Westfield High School boys’ soccer coach Gabe Crane discusses strategy prior to taking the field and beating Chicopee 1-0 at Szot Park Monday to remain alive in the postseason hunt. The Bombers must go at least 1-0-1 in their final two games to earn a tournament berth. (Photo by Chris Putz)
CHICOPEE – The Westfield High School boys’ soccer team is stay-stay-stayin’ alive.
Kyle Murphy scored the game-winner on a pass from Anthony Visconti to help keep Westfield’s postseason hopes alive. The Bombers, who recorded a 1-0 win over host Chicopee Monday, must post at least a win and a tie in their final two games to earn a spot in the Western Massachusetts Division I boys’ soccer playoffs.
Rob Sullivan, on defense, and Sam Blake, in goal, led the defensive effort for Westfield.
The Bombers next play at Northampton Wednesday night at 7:15.
Gateway 2, Holyoke Catholic 1
Gateway’s Calvin Dowers scored in the 39th minute on a pass from Curtis Dowers, and Jake Merritt notched a goal in the 49th minute. Justin Edinger assisted on the later scoring effort.
Mike Arel finished with five saves for the Gators (9-3-4), who are tournament-bound after defeating Smith Academy in their previous game on a game-winner from Zach Mackechnie. Edinger assisted on the play. Arel (11 saves) earned the shutout.
FIELD HOCKEY
Westfield 3, Agawam 2
Lexi Minicucci opened the scoring, and Jordan Swift tallied two goals to help Westfield (8-5-2) earn a berth in the field hockey playoffs. Ashlee Owen, Bri Silva, and Alex Affeldt earned assists for the Bombers.
Jess Hale earned the victory in net for Westfield. She had six saves.
Olivia Clark dribbles the ball up the field for the Westfield High School field hockey team. The Bombers’ varsity and JV units have been on a roll this season, devouring the competition at an alarming rate. (Submitted photo)
“This was very, very exciting for the field hockey team,” Westfield coach Karen Gomez said. “We finally got our win to get to tournament. It was nice to see Westfield play as a team. We received solid play from everybody.”
Westfield entered the game having lost to Mohawk on Sunday, 3-2. In that game, Monica Browne scored her first varsity goal, and Swift found the back of the net as well. Minicucci and Andrea Onyski had the assists.
GIRLS’ VOLLEYBALL
Sci-Tech def. Southwick 26-24, 15-25, 19-25, 25-15, 15-11
Maria Hernandez (15 service points, 30 digs), Ashley Cotto (12 digs, 12 dinks), and Donoris Rivera (15 good serves, 20 digs) helped Sci-Tech, which rallied past Southwick on Monday.
Millan Andreoli (6 digs, 5 aces), Felicia Creswell (6 digs, 2 aces), and Simone Thibault (6 kills, 6 aces, 5 digs)
Southwick (8-10) must win its final two games – at Easthampton (14-2) on Wednesday and home against South Hadley (9-4) on senior night Friday – to earn a postseason berth.
Westfield def. West Springfield 25-20, 25-16, 23-25, 25-22
Tracy Midwood had 16 assists, seven service points, and one ace; Abby Hart delivered five kills, five assists, three digs, and two aces; and, Kate Menard finished with five kills, five assists, three digs, and two aces in a winning effort forWestfield.
GIRLS’ SOCCER
Southwick 6, Commerce 0
Izzy Burns and Jess Teodore scored two goals apiece, Morgan Wundt had one, and Southwick benefited from an own goal in a good-old fashioned rout.
Alexis Peterson had two assists, and Hailee Hart and Kayla Drennan delivered one each.
The Rams were coming off a 4-1 win over Holyoke, a game in which Teodore netted two goals. Paige Cool and Bruns tallied the others. Megan Zabik had five saves in a winning effort.
GYMNASTICS
Westfield (129.925) def. Agawam (118.775), Hampshire (113.6)
Taryn Hamel (32.6) and Angela Bonavita (32.45) placed 1-2 on the all-around to keep Westfield’s five-plus, season-long win streak intact. The Bombers improved to 13-0 this season, and are 75-0 since losing more than a half-decade ago.
Bonavita finished first on the balance beam (8.3), and Brendan Whitman placed first on vault (8.55) and floor (9.1).
JV BOYS’ SOCCER
Southwick 2, Central 1
Dan Lane and Ryan Todesco scored to lift Southwick past Central. Liam Jackson, McClellen, and Lane each had an assist. The Rams improved to 9-3-2.
Southwick 9, Palmer 1
Dan McClellen led Southwick with two goals and one assist, Declan O’Donnell had two goals, Dan Lane finished with one goal and two assists, and Liam Jackson scored one goal and delivered an assist.
Rams’ Ryan Todesco (goal), Jack Lebo (goal), Riley O’Connor (goal) also made the scoring column. Teammates’ Will Pratt (3 assists), Austin Leary (2 assists), and Dylan Buscemi (assist) also contributed.
JV FIELD HOCKEY
Bombers post back-to-back 3-0 road victories
The Westfield High School junior varsity field hockey team added a pair of 3-0 road wins to their already impressive 2012 season by defeating Mohawk Regional High School on Sunday and Agawam High School on Monday.
In Sunday’s action, Leighanne Sullivan got the first goal of the game off a Grace Silva assist at 24:35. Carissa Vergnani added the next goal at 3:32 from an Elizabeth Marcyoniak assist. Jill Wroth scored the final goal of the game unassisted in the second half at 8:04. Westfield goalkeeper Jourdan Frisbee had one save in the shutout.
In Monday’s action, Madison Brockney’s unassisted goal at 10:12 in the first half put Westfield on the scoreboard. Westfield’s Karly Mastello made three key saves in net to keep Agawam scoreless at the end of the first half. Grace Silva added another unassisted Bomber goal at 26:11 in the second half and Leighanne Sullivan made it three with her goal at 4:20 from a Rachel Gelina assist.
Strong defensive play by Carly Carpenter, Christina Onyski, and Kat Cepek helped Westfield keeper Lexi Levere who only had to make one save for her share of the shutout in the second half.
The junior varsity field hockey team is now 11-3 for the season with two games remaining.
LATE RESULTS
BOYS’ SOCCER
Palmer 2, Southwick 2
Mark O’Neill and Tyler Dittrich scored one goal apiece – both on assists from Andrae Campbell – in a tying effort for Southwick. Rams’ goalies’ Tim Reardon (6 saves) and Patrick King (4 saves) combined for the tie.
