SOUTH HADLEY – Senior goalie Tori Richburg delivered one semi heroic effort in net for the Southwick-Tolland Regional High School girls’ soccer team Wednesday night.
Unfortunately, for the Rams, Granby proved to be the kryptonite that the Rams could not break through.
Sophomore Summer Molin deflected a header into net with 3:48 remaining in regulation to break a 1-1 deadlock and lift second-seeded Granby past third-seeded Southwick 2-1 in a West Division 2 girls’ soccer semifinal Wednesday night at South Hadley High School.
It was the fourth straight season that Granby ended Southwick’s postseason run.
Southwick’s Autumn Waitt (34) attempts to break through a pack of Granby players in a Division 2 girls’ soccer west sectional Wednesday night at South Hadley High School. (Photo by Bill Deren)
“We’ve been to two Western Mass. semifinals and the Western Mass. finals,” Southwick coach Todd Downey said. “The seniors stuck through it all together.”
Southwick (10-5-4) enjoyed the upper hand early.
Senior Alex Mello took a pass from fellow senior Lydia Kinsman in the fifth minute and scored to put Southwick out front to begin. Krista Girroir set up the play with a nice throw-in.
Granby (15-2-3) tallied the equalizer later in the first half.
In the 22nd minute, Trystin Burger launched a beautiful floater over the head over an oncoming goalie to tie it 1-all. Erin Mikalchus assisted on the play.
Richburg prevented Granby from taking a lead just before the half.
With about five minutes remaining before halftime, Granby delivered a perfect through ball only to have Richburg make a diving save to stop a score.
Richburg laid out for another save just past the midway point of the second half. It wasn’t until the deflection off a shot from Mikalchus in the closing minutes of the game that the Southwick goalie fell behind.
“I saw it hit her head. I knew it was going in,” Richburg said, admitting there was nothing she could do.
Said Downey: “Granby put the ball in the net when it needed to … It’s tough to see these (five) seniors go.”
Gateway players celebrate the team’s first goal from Taryn Kubik in a Division 4 West Sectional semifinal Wednesday night at Holyoke High School’s Roberts Field. (Photo by Marc St. Onge)
DIVISION 4 WEST SEMIFINAL
Gators earn finals rematch
No. 2 Gateway 3, No. 3 Mount Everett 0
Second-seeded Gateway advanced to the finals against Monson for the third time in four seasons. The Mustangs prevailed in both of those championship games by the scores of 2-0 and 1-0.
Three different players – Taryn Kubik, Juliana Dickinson, and Samantha Belardo – scored in Gateway’s victory. Kubik and Dickinson tallied goals in the seventh and 10th minutes, respectively, and the Gators (14-2-4) cruised from there.
Erin Harris and Meghan Wright assisted.
Gateway goalie Becca Herman (2 saves) earned a shutout.
“We basically controlled the game,” Gateway coach Steve Estelle said. “Our reward is we got to play (Monson). We’ve been working on a few things all year. Hopefully that keeps us in the game (against the Mustangs).”
