Gateway High School girls soccer coach Steve Estelle receives congratulatory hugs, high fives, and “thanks” from his players after recording his 300th victory with a 2-0 win over Hopkins Academy Friday in Hadley. (Photo by Chris Putz)
HADLEY – Twenty-nine years ago, the Gateway Regional High School girls soccer team was in its infancy, fighting to establish a presence in Western Massachusetts.
Now, nearly three decades later, an epic moment in the program’s history was born.
On Friday, Gateway girls soccer coach Steve Estelle recorded his 300th victory with the Gators 2-0 win over Hopkins Academy.
“It just feels good to grow up in Huntington, to play for Gateway … and bring a little bit of knowledge and a little bit of experience to the game that I grew up playing and loving,” said coach Estelle, who along with his father, Bud, created the program in the late 1980s.
“I’ve always thought that the geography of the hill towns challenges us,” coach Estelle said. “We conquered going on long bus trips when were six and seven, eight, nine, 10-years-old. For some people, it’s a big deal to come all the way to Gateway. For us to go to Ware, it’s not a big deal. We’ve conquered transportation.
You have to make a lot of sacrifices when you have to travel that far. My girls, over the years, have all been extremely committed to the game and getting better at the game…. I can only hope that my experience and knowledge and what I’ve learned over the years has helped make the program what it is today.”
Today (Friday) it was junior Erin Harris who proved to be the latest great in a long line of talented players at Gateway. Harris scored two first half goals – one at the 31- and 36-minute marks – to lead the Gators. Maddison Clark assisted on the first score.
“As we practice, we are dominating more and more and more,” Harris said. “It was tough because we lost some key players so we’re just bonding really well…We just get better and better and better and more aggressive.”
And as for her coach’s milestone, and her team’s place in history?
“It’s amazing,” Harris said. “It’s a great program. It just proves that everyone is working together to make it happen, and it’s happening.”
Gateway goalie Becca Herman finished with a shutout.
Waitt leads Rams
Southwick 2, Monson 1
Brooke Waitt scored two goals to lead Southwick to a road victory in a season opener Friday. Kayla Russ and Rylin McGivney assisted.
Hannah Gerrish made 11 saves for the Rams.
Pedolzky nets second straight hat trick
Westfield 3, Northampton 1
Chandler Pedolzky tallied her second straight hat track in Westfield’s second game and the Bombers slipped past Northampton with two second-half goals.
Mackenzie Liptak, Sophie Lewis, and Ellen Jury each assisted.
Adrianna Arona recorded three saves for the Bombers.
Carter, Bryant total 13 saves
Franklin Tech 2, Westfield Technical Academy 0
Sophomore Aubrey Bryant (9 saves) and first-year freshman Caitlen Carter (4 saves) combined for 13 saves for Westfield Tech.
FOOTBALL
Bombers kick off season with rout
Westfield 39, Ludlow 0
Dakota Moynihan scored two touchdowns, quarterback Mike Nihill rushed for a score, and Bailey Collier scored on a punt return for TD as the Bombers rolled on the road in their season opener.
BOYS SOCCER
Tigers bond, bounce Franklin
Westfield Technical Academy 6, Franklin Tech 3
A one-goal deficit may seem like a bleak prospect to bounce back from for some teams, but not for this veteran laden squad from the Whip City.
“It was kind of scary (down 1-0) because the beginning of the year not knowing what was going to happen and then the kids responded with three goals which was awesome,” said Westfield Tech coach Kyle Dulude, whose team returns fresh off a 16-3-1 record a season ago. The Tigers lost just three players to graduation.
Phillip Lisyanyy scored two goals, and Darryl Reopel, Ruvim Vdovichenko (assist), Frank Florek (assist), Brad Marion (assist) had one apiece. Stephaun Nikiel also had an assist.
“With just losing just three players, (we are) very optimistic for this upcoming season,” Dulude said. “We have a tough schedule but hopefully our experience and leadership will give us another successful year…. (Our players) feel like they’re a family already so soon, so quick in the season so that was awesome to see.”
FIELD HOCKEY
Pompi lifts Rams
Southwick 1, Palmer 0
Senior Alyssa Pompi scored the game’s lone goal for Southwick. Rams’ senior Sydney Gorman assisted.
Southwick goalie Clare Stratton (1 save) earned a shutout.
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
Bombers take one from Redhawks
Frontier def. Westfield 25-13, 25-16, 17-25, 25-21
Brigid Moriarty (10 assists), Tanya Shvyryd (5 kills, 5 digs), Madi Robitaille (3 kills, 3 blocks), Viktoria Pavlyuk (4 kills), and Yanaira Henry (16 digs) led Westfield in a tough matchup against the defending Division 3 state champion Redhawks.
