NORTHAMPTON — The Northampton girls soccer team came away with a grueling, 3-2 win in double overtime in its MIAA Division 2 tournament Round of 32 game against Somerset Berkley on Thursday.
Time dwindled down in the match’s second overtime period, as Allie Sullivan dribbled up the right side for the Blue Devils. With a defender on her hip, she drew a corner kick for her squad.
Olivia Busone set up in the right corner, smashing a line drive off her left foot towards the goal. The ball deflected off the hands of the Raiders’ keeper, headed for the left post.
Coming in from her defensive alignment, Alysha Parshall-Matylas leaped into the air, with her eyes locked on the ball and executed a perfect header it into the back of the net for a golden goal for the Blue Devils.
“[Parshall-Matylas is] one of our main headers, so we push her up for corners,” Northampton head coach Vanessa Butynski said. “This is the second goal in the last couple of games that she scored for us from the defense. She tracks balls beautifully.”
The Blue Devils had to battle to even get into overtime, facing a 2-1 deficit just over nine minutes into the second half.
A solid scoring chance in the box caused Somerset Berkley to suffer a handball that forced a penalty kick.
Olive Little lined up to take the penalty and made the most of the opportunity, sending a low shot along the grass, just past the arms of the Raiders’ keeper and inside the right post for the 2-2 equalizer.
“The mentality of playoff soccer is needing to stay mentally sound and physically fit the whole entire game and just being locked in,” Butynski said.
Somerset Berkley got its lead with help from a switch in goal for the Blue Devils.
Anna Oravec ran out to grab a loose ball from her spot between the posts just over 23 minutes into the first half. She collided with Raider, taking her out of the game for a few minutes.
Although one goal was surrendered in her absence, Northampton seemed to keep a level head, and battled until she made her return.
“We’re a full team, so everyone’s ready to play,” Butynski said. “That does take a damper a little bit on the team. But I thought my girls rallied around her once she was checked in, and okay, it kind of brought that momentum up.”
Willow Claps scored the opener for the Blue Devils, deking and dodging around three defenders on her way to the net. The junior seemed to have the ball on a string before sneaking a shot inside the right post for the game’s first goal.
Despite surrendering two unanswered goals before the end of the first half, Northampton went into the break with a positive mindset.
With a plan in place, adjustments were made to set the team up for success, especially on the defensive end.
“We talked about how sometimes, your best defense is playing offense,” Butynski said. “We really do our best when we get the ball into the attacking third… so our halftime talk was a lot about, ‘hey, let’s play our game.'”
The playoff matchup truly was a battle between two competitive teams, with momentum switching sides on a consistent basis.
The victory moves Northampton on to the Round of 16, set to take on three-seeded Mansfield on the road. Kickoff is set for Saturday, Nov. 8, at 6 p.m.
“I’m about to tell them how much heart they had, because playoff games are battles,” Butynski said of her postgame message. “But just really getting down deep and continuing to try to play our style of game, playing for each other, because we’re really becoming a family this year. They dug deep on that one, because that was a really tough game.
“I think we’re [going to] do some damage,” Butynski said.
Northampton’s Willow Claps (7) and Somerset Berkley’s Julia Costa (21) compete for the ball during the MIAA Division 2 Round of 32 soccer game at Northampton High School, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025, in Northampton. DANIEL JACOBI II / Staff Photo 
Northampton’s Hatteras Lewis (8) and Somerset Berkley’s Layla Venancio (10) compete for the ball during the MIAA Division 2 Round of 32 soccer game at Northampton High School, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025, in Northampton. DANIEL JACOBI II / Staff Photo 
Northampton’s Nia Kent kicks the ball down the field during the MIAA Division 2 Round of 32 soccer game against Somerset Berkley at Northampton High School, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025, in Northampton. DANIEL JACOBI II / Staff Photo
Tewksbury 5, Belchertown 2 — The Orioles’ season came to a close following their defeat in the Div. 3 Round of 32.
These two teams met in the exact same round of the tournament last season, with Belchertown taking the 1-0 win.
The Orioles finished the season 8-8-4 overall.
Boys soccer
Northampton 4, Newburyport 2 — The 31st-ranked Clippers gave the No. 2 Blue Devils a competitive game in Thursday’s Round of 32 contest.
Northampton led 3-2 at halftime, before Charlie Ames netted an insurance marker in the second half to push the hosts to the Round of 16.
The Blue Devils will host No. 15 Mansfield on Saturday at 5 p.m.
Non-playoff football results (Nov. 6)
Holyoke 35, Chicopee 12
West Springfield 34, Amherst 22
Franklin Tech 33, Northampton 8
