H.S. girls soccer: Hannah Haesaert plays hero in South Hadley’s shut out over Belchertown

BELCHERTOWN —  It seems whenever the Belchertown and South Hadley girls soccer teams meet, the games are decided by narrow margins.

During last year’s Western Mass. Class B final, South Hadley scored the game winning goal in the final minutes of the game, taking the lead just a few minutes after Belchertown tied the score.

Friday’s game was another tight matchup. Only one goal was scored in the entire game, and it came on a direct kick early in the first half.

South Hadley’s Hannah Haesaert scored what would be the game-winning goal off a direct kick just outside the goalie box. Though the Orioles put more than enough shots on net, the Tigers defense got the job done for the 1-0 win.

“Every game we want to get the early lead, and now they can see why that was important. It does help,” South Hadley first-year head coach Molly Foley said.

Haesaert’s goal arrived in one of the more unlikely scenarios to occur.

On what seemed to be an ordinary kick that rolled deep into the defensive zone for Belchertown, sophomore goalie Linnea Anderson ran to the ball to gain possession with her hands. She left the goalie box in the process, resulting in the direct kick once she touched the ball.

Within scoring range, the Tigers put their top goal scorer behind the ball to get a quality shot on net.

“I like to go for my corners and I’ve been practicing that all season,” Haesaert said. “I had a hurt quad so I was little bit worried about how I was going to kick with my right foot. But it ended up going how I was planning.”

Kicking just outside the top left corner of the box into the blazing sun set behind the trees, Haesaert launched a shot aimed off Anderson’s left shoulder.

The goalie managed to get both hands on the shot, but the ball slipped through the gloves and had enough speed to cross the line for the goal.

The early 1-0 lead was paramount for a team that has scored only two goals in the four games outside of its 9-0 win over Chicopee Comp.

“We’ve struggled with coming out in the first half,” Haesaert said. “We’ve had a rivalry with them so it feels really good to score early.”

Belchertown responded with a constant attack for the rest of the half. The Orioles generated plenty of opportunities, but could not get the opening they were looking for.

Whether it was a goal was called off due to the play being offside, Adelina Gualberto’s direct kick getting stopped, or a shot wide of the net, nothing landed for the Orioles.

“Our intensity dropped off and our gameplay changed a little on the mental side,” Belchertown head coach Kyle Thibeault said. “We bounced back in the second half. We generated some opportunities, but you got to bury the ball in the back of the net in order to finish off games.”

Plus, South Hadley had Olivia Anthas who stood tall in net with seven saves in the game. Despite the continuous pressure from Belchertown’s offense, the junior remained poised.

“She’s such a great keeper,” Foley said. “She’s someone we trust back there. Her teammates trust her. She’s so athletic she can make some really good saves.”

Her best save she kept for last. With less than five minutes to go, Belchertown drew a direct kick a little further out from where Haesaert kicked.

The shot was also right at Anthas, who dropped the shot, keeping the play alive. Luckily for her, her defense came through and corralled the ball and sent the ball back the other way.

The goalkeeper had little doubt her defense would come through.

“I was a little nervous because of the wind,” Anthas said, “but then I was like ‘we got it.’ Our defense is lock down.”

The game was the latest chapter in a rivalry that is almost evenly matched. In the two teams’ last seven games, starting in 2023, the goal differential is dead even at 9-9. Five of the games were decided by one goal or less. But when it comes to wins, South Hadley holds the advantage four to Belchertown’s two, with one tie.

“We knew the rivalry plays into it and the nerves and intensity,” Thibeault said. “We knew it was going to be a battle.”

The Orioles, now 4-3, began a three-game week by hosting Division 2 league opponent East Longmeadow. The 3-1-2 Tigers head to Ludlow for their second matchup of the season. Ludlow won the season opener 2-0.