WESTFIELD – Facing an undefeated team in the Western Massachusetts Division 4 finals, the second-seeded Gateway Regional girls soccer team put No. 1 Monson in a position it hadn’t been during the season – a two-goal deficit.
Second-half goals by Samantha Belardo and Jessica Van Heynigen put Gateway ahead, but Monson stormed back to tied the game and send it to overtime.
After two scoreless overtime sessions, the Mustangs won on penalty kicks 3-2 to keep their undefeated season alive with a fourth consecutive sectional title.
Lauren Medeiros hit the winning penalty kick for Monson, which outscored the Gators 3-1 on kicks. For Gateway, Belardo scored during PKs.
“I’ve won that way and I’ve lost that way,” Gateway coach Steve Estelle said. “That’s how it goes.”
Belardo muscled her way past a Monson defender to get an open look on Mustang keeper Rebecca Garon to open the scoring. The Mustangs fans, players and coaches were incensed that there wasn’t a foul on the play.
Just a few minutes later, Garon bobbled a Juliana Dickenson direct kick and Van Heynigen was there to net the rebound.
From there, the Gators needed to hold the lead.
Marley Nissenbaum scored for the Mustangs (21-0) with 12 minutes left in the game to make it 2-1. The Gators (14-3-4) let Lily Fabian get loose on a breakaway to tie the game with less than five minutes to play.
Giving up the lead did not demoralize the Gators as the team appeared to score in the second overtime, but an offsides call negated the goal.
“I thought we bounced back pretty good,” Estelle said. “We had a nice little stretch there in the overtime. We had a great strategy and we kept to that strategy. I don’t know if she was offsides.”
The sideline official was definitive with his call on the play.
“He was right there,” Estelle said. “He must have seen something.”
Gateway keeper Becca Herman (seven saves) kept Gateway in the game during the first half as Monson dominated possession.
Herman made a miraculous save in the first half on a shot by Hannah Richard. The Mustangs made an extra pass on a give and go and had an open net to shoot. Richard let the shot go but Herman came diving into the ball’s path to keep the game tied.
Gateway seniors Gabby Goralczyk, Taryn Kubik, Rachel LeBarro, Bryanna Fellows and Belardo played their last game for Gateway.
