SPRINGFIELD — The Western Mass. Class A girls soccer final had everything you could ask for in a championship bout.
Northampton (13-3-3) poured everything they had into the 80-minute contest, commanding the midfield and holding firm on defense. The Blue Devils fell behind twice to their opponent, Pope Francis (14-4-1), yet they also tied the game twice, refusing to let the Cardinals maintain a lead.
Though, the Cardinals’ third goal with just 10 minutes to play was the last of the match, toppling the Blue Devils to win the Class A crown, 3-2.
But the grittiness and heart showed by Northampton on Monday night at Springfield Central High School, reminded coach Vanessa Butynski why this team is special, especially with 11 seniors in her squad.
“We really wanted it and you can tell when a team wants it,” Butynski said after the match. “I think that stems deep from a lot of these girls having been playing together for 10, 12 years. There’s just that bond that they have. We have a beautiful team chemistry and a beautiful team bond this year.”
“It meant so much to us,” said senior co-captain Anna Oravec. “We have 11 seniors on the team. Just working together, just being in this atmosphere, it meant so much to us.”
Northampton was the underdog heading into the match as the second seed in the bracket, with Pope Francis as the No. 1-ranked team in the region. The Blue Devils lost to the Cardinals 5-1 just two weeks ago, but Butynski said her and her players watched film and made the necessary adjustments.
Pope Francis started out on the jump, putting together several attacks up the left flank. Just minutes into the match, University of Kentucky-commit and senior co-captain Mila Dillard hit a laser from far beyond the goalie’s box, beaming into the upper-90 corner and putting the Cardinals up 1-0.
But it didn’t phase the Blue Devils. Northampton’s backline held strong, while the midfield built momentum, buzzing to win 50-50 balls and threading passes forward to stretch Pope Francis’ defense.
With about six minutes left to play in the first half, Senior Lilah Sage made a darting run forward through the Cardinal’s defense. She was met by a perfectly timed pass played over-the-top of the defense.
Sage caught the ball on the perfect bounce, lofting it over the goalkeeper and landing softly into the back of the net, tying the game 1-1 heading into halftime.
Northampton kept the momentum rolling at the start of the second half. But Pope Francis continued to show why it is one of the best in the state. While Rylan Waskiewicz is only a sophomore for the Cardinals, she played like an upperclassmen, creating chances all game.
Just five minutes into the second half, Waskiewicz nailed a shot from outside the box, rattling off the crossbar. After that, Northampton’s defense continued to stand on solid ground, allowing little-to-no chances for the Cardinals inside the keeper’s box.
However, it wasn’t long until Dillard did what she does for the Cardinals. Pressing Northampton’s goalie, Oravec, Dillard was able to snag a loose ball and walked it into the net, retaking the lead for the Cardinals 2-1.
Yet again, the Blue Devils responded. Senior Willow Claps had a quick shot on the right flank, forcing a save from Pope Francis Goalie Hannah Johnson and earning a corner. Whipping the ball towards the front post, players from both sides scrambled.
The ball disappeared before the referee indicated a goal for the Blue Devils, that looked to be nudged over the line by senior co-captain Olivia Busone, tying the game 2-2 game with most of the second half to play.
“We don’t let down, we just keep going,” Busone said.
It was back and forth from both sides, until the deadlock broke with just about 10 minutes left. Waskiewicz continued causing troubles for Northampton’s defense, striding up the left flank. She pelted a shot toward goal, but Oravec held her ground and snuffed out the strike.
Unfortunately, the rebound fell right to Pope Francis’ sophomore Chelsea Brennan, who stayed composed, slotting the ball home for the Cardinal’s game winner.
For Butynski, the momentum and energy doesn’t stop as Northampton heads to the MIAA state tournament. The bracket for the tournament will be decided later this week but whoever they play, Butynski said this match prepared them.
“This level of competition has 100% prepared us to be very successful come states,” Butynski said. “I know this hurts for them right now but there’s bigger and better things for us coming around in the next week.”
