Hathaway Scores Game-Winner in Southern Division Showdown
LEE, Mass. - The Lenox girls soccer team clinched a share of the Berkshire County Southern Division title Tuesday afternoon by defeating Lee, 4-2.
When the two teams met back on Sept. 28, the game ended in a 4-4 draw; on Tuesday the tides were in Lenox's favor. Lee was still missing an essential part of their offensive attack: Maddie Graziano, who scored three goals in the Wildcats' first match with the Millionaires.
Although Lee suffered a loss, coach Lauren Finnegan is still feeling confident about post-season play and the performance her team put forward Tuesday afternoon.
"I'm thrilled today, we haven't been playing with a full squad since Taconic, so today we got one of our players back, when we played Hoosac on Saturday I had four starters sitting the bench," Finnegan said. "We should be fine, we'll have Maddie in the post-season, she's coming back, I'm not pushing her back, we'll wait and get her 100 percent healthy."
Although the strength of a full Lee squad might have changed the outcome of the game, Lenox earned the well fought win.
"I wish we could have had Maddie and some of their other girls that were hurt, out there because I would love to see us both when we're at full strength playing each other," Lenox coach Kyle Zinchuck said. "But we took care of business and did what we had to do. We had a lot of opportunities, but [Lee goalkeeper] Brianna Hawley played an amazing game."
Lenox opened the scoring in the ninth minute with a goal from Tova Brown, recording her first of two for the afternoon.
With 14 minutes, 53 seconds on the clock, Lee's Karli Retzel received the ball in the box, turned and put it on net to tie it at 1-1.
Retzel struck again in the final 5 minutes to give her team a 2-1 lead. She received a ball from Abby Brown which she crossed in from the left wing, Retzel took a touch and fired it on net.
"We have girls who want to score and that's what you want on the field," Finnegan said. "It's nice that the girls get the feel of what it's like to play without Maddie, but when she comes back, that's just another danger for the other team."
The Millionaires refused to go into half-time down a goal like their first outing with the Wildcats (3-2); with 3:05 to go in the first half, Brown netted her second of the game to leave it tied 2-2 at half-time.
Lenox had several opportunities in the first half, but Hawley held the goal down for the Wildcats with nine first-half saves; ones that didn't come easy. She recorded a total of 16 for the game.
"She's awesome, she is such an incredible goalie and we have the up most confidence in her," Finnegan said. "This was just another day for her, this is what she does every game, we know we have an incredible goalie, it wasn't just today's game she's been playing like this all year long, we rely on her."
Lenox broke the tie with 21 minutes remaining; after Jackie Hathaway received the ball outside the eighteen, she took a few touches into the box and sent the shot to the low corner giving her team a 3-2 advantage.
The Millionaires added an insurance goal with 16 minutes and 57 seconds on the clock after Sandra Arace broke through Lee's defensive line and went one-on-one with Hawley.
The Wildcats took a timeout after going down 4-2, but were unable to break through Lenox's defense in the final 16 minutes at a chance to come back.
"It was a big win for us, the girls wanted it and it really gives us control of the southern division and the win gets us in the tournament," Zinchuck said. "We had a lot of motivation, not to mention a big rivalry game, so we had a lot to work for today."
Lee now (7-5-2) travels to Mount Greylock Thursday afternoon for a 4 p.m. start. Lenox (8-4-2) plays Monument Mountain Friday afternoon.