing in the matinee. But coach Meghan Smith was pleased with the way her team adjusted to the Blue Devils' game plan.

 

"I think, with Drury's defensive attack, we had to adjust going out and coming in more, and that took a while," Smith said. "And then we were just a little too strong in front of the net with the finishes.

 

"I think, sometimes, we know what we need to do, and it takes us a few seconds. I think they made a very good adjustment to working the ball outside and then in. And then, because we were going outside, we had some gaps where we could slot the ball to the forwards. They did a good job."

 

Wahconah tested Drury senior keeper Mackenzie Dobbert with seven first-half shots.

 

Just one got by Dobbert.

 

In the 23rd minute, Gamberoni entered a ball from the left wing to the 6. Dobbert made a play on it, but it got away from her and found Noelle Furlong, who passed back to Bowlby for the finish.

 

It stayed 1-0 for the next 49 minutes, even though Wahconah generated some dangeous chances in the second half.

 

In the 52nd minute, Chloe Accardi had a try off a cross from the right wing that Dobbert saved to keep it a one-goal game. About 10 minutes later, Gamberoni made a run up the left wing and into the 18 before firing a shot that went just wide of the far post.

 

Finally, with 8 minutes, 45 seconds left to play, Gamberoni won a free ball in the middle of the 18, settled it and fired a shot past Dobbert to give Wahconah the insurance it sought.

 

Drury coach Maria Bartini was happy to see her team limit a Wahconah offense that came in averaging nearly four goals per game in the Fall 2 season.

 

"They were really organized," Bartini said. "We knew this was going to be a really tough game. Wahconah is really good. They have so much depth with all of those seniors who have played together for a long time.

 

"We knew it was going to be a really tough game. So we just had the strategy of, 'Let's defend as a nice, compact, tight unit, working together and communicating. And if we get some opportunities, let's try to counter.' We were able to create some chances. I don't know that we got a shot on goal exactly."

 

Wahconah keeper Eva Eberwein did make one first half save in the team's sixth shutout win this season.

 

Wahconah (8-0-1) will finish the regular season on Sunday against Moument Mountain -- its third game in three days -- before getting a short rest to get ready for the Berkshire County North Division playoffs on Thursday.

 

Drury (3-6-1) played its regular season finale and celebrated its seniors on Saturday. The Blue Devils are in line to be the top seed entering the South Division tournament. Late season games against North powers will help going into the playoffs, Bartini said.

 

"I'm feeling really good because our last two games have been against Mount Greylock and Wahconah," she said. "We can't get a better preparation than playing those two teams before we go into playoffs. The girls are hopefully feeling a lot of confidence."

 

Photos from this match here.