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SCOREBOARD SHS-2 vs Algonquin-1 |
SCOREBOARD SHS-2 vs Westboro-0 |
SCOREBOARD SHS-4 vs Westboro-1 |
SCOREBOARD SHS-4 vs Marlboro-1 |
SCOREBOARD SHS-2 vs Springfield Cathedral-0
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photo by Pete Cavanna of Cavanna Photography
Photo by Mark Fisette
Shrewsbury's Emily Benjamin (right) beats Algonquin's Christine Otey to the
ball during the Colonials' 3-2 overtime win.
Picture
Shrewsbury’s Ashlyn Derosier tackles teammate Jamie Kerr after their
shutout win over Cathedral.
(T&G Staff/STEVE LANAVA)
Nov 18, 2007
Shrewsbury falls short to A-B in ‘rematch’
DIVISION 1
WESTBORO— After Acton-Boxboro Regional visited Shrewsbury High in a preseason girls’ soccer
scrimmage, the coaches of both schools suggested to one another that they might meet again in the state final.
“I think that was the last thing we said to each other,” Shrewsbury coach Chip DelPrete said. “It was obvious
that they were a very good soccer team, and we’ve had a really good team for the past few years.”
“I didn’t know, but I had a feeling we’d play again,” Acton-Boxboro coach Ruairi Sweeney said.
“They’re a phenomenal team.”
The schools did, in fact, meet again. Acton-Boxboro won the scrimmage months ago when Shrewsbury
was short-handed and captured the rematch yesterday, 1-0, to earn the Division 1 state championship at
Joseph R. Mewhiney Field.
Junior Ceci Jensen scored 34:29 into the first half. After Sara Shuster was whistled for fouling Hayley Brock,
Acton-Boxboro was awarded a free kick from just inside the 30-yard line. Lindsey Raymond boomed it
toward a wall of Shrewsbury defenders in front of the net. The ball deflected off Jensen, then bounced
off the knee of Shrewsbury goalkeeper Kim Nickle and back to Jensen, who beat Nickle to the corner to make it 1-0.
“The ball was bouncing around, and all I could think in my head was ‘Kick it,’ ” Jensen said.
“Ceci, who has been tenacious all year, just kept at it,” Sweeney said. “I had a feeling that Ceci or
Cassie (Wagner) would get the game-winner because of the attention that Hayley gets.”
Ashlyn Derosier did a great job of shadowing Brock, Acton-Boxboro’s leading scorer.
“She just sticks with the girl,” DelPrete said. “Ashlyn is big, she’s strong, she’s smart, and she’s a competitor.
The whole idea is don’t let her get the ball, and if she does, don’t let her do anything with it. I think she
neutralized her for the whole game, pretty much.”
In capturing it first state title in girls’ soccer, Acton-Boxboro finished 23-0-1. It was the team’s first trip to
the state final since 1988 when Sweeney was a junior at the school.
Shrewsbury ended up 19-2-2, with both losses coming here at Mewhiney Field. DelPrete said he
didn’t think returning to the scene of his team’s only loss was a bad omen.
“It’s a nice, easy bus ride, that’s what I was thinking,” DelPrete said. “We’ve won here in the past, too.”
Shrewsbury captured the Central Mass. title this year after losing in the final the previous two years.
The Colonials should be strong against next season. Of Shrewsbury’s eight seniors, only five started yesterday.
“We’d like to think that we’d be good again next year,” DelPrete said. “We had some freshmen out there who didn’t play like freshmen, and we had some sophomores who didn’t play like sophomores, so it bodes well for the team.”
Freshman Jessie Wiggins made six saves in posting the shutout. Nickle stopped three shots, including a
brilliant, sliding kick save with 8:17 left after Brock had broken through the Shrewsbury defense.
“I don’t want to say it was lucky,” Nickle said, “but that was sort of luck, sort of skill.”
One of Shrewsbury’s best scoring chances came in the final 2-1/2 minutes when Erin Kinback booted a
corner kick. Gianna D’Errico headed the ball toward the net, but Acton-Boxboro’s Lindsey Raymond cleared it.
D’Errico had a couple of scoring chances in the first half, but kicked the ball just over the crossbar once and
Wiggins stopped her the other time. D’Errico set up her twin sister, Nicola, with a cross in front of the net in
the first half, but Nicola booted the ball over the crossbar.
“They’re just really technically sound,” DelPrete said of Acton-Boxboro. “They handle the ball well, they
read the ball well, they don’t make many mistakes. Soccer is a game of mistakes. If you can capitalize on the
other team’s mistakes, you can usually score goals. If a team doesn’t make mistakes, it’s difficult to score.”
Cathedral girls close with loss
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
By CHRIS KENNEDY
ckennedy@repub.com
WESTFIELD - A best performance is not something that is simply on call, to
be dialed up at any moment.
The Cathedral High School girls soccer team put forth a strong effort last
night, just not its most effective, and
the end result was a 2-0 loss to Shrewsbury in a Division I
state semifinal at Westfield State College.
Shrewsbury (19-1-2) scored twice in the second half to earn a berth in Saturday's
state final opposite the winner
of tonight's semifinal between Weymouth (17-1-4) and Acton-Boxborough
(21-0-1).
"I think you can see why a state title is so elusive, why it's such an
elusive goal to win one," Cathedral coach Lynn
Pantuosco said after her team finished 14-2-6. "To have the excitement and high of playing in and winning a Western
Mass. title, then having to come back two days later to play
in a state semifinals against an excellent team is difficult.
"I thought the girls put forth a great effort, but it wasn't our best
performance."
Both teams were playing for the fourth time in seven days.
"We've had a killer schedule," Shrewsbury coach Chip DelPrete said.
"Cathedral has been in the same situation.
Both teams weren't at their best, but I thought both teams played
hard."
Sara Shuster scored on a direct kick with 31:45 to play in the second half
to break a scoreless tie. The Colonials also
picked up an own goal with 10:06 left on a ball that was redirected by two battling players to the absolute perfect
corner of the net.
"It's hard to get over right now," Cathedral senior Kelly Ryan said,
"but once we regroup, we'll see we had a great
season. I made a lot of great friendships on this team."
Shuster scored from about 40 yards out on a towering shot that has worked
for her previously as well. She went
right for the goal instead of pitching it short into a crowd.
"She's scored other goals on shots like that," DelPrete said. "We
call it the Shuster Booster, and goalies have trouble
with it. She hits it so high, and it just keeps going and going.
I think people expect her to lob it into the middle."
Pantuosco said she thought her team was still fine after the first goal.
"I didn't think we weren't capable of coming back," she said. "I
thought we could come back. ... Then you have an
odd own goal like that, it puts you at disadvantage."
Cathedral did not suffer a loss against Western Massachusetts competition
this season, grabbing the Coombs
Division title en route to the sectional crown.
"We all played well tonight," said senior goalie Brittany Beeman,
who diffused several dicey situations. "We put
a lot of heart into it. We were just unlucky."
The game marked the first time this season a team had scored two goals against
the Panthers, who had posted
three shutouts, including two that required overtime, in winning
their first three postseason games.
"We're still excited we're Western Mass. champs," senior Rachel
Pokorny said. "It's disappointing we lost tonight,
but we played as hard as we could."
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Deep Shrewsbury in final
Second-half goals wear out Springfield Cathedral
By Jim Wilson TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
jimwilson@telegram.com
WESTFIELD— Patience and pressure paid off against the Panthers.
Shrewsbury High was able to keep fresh legs on the pitch and got a pair of
timely goals in the second half as the
Colonials defeated Springfield Cathedral, 2-0, in a Division
1 state semifinal last night at Westfield State College.
Shrewsbury (19-1-2) advances to its first girls’ soccer state final
in school history against the winner of tonight’s
Acton-Boxboro vs. Weymouth game at a time and place to be determined
on Saturday. The Panthers finished 14-2-6.
“I think we wore them down,” Shrewsbury coach Chip DelPrete said.
“From our scouting report, it seemed like
they didn’t like to sub, so I felt if we could keep our
subs rolling, we could wear them down.”
Shrewsbury’s Sara Shuster put the Colonials on top eight minutes into
the second half. The senior captain took a
direct kick from 40 yards out and deposited it into the top of the net, just off the fingertips of leaping Cathedral
goalkeeper Brittany Beeman, to make it 1-0.
“Sara’s shot was amazing,” DelPrete said. “I think
they were more ready for a loft into the box and they kind of
stood there as the ball came out.”
Shuster said she has scored on that play only a few times this year and was
glad it worked last night.
“They all looked a little bit surprised,” she said. “We
wanted to play our game and that’s how we usually get teams.
We’re not a team that lets down, we’re not a team
that plays any worse in the second half.”
The Colonials took a 2-0 lead with 10:06 remaining when Maura Fox sent a pass
upfield to Nicola D’Errico.
However, the pass was redirected off a Cathedral player from 22 yards out and skipped past Beeman into the
net for an own goal.
“We knew who their better players were and we put our best defenders
on them and shut them down,” DelPrete said.
“We kept pushing the ball forward and put their defense under pressure. If we tire the defense out, sooner or later
they’re going to make a mistake, which they did.”
Shrewsbury had the only good scoring chance of the first half. With 15 minutes
left, Erin Kinback sent a crossing pass
from the right side and Allie Wood got a head on it, but Beeman
made the save.
Panthers attacker Kristen Kudlic made a nice move 12 minutes into the game
to beat her defender and break in,
but she led the ball too far to catch up, allowing Shrewsbury
goalkeeper Kim Nickle to come up and smother the chance.
Nickle notched a five-save shutout but, unlike the Central Mass. final against
Algonquin Regional, rarely was tested.
“Our defense did a great job tonight,” DelPrete said. “Kathrine
Beall, Tory Benoit, Michelle Laramee, Ashlyn Derosier
and Sara Shuster all were great. Maura Fox is a little dynamo
in the middle of the field.”
The Colonials’ only loss of the season came early to Westboro High when
the Colonials were fighting injuries to
several key players.
DelPrete was forced to play his underclassmen earlier than he anticipated,
but in retrospect it helped the team reach
the state final. The team was playing its fourth game in seven
days last night and Delprete said the depth paid off.
“The injuries gave me the confidence to use the younger players who
might not ordinarily have confidence in them
,” DelPrete said. “They’re not freshmen or sophomores any more because they’ve played so much soccer.”
Nov 12, 2007
Colonials, Benjamin don’t fall in third trip
WORCESTER— Shrewsbury freshman Emily Benjamin was in the right place
at the right time and her teammates couldn’t be happier.
Benjamin scored midway through the first overtime to lift the No. 2 Colonials
over No. 9 Algonquin, 3-2, in the
Central Mass. Division 1 final last night at Commerce Bank
Field at Foley Stadium.
It was the third consecutive trip to the final for Shrewsbury, but its first
victory as the Colonials lost to Marlboro
the past two seasons. It was the second girls’ soccer title for the school, as Shrewsbury also won in 1999. The
Colonials (18-1-2) will face Springfield Cathedral (14-1-6) in the state semifinal at 5 tomorrow at Westfield State
College.Off an inbounds pass, junior Erin Kinback flipped the ball to Benjamin in front of the Algonquin goal.
Benjamin made a nice move to lose her defender and break free for a shot, which she booted to the
right of a diving Katherine Matthews to start the celebration.
“I just looked up at the right time and I found the back of the net
and that’s all I can do,” Benjamin said.
“I was just trying to get anything I could.”
Shrewsbury seemed poised to win the game in regulation, as the Colonials had
a 2-1 lead as the injury time was
winding off the clock. However, the Tomahawks kept pressuring the Shrewsbury zone, finally capitalizing on a
goal by Algonquin sophomore Samantha Friday with four seconds
left.
Junior Samantha Abro sent in a ball that was redirected by teammate Alyssa
Kody right to Friday, who corralled
it as she was driving to the left of Shrewsbury goaltender Kim Nickle and sending a shot into the middle of the
net to tie the game.
“They tied it up and I was like, ‘Oh no,’ ” Shrewsbury
coach Chip DelPrete said. “That was my worst nightmare
is what it was. Here we go.”
Algonquin coach Kim Miller said she put an extra forward up and her players
higher on the field for most of the second half.
“They converted it, which was extremely exciting,” the first-year
coach said. “They played with so much heart tonight.
They’re talented and they came here and left everything
on the field.”
The win spoiled the Tomahawks’ Cinderella-like run. Algonquin came into
the postseason as a ninth seed, but upended
higher-ranked teams Holy Name, Shepherd Hill and Westboro to reach the final. Algonquin beat the Rams and
Rangers in overtime, but last night’s game — the third time this season Shrewsbury has beaten the Tomahawks —
was too much.
“They peaked in the postseason and every single game they played, they
played such great games,” Miller said.
“We walked off the field proud after every single tournament game we played and we’re walking off proud tonight
of how we played. Shrewsbury is a great team, and we played
them strong tonight.”
With 12:22 remaining in the first half, Shrewsbury sophomore Tory Benoit camped
out to the left of Matthews from
20 yards out and converted a crossing pass from junior Lizz
Murray to make it 1-0.
The Tomahawks rallied over the next minute, nearly scoring after sophomore
Gillian Carlucci pushed in a loose ball
off a missed header, but the ball never crossed the line, keeping Shrewsbury in the lead. Ten seconds later,
Algonquin’s Taryn Field banged a shot off the crossbar,
but the Colonials went into halftime with the lead.
“(Algonquin was) phenomenal tonight, they played lights out,”
DelPrete said. “When you go into sudden death, it’s
obviously a tight game. They never gave up and they just kept
coming, even as the clock was winding down.”
Algonquin tied it 10:22 into the second half after Friday fed Abro, who fired
a shot over the head of Nickle for her
fourth postseason goal.
Shrewsbury played most of the second half without senior co-captain Gianna
D’Errico, who scored the Colonials
’ first goal in their semifinal victory. She left with
an injury and had her right thigh wrapped in a bandage.
However, the Colonials’ depth showed when Benoit notched her second
goal with 3:58 remaining, converting a
pass from Benjamin in a near mirror-image of her earlier tally.
“They were actually real simple goals, and I was waiting for the ball
to skip through the defense,” Benoit said.
“Our coach, Chip DelPrete, has been awesome at practice having us finish those shots. Usually I have been
playing defense, and I was questioning why I was shooting those and this game it really came through. Coach
definitely knows what he’s doing.”
Shrewsbury was the top seed last year, but fell to No. 6 Marlboro, 3-1, in
the final.
“We had an amazing team last year and the team this year is just as
good,” She said. “It’s an amazing feeling to
win the district championships. I was on the team last year that Marlboro beat, it was just a disappointment.
To feel something like this is indescribable.”
Shrewsbury 3, Algonquin 2 (OT): T-Hawks chopped down
Sun Nov 11, 2007, 11:01 PM EST
WORCESTER - The early moments of last night's Division 1 Central final at
Foley Stadium between No. 9 Algonquin
and No. 2 Shrewsbury looked like an off-season goalkeeping clinic.
Shrewsbury's Kim Nickle turned away three solid Algonquin scoring opportunities
in the first 15 minutes of play, paving
the way for Colonials junior Emily Benjamin's overtime goal
to give Shrewsbury a 3-2 victory.
Benjamin's goal also ruined an Algonquin rally that saw the Tomahawks tie
the game with just four seconds remaining.
Algonquin junior Alyssa Kody lifted the ball into the box toward Samantha Friday. The sophomore chested the ball past
Nickle and hammered home the equalizer, sending the match into
an extra session.
"It was my worst nightmare is what it was," said Shrewsbury coach
Chip DelPrete. "When they scored with four
seconds left I was like, 'Oh no, you've got to be kidding me.
Here we go again."'
Algonquin was unable to capitalize on the momentum shift, and neither squad
mustered much offense until the eighth
minute of overtime. Shrewsbury junior Erin Kinback displayed composure in the box and distributed the ball under
pressure to Benjamin. The freshman gathered the feed and knocked in the game winner, advancing the Colonials to
tomorrow's state semifinal.
Shrewsbury now faces Division 1 West champion Springfield Cathedral (14-1-6)
at Westfield State College (5 p.m.).
"We scored when we had to," said DelPrete. "Algonquin played
lights out. They were phenomenal tonight and they
just kept coming."
Shrewsbury sophomore Tory Benoit opened the scoring, beating Katherine Mathews
in the 28th minute to give the
Colonials a 1-0 lead. Benoit placed an accurate shot to the
far post after receiving a feed from Liz Murray.
Algonquin nearly pulled even two minutes later when a Dana Clowes blast from
about 30 yards out rattled off the
crossbar, and the Colonials enjoyed a 1-0 advantage at the break.
The Tomahawks got the equalizer in the 51st minute when Friday played an accurate
long ball to junior Samantha
Abro from the right sideline. Abro beat her defender with a slick cutback move and bent the ball around Nickle
to make it 1-1.
"I'm really proud of my girls," said Algonquin coach Kim Miller.
"They played with so much heart tonight and
they never gave up."
The Colonials regained the lead in the 76th minute when Benoit lit the lamp
for the second time in the contest.
She blasted home a one-timer off Benjamin's feed to make it
2-1 Shrewsbury with under five minutes to play.
But the resilient Tomahawks pressed on and applied pressure in the games waning
moments, helping Friday
get the game-tying goal.
Algonquin ends its season with a record of 13-6-3.
"We have left every single game during this tournament proud of the way
we played," said Miller. "We played a
phenomenal game and we're walking away proud of how we played tonight. I can't even tell you how much heart
my team played with tonight. They left everything on the field."
Benoit, despite scoring two goals, was quick to deflect any praise coming
her way.
"It was the whole team tonight, it really was," said Benoit. "I
just want to congratulate my team on the district
championship because those goals were credited to all of the
players on this team. It was definitely a full team effort."
Prior to the offensive showing in the second half, Nickle and Mathews put
on a show in the first half, with Nickle
making several terrific stops to keep Algonquin off the scoreboard.
"They came out like they were shot out of a cannon," said DelPrete.
"My goalkeeper was phenomenal in the
first 15 minutes of the game. It could have been 3-0."
Mathews was equal to the task in the other cage. The senior made four impressive
stops on close range
blasts to keep the game scoreless.
Shrewsbury 4 Marlboro 1
WORCESTER - It wasn't long after the national anthem that No. 6 Marlborough
found itself in deep trouble in last
night's Division 1 Central girls soccer semifinal against No.
2 Shrewsbury.
Senior forward Nicola D'Errico had the Colonials on WPI's Alumni Field scoreboard
just 22 seconds into the contest
. Shrewsbury had built a 2-0 advantage when Gianna D'Errico volleyed a cross from Erin Kinback past Marlborough
keeper Jesse Bryant less than seven minutes later.
The last two years, the Colonials were bounced from the state tournament by
the Panthers. But those two quick
goals were just what was needed for Chip DelPrete's squad, as
they went on for a 4-1 victory.
"To give up two in seven minutes? That's not too good," said Marlborough
coach Doug Freeman. "I knew that they
were explosive and I told my girls we needed to hold them in
the first 10 minutes. That dug us a very deep hole."
The fast start didn't surprise DelPrete.
"We've been doing that all year, we really have," said DelPrete,
who also coaches girls basketball at Framingham High
. "We've been scoring early and it's quite helpful. We have some really quick players with the ball and they're just like
sharks sometimes. We just attack."
The Panthers cut the lead in half in the 18th minute when senior captain Amy
Cramer beat Shrewsbury goalkeeper
Kim Nickle. Ashley Carresi played an accurate long ball down the right sideline that found Monica Lopez.
The sophomore played the ball back across the middle to Cramer,
who slotted it home.
In the 37th minute, Cramer nearly had the equalizer off a free kick from about
20 yards out. Her bid rattled off the
crossbar and was punched away to safety by Nickle.
"We didn't give up," said Freeman. "We had our opportunities
and I thought Amy Cramer's free kick was going in
but it hit the crossbar. That goes in and we're tied 2-2 at
halftime."
In the 64th minute, Shrewsbury all but sealed the deal when a poorly cleared
ball came rolling out of the Marlborough
box after a corner kick. Senior forward Ashlyn Derosier blasted the one-timer into the top corner of the net, pushing
the Colonial lead to 3-1.
"That third goal was like the nail in the coffin," said Freeman.
"We fought like champions tonight. I thought we had
opportunities; we just couldn't capitalize and they did. That's
basically the difference."
The Colonials would add another score just two minutes later after Kinback
displayed some fancy footwork on the
left sideline. She played a cross to Nicola D'Errico, who knocked
it home for her second score of the match.
Gianna D'Errico had a goal and an assist for Shrewsbury while her sister Nicola
had two goals. Kinback notched
two assists from the midfield for the Colonials (17-1-2).
Shrewsbury will travel to Foley Stadium in Worcester tomorrow to take on No.
9 Algonquin, a Mid-Wach A rival.
The Colonials won both meetings against Algonquin this year,
4-1 in the first tilt and 2-1 on Oct. 29th.
"Well you know the old cliche," said DelPrete on playing the Tomahawks
for the third time this fall. "It's tough to
beat a team three times. They've been playing well and, at this point, I guess it's the two best Division 1 teams in
Central Mass. Everybody else has fallen by the wayside."
The Panthers end their campaign with a record of 13-5-3.
"I am very proud of these kids," said Freeman. "We only had
three seniors so this is a good learning experience
and we'll be back. It was a great season. Shrewsbury is a great team and we've been battling for years. I wish them
all the luck in the world."
Shrewsbury 4 Marlboro 1
D1 CMass SemifinalWORCESTER— After being eliminated by Marlboro High
the past two years, Shrewsbury
High wanted to send a message that this year things were going
to be different.
It didn’t take long for that message to be delivered.
Senior Nicola D’Errico scored just 23 seconds into the game, assisted
by her twin sister Gianna D’Errico.
Gianna then scored in the seventh minute assisted by Erin Kinback as the Colonials jumped out to a quick lead
on their way to a 4-1 win over the Panthers yesterday in a Central Mass. Division 1 girls’ soccer semifinal at
WPI.“It’s incredibly satisfying to beat Marlboro,”
senior sweeper and captain Sara Shuster said. “We really wanted this.”
Second-seeded Shrewsbury (17-1-2) will face No. 9 Algonquin Regional in tomorrow’s
championship game
(5 p.m., Foley Stadium). The Colonials defeated the Tomahawks
twice during the regular season, 3-0 and 2-1.
“It’s a whole new game in the playoffs — especially in the
final,” senior captain Ashlyn Derosier said.
“What happened during the regular season doesn’t
matter now. It should be a great game.”
The D’Erricos’ goals seemed to stun the Panthers (13-5-3), and
the Colonials took full advantage, dominating early play.
Nicola D’Errico nearly made it 3-0 minutes later, but goalie Jesse Bryant
made a nice save on her point-blank bid.
“We have come out like that all year,” Shrewsbury coach Chip DelPrete
said. “I think we surprise teams
with our quickness. Our girls are like sharks — they attack
every chance they get.”
Marlboro wasn’t surprised by Shrewsbury’s fast start. In fact,
coach Doug Freeman said he expected it.
“I told the girls Shrewsbury was explosive and that we had to play well
and hold them off for the first 10 minutes,”
he said. “I’m not sure why we came out like we
did, but Shrewsbury was ready and we were not.”
To Marlboro’s credit, it didn’t just roll over. The Panthers sliced
the lead to 2-1 on Amy Cramer’s goal in the 18th
minute off a great ball from Monica Lopez. They nearly tied things before the half, but Cramer’s free kick clanged
off the crossbar.
Colonial Goalkeeper Kim Nickle was solid in net as she made 6 saves for Shrewsbury.
She was at her best midway
through the second half, as she prevented a goal on a Marlboro
breakaway with a spectacular sliding save.
Shrewsbury’s explosive offense struck again, scoring twice in a three-minute
span of the second half to put the game
away. Deroiser struck first, ripping a shot from 20 yards out just under the crossbar to make it 3-1 with 16 minutes to
play. Three minutes later, Nicola D’Errico ended things
when she scored off a Kinback assist.
“We struck the ball very well,” DelPrete said. “The girls
are playing well at the right time.
We’re looking forward to Sunday.”
Shrewsbury 4, Wachusett 1
Senior forward Nicola D’Errico scored four minutes into the game and
with four minutes left in the first half —
both assisted by Ashlyn Derosier — for second-seeded Shrewsbury
(16-1-2) in a home win.
Junior goalkeeper Demi McLaren stopped seven shots.
Also scoring for Shrewsbury were Maura Fox assisted by Sara Shuster and Gianna
D'Errico assisted by
Erin Kinback. Shrewsbury led 3-1 at halftime as they seized
possession of the game early and often.
Defenders Sara Shuster, Michelle Laramee, Tory Benoit, and Kath Beall played
exceptionally well, as they
limited Wachusett's powerful offense to few offensive opportunities.
Shrewsbury 2 Westboro 0
Shrewsbury- 10/31/07
Avenging their only loss this season, the Lady Colonials of Shrewsbury soundly
defeated the
Westboro Rangers on Senior Night.
Shrewsbury scored the first goal just 1:40 into the game as seniors Ashlyn
Derosier, Sara Shuster,
Gianna D'Errico, Nicola D'Errico, Jen McBride, Alex Barhoff, Jenna Tonelli, and Ashley Baker pressured
Westboro into an early corner kick, which resulted in an Ashlyn
Derosier goal, assisted by Gianna D'Errico.
Shrewsbury scored their second goal of the game early in the second half as
Gianna D'Errico beat the Westboro
goalkeeper to a perfectly placed cross from Erin Kinback.
Shrewsbury finishes its regular season with a 15-1-2 record, a Mid-Wach A
Championship and a #2
seed in the district tournament.
Shrewsbury 2, Algonquin 1
Senior twin sisters Gianna and Nicola D’Errico scored early first-half goals, both
assisted by each other, for the top-ranked Colonials (14-1-2, 10-0-2) against the Tomahawks (10-5-2, 9-3)
in a battle of Mid-Wach A powers in Northboro. Shrewsbury captured sole possession of the Mid-Wach A
title with the win.
Shrewsbury out shot the Tomahawks 25-5 as Algonquin goalkeeper Katherine Matthews
made several
spectacular saves. She made a total of 12 saves as the Lady
Colonials kept the pressure on throughout the game.
The Shrewsbury midfield of Maura Fox, Erin Kinback, Ashley Baker, Emily Benjamin
and Michelle Laramee
controlled the center of the pitch and played exceptional possession
soccer.
Defenders Tory Benoit, Kath Beall, Ashlyn Derosier, and Sara Shuster limited
the potent Tomahawk attack to
just 4 shots on goal. Goalkeepers Kim Nickel and Demi McLaren
split the goalkeeping duties by half.
Senior Christine Otey scored the lone unassisted goal for Algonquin during
a scramble in front of the Shrewsbury goal.
Shrewsbury 2, Hudson 0
SHREWSBURY —
Thursday 10/25/07
Scoring: Maura Fox, Nicola D’Errico.
Assists: Ashlyn Derosier, Erin Kinback
Shutout: Demi McLaren (2 saves). Records: S 13-1-2, H 8-8-1.
Colonials Top Patriots 4-0
TOWNSEND -- Having already been knocked out of district qualification, the
North Middlesex Regional Patriots
were in the position to play spoiler, under the lights Tuesday
night.
Only, they were hosting arguably the hottest team in Central Mass.
Perennial power Shrewsbury, which came into the game with just one loss on
the season and a likely high district
seed, busted out three first-half goals en route to a 4-0 victory over the Patriots. With the win, the Colonials
(12-1-2) have clinched at least a share of the Mid-Wach A title,
with one league game left.
North Middlesex fell to 4-9-4 (3-8-1 Mid-Wach A). Shrewsbury remains perfect
in league play at 9-0-2.
From the first touch of the game, the Colonials were overly aggressive in
the final third of the field. They won
balls in the midfield and sprayed a barrage of shots at goalkeeper
Jess Laurin, in all sorts of directions.
But for the most part, the shots were to no avail. In fact, as coach Chip
DelPrete said, their over-aggression
led to too many players bunched up in too little space. So, DelPrete had players spread out wide to open up
the middle.
"I told them not to all get up on the front line," DelPrete said.
"I told my midfielders to hang back more than
they rushed forward."
In all, Laurin saw 24 shots on goal, saving 20 of them. It's an unusually
high number of saves, even at the
high school level, but coach Charlie Valacer called it a typical
night for her.
"She has about 20 to 30 saves every game," Valacer said. "This
is not the first time."
Meanwhile, the Patriots didn't take a shot on goal all game, a testament to
a smothering Shrewsbury defense
that was playing without junior Brianna Docimo (knee). Still,
Valacer saw something positive come out of the losing effort.
"I think all the way through, there was no give up," he said. "The
sportsmanship was there, and I think we
continued to prove ourselves throughout the game. The girls know that this was a very good team, and they
took it upon themselves to challenge themselves and see what
they could do against them."
For starters, the Patriots, playing out of a standard 4-4-2, allowed three
Colonial shots on goal in three minutes,
and struggled with winning balls in the midfield. Yet, despite the plethora of offensive chances, Shrewsbury
didn't register its first goal until the 31st minute, when Nicola D'Errico rolled a cross to freshman Emily Benjamin,
in close range in front of the net.
But from there, the Colonials got on track. With just under three and a half
minutes left, Shrewsbury's Maura Fox
launched a high lob into the box, and a Patriots player unintentionally headed it backward into the net while fighting
for position with Gianna D'Errico. Forty seconds later, Erin
Kinback hit D'Errico on a cross for the 3-0 halftime lead.
The Colonials played most of their subs in the second half, and rounded out
the scoring with an Alex Barhoff goal
from Jenna Tonelli with five minutes remaining.
Shrewsbury 4, North Middlesex 0
TOWNSEND —
Scoring: Alex Barhoff, Maura Fox, Gianna D’Errico, Emily Benjamin.
Assists: Maura Fox, Nicola D'Errico, Erin Kinback, and Jenna Tonelli
Shutout: Demi McLaren (0 saves), Kim Nickle (1 save). Records: S 12-1-2, NM
4-9-4.
This contest was a total team effort as all 26 members of the team contributed.
It was a
special evening for Allie Wood, Kati Morgan, Chelsea Gallant, Liz Nelson, and Molly Guyotte
as they were "called up" from the highly successful
JV squad and made their varsity debuts.
The Colonials earned at least a share of the Mid-Wach A title with their win
over the host Patriots. This is the
Lady Colonials second league title in a row and their third in the last four
years. They can win ithe title
outright with a win or tie @Algonquin on Mondy night.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Colonials capture key league battle
Shrewsbury 1, Wachusett 0
Visiting Shrewsbury moved one step closer to clinching the Mid-Wach A title
as they battled a physical
Wachusett team.
Freshman Maggie Kerr broke a scoreless tie with 14 minutes left for the No.
1 Colonials
(11-1-2, 8-0-2 Mid-Wach A). Kerrs goal came on a cornerkick, as she swerved the ball
directly into the net over the Wachusett defenders and GK.
Also playing exceptionally well for Shrewsbury were defenders Michelle Laramee
, Jamie Kerr, Tory Benoit, Sara Shuster, Ashlyn Derosier and
Kath Beall.
Colonial goalkeeper Demi McLaren had seven saves, and made a spectacular
overhead save on a point blank shot with 2:30 minutes left to
preserve the shutout for the Colonials.
The Mountaineers are now 9-3-2 (7-2-2 Mid-Wach A).
Stunning soccer tie for Milford girls
Fri Oct 19, 2007
Marissa Masionis scored on an assist from Andrea Ferrante with 15 minutes
left in the game to lead the host
Milford girls soccer team to a 2-2 draw with visiting Mid-Wach
A powerhouse rival Shrewsbury.
Nicole Fournier also scored on an assist from Melissa Depaolo for the Scarlet
Hawks (7-4-2, 6-3-2 MWA).
Goalie Sam Titlebaum had 10 saves in the overall team effort
as Milford qualified for the district tournament with the win.
Goals for Shrewsbury were scored by Tory Benoit assisted by Gianna D’Errico,
and Erin Kinback assisted
by Maura Fox. Goalkeeper Kim Nickle made 3 saves as Shrewsbury (10-1-2, 7-0-2 MWA) dominated
possession throughout, but was unable to hold on for the win.
Stunning soccer tie for Milford girls
Fri Oct 19, 2007
Marissa Masionis scored on an assist from Andrea Ferrante with 15 minutes
left in the game to lead the host
Milford girls soccer team to a 2-2 draw with visiting Mid-Wach
A powerhouse rival Shrewsbury.
Nicole Fournier also scored on an assist from Melissa Depaolo for the Scarlet
Hawks (7-4-2, 6-3-2 MWA).
Goalie Sam Titlebaum had 10 saves in the overall team effort
as Milford qualified for the district tournament with the win.
Goals for Shrewsbury were scored by Tory Benoit assisted by Gianna D’Errico,
and Erin Kinback assisted by
Maura Fox. Goalkeeper Kim Nickle made 3 saves as Shrewsbury (10-1-2, 7-0-2 MWA) dominated possession
throughout, but was unable to hold on for the win.
Shrewsbury 7 Leominster 0
LEOMINSTER —
Scoring: Gianna D’Errico 2, Emily Benjamin, Ashlyn Derosier, Ashley
Baker, Liz Murray, Steph Nugent.
Assists: Ashlyn Derosier, Alex Barhoff, Maggie Kerr,
Nicola D'Errico, Steph Nugent, Allie Wood
Shutout: Demi McLaren (1 save), Kim Nickle (1).
Record: Shrewsbury 7-0-1, 10-1-1.
Shrewsbury 2, Marlboro 0
SHREWSBURY — 10/13/07
Scoring: Nicola D’Errico, Maura Fox.
Assist: Ashlyn Derosier
Shutout: Kim Nickel (5 saves).
Records: S 9-1-1, M 6-3-2.
On a chilly Saturday evening the Shrewsbury Girls Soccer Team turned in another
dominant performance as they
trampled the Marlboro Lady Panthers. Marlboro certainly no slouch and a fierce rival of the Colonials came in
with a 6-2-2 record.
Although the final score was a respectable 2-0, Shrewsbury carried the play
and bottled the Lady Panthers up in
their own end for long stretches. If it wasn’t for some fine goalkeeping by Panther GKs Jess Bryant and Ashley Mullin
(12 saves combined) the score might have been more lopsided,
as Shrewsbury outshot Marlboro 20-5.
Nicola D’Errico got the Colonials on the board first as she collected
a beautiful pass from Ashlyn Derosier. D’Errico
then beat a Marlboro defender and struck a well placed shot by the diving Marlboro GK. Derosier and D’Errico have
become a deadly duo, combining on numerous goals this season. Forwards Gianna D’Errico, Alexia Barhoff,
Bri Esteves, Maggie Kerr, and Jen McBride also helped put constant
pressure on the Marlboro defense.
Maura Fox, Erin Kinback, Ashley Baker, Jamie Kerr and Emily Benjamin continued
their phenomenal play as they
dominated every aspect of midfield play. Fox was especially dominant. Her most notable achievement was her
sparkling goal from 25 yards. She was awarded a direct kick after a frustrated Marlboro player, knocked her
to the turf. Fox made the Panthers pay dearly for their “rough
housing” as her shot dipped and swerved its way into the net.
Once again the Shrewsbury defense including: Sara Shuster, Michelle Laramee,
Tory Benoit, Kath Beall and
Ashlyn Derosier played near perfect, as they protected Colonial goalkeeper Kim Nickle. Nickle made 5
saves, but saved her best play for late in the second half when she fearlessly punched out a dangerous corner kick,
just before a Panther head was able to knock it home.
Shrewsbury 8, Burncoat 0
SHREWSBURY —
Scoring: Gianna D’Errico (2), Nicola D’Errico, Maura Fox, Ashley
Baker, Emily Benjamin, Ashlyn Derosier,
and Maggie Kerr.
Assists: Nicola D'Errico (2), Maura Fox (2), Gianna D'Errico,
Alexia Barhoff, Bri Docimo, and Erin Kinback.
Shutout: Demi McLaren (3 saves), Kim Nickle (2 saves).
Records: S 8-1-1, B 6-5-1.
Visiting Burncoat ran into a rain soaked buzzsaw yesterday as the Shrewsbury
Girls Soccer Team scored 5 goals
in the game's
first 8:20!
The scoring began just thirty seconds into the game senior forward as Gianna
D'Errico converted a perfectly slotted
pass from her sister Nicola for the game's first goal. At the :56 mark, Nicola D'errico set up junior midfielder
Maura Fox for a goal a mere 26 seconds later.
Still reeling from the early onslaught, the Burncoat defense gave up another
score at the 1:58 mark, as Gianna D'Errico
scored her second goal on a cross from Erin Kinback.
The rout was on as Nicola D'errico scored at the 3:58 mark, assisted by her
sister Gianna. Senior Ashley Baker
continued the scoring as she tipped in a Maura Fox shot at 8:20.
Freshman Emily Benjamin finished off the first half scoring with a goal assisted
by Bri Docimo.
Things calmed down considerably in the second half as it rained harder and
the field became wetter.
Shrewsbury managed two more goals in the second half, as they played a more
possession minded game.
Ashlyn Derosier and Maggie Kerr each tallied a goal, assisted
by Maura Fox and Alex Barhoff repsectively.
The Colonial defensive unit backed by goal keepers Kim Nickle, and Demi McLaren
did a great job containing
the Burncoat strikeforce on a very difficult day.
Despite the slick field conditions, defenders Kath Beall, Tory Benoit, Chelsea
Urso, Jamie Kerr, Steph Nugent,
Bri Docimo, Michelle Laramee, and Sara Shuster all avoided costly mistakes and formed an impermeable wall
protecting the Shrewsbury goal and preserving the sixth shutout
of the season.
Shrewsbury next hosts bitter rival Marlboro on Saturday evening at 7:00pm
Shrewsbury 4, Algonquin 1
SHREWSBURY —
Shrewsbury Goals: Maura Fox 2, Nicola D’Errico, Gianna D’Errico.
Algonquin Goals: Samantha Friday.
Assists: Ashlyn Derosier, Emily Benjamin, Sara Shuster, and
Erin Kinback
Records: S 7-1-1, A 6-2.
In a battle for Mid/Wach "A" supremacy, Shrewsbury came out on top
in a resounding 4-1 win over
bitter league rival Algonquin.
Just 58 seconds into the game Senior forward Ashlyn Derosier chased down a
beautiful thru ball by
Maura Fox and sent a perfect cross into the box where Nicola
D'Errico headed it by the stunned Algonquin goalkeeper.
Not to be denied, Algonquin scored just 30 seconds later off the ensuing kickoff
as sophomore forward
Samantha Friday beat two Shrewsbury defenders and found the
back of the net with a carefully placed shot.
From that point on Shrewsbury dominated possession and generated numerous
scoring opportunities.
Midfielder Maura Fox was seemingly everywhere. Winning balls at midfield,
sending passes to the fleet
Shrewsbury forwards, and scoring two goals of her own.
Goalkeeper Kim Nickel was rarely tested but when she was, she was up to the
task, making 5 saves.
The defensive unit of Michelle Laramee, Tory Benoit, Kath Beall, and Sara Shuster contained the potent
strike force of the always dangerous Tomahawks.
Shuster also set up one of the Colonial goals with a perfectly lofted free
kick from 40 yds, which
Maura Fox nodded in over the Algonquin defense.
Senior forward Gianna D'Errico made her return from injury notable by scoring
the third Shrewsbury goal as she
out leapt the Tomahawk goalkeeper and deflected in a high bouncing
ball.
Other key contributors included: midfielders Erin Kinback, Jamie Kerr, Maggie
Kerr, Ashley Baker, and
forwards Emily Benjamin, Bri Docimo, Bri Esteves and Alexia
Barhoff.
Shrewsbury, now in sole possession of first place, travels to league rival
Wachusett for a 7:00 pm game on Tuesday evening.
Floundering Fitchburg
By Michael LeClair
Sentinel & Enterprise
Article Launched:10/03/2007 10:05:38 AM EDT
FITCHBURG -- It could have been worse for the Fitchburg girls' soccer team,
Tuesday afternoon.
The visiting Shrewsbury Colonials (6-1-1) could easily have had a double-digit
victory but hit four posts during
the course of their 8-0 roll over the Red Raiders. Shrewsbury
also outshot Fitchburg 20-1.
"It's Shrewsbury. They're bigger and faster than we were," said
Fitchburg second-year coach Melissa Bourque,
whose squad falls to 0-7 on the year. "They know what they're doing and they do it very well. They can shoot the
ball from anywhere once they get over midfield."
Shrewsbury coach Chip DelPrete was pleased with his team's performance.
"Fitchburg is a young team who is relatively inexperienced," he
said. "It took a little while but once we started
playing our game we were fine."
The Red Raiders hung tough with Shrewsbury for the first 10 minutes of the
game. Starting Red Raiders' goalkeeper
Kim Sequin (seven saves) made a pair of pretty saves, including
a diving stop five minutes in, to keep things scoreless early.
That was until the 11th minute, when Shrewsbury's Sara Shuster let loose a
direct kick from just about midfield.
Sequin misjudged the ball's bounce and watched it fly right over her head and into the back of the net for a
Colonials' 1-0 lead.
Emily Benjamin added a second goal during the 23rd minute when she took a
pass from a right corner kick
and headed it past Sequin. The Colonials added another score
a minute later again from Emily Benjamin to make it 3-0.
The Colonials scored two more goals, and after 40 minutes of play Shrewsbury
held a 5-0 lead. The score
would stay that way going into the second half.
"Losing is a habit and winning is a habit," said Bourque. "After
one or two goals go in I think the motivation
just went out. It just took the wind out of our sails."
In the second half, the Red Raiders switched up goalies, bringing in Michaela
Horn to replace Sequin.
Shrewsbury didn't show much sympathy for the young freshman netminder, picking up where it left off in the
first half. Benjamin added her third of the game during the
49th minute to make it 6-0.
The Fitchburg offense had all kinds of trouble getting something started.
It wasn't until the 60th minute of the
game that the team mustered its first shot on net when midfielder Molly Mioduszewski let loose a direct kick
from 30 yards out. The shot was ticketed for the left side of the net but Shrewsbury keeper Demi McLaren
(one save) was there to make the stop.
"Amy Boucher and Molly always put in 100 percent effort and they did
today," said Bourque.
"Maddie Moore also did a great job and gave 100 percent."
Fitchburg is back in action Thursday night when it travels to Townsend to
play
North Middlesex Regional High School under the lights at John E. Young Memorial Field.
Shrewsbury 8, Fitchburg 0
FITCHBURG — Freshmen Emily Benjamin had three goals and an assist, and
Maggie Kerr added a goal
and three assists as the No. 2 Colonials won in Fitchburg. Also grabbing assists were Ashlyn Derosier,
Maura Fox, and Ashley Baker. Defenders Steph Nugent, Chelsea Urso, Michelle Laramee, and Kathryn Beall
limited the Fitchburg ofense to one shot on goal— Demi
McLaren posted the shutout for Shrewsbury.
Boxscore-Goals: Emily Benjamin 3, Sara Shuster, Maggie Kerr, Ashley Baker,
Jenna Tonelli, Alex Barhoff
. Shutout: Demi McLaren (1 save). Records: S 6-1-1 (5-0-1 Mid-Wach A), F 0-7 (0-7).
WESTBOROUGH 2, SHREWSBURY 0
: Goals by Annette Kristiansen and Jane Redden propelled
Westborough to a non-league victory over visiting Shrewsbury (5-1-1, 4-0-1 MWA). Meg Cullen stopped
all five shots she faced for the Rangers (7-1, 4-0 MWB).
Shrewsbury 6, North Middlesex 0
SHREWSBURY — Scoring: Maura Fox (3), Nicola D’Errico,
Jenna Tonelli, Maggie Kerr.
Assists: Ashlyn Derosier (2), Erin Kinback, Bri Esteves,
Jen McBride, Jenna Tonelli.
Shutout: Kim Nickle (1 save), Demi McLaren (1 save).
Records: S 5-0-1 (4-0-1 in Mid-Wach A), NM 3-4-2 (2-4-0).
Highlights: Senior Jenna Tonelli and Freshman Maggie Kerr both scored their
first career varsity goals.
Tonelli also garnered an assist. Midfielders Maura Fox, Erin Kinback, Jamie Kerr, Jen McBride and
Bri Docimo controlled the pitch with pinpoint passing and timely tackling. Forwards Nicola D'Errico,
Ashlyn Derosier and Bri Esteves had superb games despite being
tightly defended.
The defensive unit of Kath Beall, Michelle Laramee, Tory Benoit, Sara Shuster
and Chelsea Urso did
a fine job or supressing any offensive attacks by North Middlesex.
Sep 27, 2007
Happy to be ranked 17th
Kevin O’Malley Girls’ Soccer
Shrewsbury girls’ soccer coach Chip DelPrete has been pleasantly surprised
by the way his Colonial squad has
been able to overcome several key injuries and remain undefeated
with four wins and a tie in its first five games.
“It’s a little surprising to me considering the amount of injuries
we’ve had. We’ve faced a lot of adversity early
in the season,” DelPrete said. “We’ve had a lot of primary players suffer major injuries and we lost 11 seniors
from last year’s team.”
The Colonials’ success apparently isn’t as surprising to the National
Soccer Coaches Association, which ranked
the Shrewsbury girls’ soccer squad third in the Northeast Region and 17th in the nation in its latest poll.
“This is the first time we’ve ever been ranked nationally, so it’s a nice feather in the cap for these girls but it also
raises expectations,” DelPrete added. “Obviously this is just some people’s opinion and opinions don’t win
soccer games, but it is nice to be included. It’s nice to be well thought
of and respected.”
Coaches in Central Mass., however, had Westboro edging the Colonials for the
top spot in this week’s
Telegram and Gazette coaches’ poll.
Shrewsbury has earned the respect of its Central Mass. opponents, challenging
Algonquin and Wachusett
for the Mid-Wach A crown year in and year out.
“It seems like it’s a three-team race every year,” DelPrete
said.
This year is no different as Shrewsbury is right in the thick of things, despite
starting the season with four
starters sidelined by injury and illness.
Shrewsbury’s leading scorer from a year ago, senior captain Gianna D’Errico,
suffered a knee injury during
the squad’s second preseason scrimmage and has yet to see any action.
Sophomore goalie Tory Benoit suffered a broken hand, keeping her out of net
for Shrewsbury. Benoit,
cast and all, has returned to the team, playing defense while her hand continues
to heal.
Junior midfielder Maura Fox recently returned to the team after missing three
weeks with a minor knee injury.
Fox made her presence felt almost immediately, helping the Colonials erase a 2-0 halftime deficit at
Nashoba as the Colonials came from behind to beat the Chieftains, 3-2.
The Colonials defense, decimated by graduation, lost its only returning starter,
Sara Shuster, for two
weeks while she was hospitalized due to illness.
“That’s four key starters we started the season without,”
DelPrete said. “The other kids have really pitched in,
and now slowly but surely we are getting back healthy again.”
That is bad news for Shrewsbury’s opponents; especially considering
how fast the team’s young defensive core
has come together, allowing only three goals in five games so far.
Shrewsbury got a shot in the arm with the return of junior Jamie Kerr, who
has come back to anchor the defense
after missing all of last season with an ACL injury.
Converted midfielders Michelle Laramee and Katherine Beall have been key components
in the Colonials’ rebuilt defense.
The offense has been led by Nicola D’Errico — Gianna’s twin
sister — who has tallied a league-leading 13 points
with seven goals and six assists in just five games.
Freshman Emily Benjamin has been a pleasant addition on offense as well, scoring
five goals in the first five games
of her high school career while also earning one assist, while junior midfielder Erin Kinback has contributed a pair
of goals and four assists.
That has been more than enough offense for Demi McLaren and Kim Nickel, who
have split time in net since Benoit
broke her hand, allowing less than a goal a game between the two.
Shrewsbury 5, Milford 0
SHREWSBURY — Scoring: Nicola D’Errico 3, Erin Kinback 2.
Shutout: Kim Nickel (5 saves)
Assists: Jamie Kerr, Maura Fox, Emily Benjamin, Tory Benoit, Ashlyn Derosier
.
Records: M 4-2-0, S 4-0-1 (3-0-1 Mid-Wach A).
Shrewsbury 3, Leominster 0
The Shrewsbury Girls Varsity Soccer team turned in another dominating
performance over league foe Leominster on Thursday evening. Shrewsbury
controlled play from the outset and outshot the visiting Blue Devils 31-1.
Leominster goalkeeper Jordan Storro was outstanding as she frustrated the
Colonial offense for most of the first half. Storro was stellar in net as
she made 17 saves in the first half (26 total), some of which were more than
spectacular. After several promising opportunites and Storro saves,
Shrewsbury and freshman Emily Benjamin finally scored on a redirected cross
from junior midfielder Erin Kinback at the 20 minute mark of the first half.
Storro continued her dominance in net as Shrewsbury headed into halftime
with a 1-0 lead. They huddled for halftime shaking their heads in
amazement, as they pondered what it would take to score against Storro.
Once again just 12:00 minutes into the second half Benjamin solved Storro,
as she found the back of the net, off another perfectly placed cross from
Kinback. The Colonials continued to pepper the Leominster goal with shots
as
senior forward Ashlyn Derosier finished the Colonial scoring on a beautiful
unassisted left footed blast from 18 yds. Forwards Alex Barhoff, Bri Esteves
and Ashley Baker all had golden opportunities stymied by Storro's heroics.
Playing dominating soccer for Shrewsbury were midfielders Nicola D'Errico,
Maura Fox, Jamie Kerr, Bri Docimo, Jen McBride and Kinback. The midfield
dominated the center of the pitch as they seemingly collected every loose
ball. The Colonial attack was expertly engineered by their perfectly placed
passes and well timed tackles.
Defensively Shrewsbury was led by Tory Benoit, Sara Shuster, Kath Beall,
Michelle Laramee, Steph Nugent and Chelsea Urso. This backfield unit was
solid all night as they protected grateful goal keeper Demi McLaren to the
tune of one shot on goal.
Shrewsbury is now 3-0-1 and next hosts league opponent Milford at 3:45 pm
on
Tuesday.
Shrewsbury 3, Nashoba 2
BOLTON — Shrewsbury scoring: Emily Benjamin 2, Nicola D’Errico.
Nashoba scoring: Jen Harding, Kathy Polido. Records: N 2-3, S 2-0-1.
Shrewsbury 1, Wachusett 1
Shrewsbury 7, Fitchburg 0
Senior forward Nicola D’Errico began her season with a flourish, scoring
two
goals and dishing out three assists for the host Colonials in the debut for
both teams.
Senior Alexia Barhoff added two goals and junior Brianna Docimo had a goal
and an assist. Freshman Emily Benjamin and junior Lizz Murray each scored
their first varsity goal.
Assists were also dished out by Erin Kinback, Kath Beall and Bri Esteves.
Shutout: Kim Nickel (2 saves) and Demi McLaren (2). Records: S 1-0, F 0-1.
Shrewsbury travels to Algonquin on tuesday for an early season tilt with
their Mid/Wach "A" rivals @ 7:00 pm
SHS girls set sights on soccer title
By Josh Centor/SPORTS CORRESPONDENT
GateHouse News Service
Wed Aug 29, 2007, 03:05 PM EDT
With just one regular season loss in the last three years, the Shrewsbury
girls soccer team has established itself as one of Central Massachusetts’
prominent programs. The Colonials have finished just short of their goal the
last two seasons, however, twice losing in the district finals.
“We always set our goals and priorities in order,” said head coach
Chip
DelPrete. “The first thing we want to do is win the league, and if we
do
that, then we’ve also made the district tournament. The last couple
of years
we’ve made the sectional final and from there, you just want to be as
successful as you can.”
Despite graduating 11from last year’s team, the Colonials lose just
five
starters, and return a high-powered offense.
“You always hate to lose seniors but that’s the fact of life in
high
school,” DelPrete said. “We have our top five scorers back from
last year
and we have some really talented soccer players on this team.”
Senior twins Gianna and Nicola D’Errico return for their fourth year
on the
varsity squad and will lead the Shrewsbury attack up front. The Colonial
offense tallied 92 goals last season, and Gianna led the way with 20. Nicola
added 13 goals and 15 assists.
“Gianna and Nicola are both exceptional players. They’re fast,
talented,
experience and very motivated,” DelPrete said.
The D’Errico twins will serve as team captains along with Ashlyn Derosier
and Sara Shuster. Like the twins, Derosier was a CMass all-star last year
and is a key part of the team’s attack. Derosier had 15 goals and 13
helpers
last fall.
“The three forwards seem to work well together. The can all score and
it’s
difficult for teams to stop three players. We also have kids coming off the
bench who can score so I don’t think our offense will suffer one bit,”
DelPrete said.
Senior Ashley Baker and junior Maura Fox have also proven that they can be
go-to players on offense for the Colonials
There are a couple more question marks with the defense, which will be led
by Shuster. Shrewsbury allowed just 10 goals last season, and 25 in the last
three years, but graduated all-state goalie Kristy Benoit.
“Sara is big, strong and fast and we have some talented youngsters willing
to play defense who will help her out,” DelPrete said.
Each of the captains has played four years of varsity soccer and DelPrete
says the girls are all about going out the right way.
“They’ve suffered a couple of heartbreaking losses in the tournament,
and I
think the fire is burning very hot inside them right now,” DelPrete
said.
The Colonials open their season on Sept. 6 against Fitchburg.