WESTHAMPTON — The MIAA Division 4 Round of 16 can’t be mentioned without the Hampshire Regional boys soccer team.

The two have gone hand-in-hand the past three years – and they will once again in 2024.

A first-half flurry fueled by a pair of Owen Miller goals – the latter coming off a stunning free kick – led the No. 7 Raiders to a 3-0 win over No. 26 Northbridge in the Round of 32 at Michael Dorunda Field on Tuesday night. For the fourth consecutive year, Hampshire will play for a spot in the D4 quarterfinals.

Hampshire hosts the winner of Wednesday’s No. 10 Rockland and No. 23 Westfield Tech in the Round of 16 later this week.

“It was a big disappointment losing in the Western Mass. quarterfinals to Pittsfield, but we kind of regrouped and used it as fuel for the fire,” Raiders first-year head coach Brad Miller said. “It’s hard to replicate what this team has done in the past few years because so many players moved on, but I think we’re starting to get a good rhythm and understanding. I think we’re gonna be a dangerous team moving forward.”

Hampshire wasted no time finding its way on the scoreboard in the first half, as Owen Miller took advantage of a failed Northbridge clear to get the scoring started. Colin Cahill hoisted a long throw from the sideline in the Raiders’ attacking third. The ball took a huge bounce toward goal, and a Rams defender attempted to send it out of harm’s way. Joe Moro denied the clearance, and the ball went right to Miller, who had a clear shot on goal.

He blasted it into the back of the net to put the hosts ahead 1-0 less than seven minutes into the game.

“We’ve had a few games this season where the first 10, 15 minutes slipped and we weren’t able to get back into the game,” Owen Miller said. “But when you have a strong start like that, it’s a lot easier to keep that momentum going throughout the game.”

“We are notoriously slow on our starts,” Brad Miller added. “Today, we got all our goals in the first half – which is great.”

Although the score saw no changes, the next 20 minutes were dominated by Hampshire. The Raiders continued to use long throw-ins – something they did exceptionally well during their Final Four run in 2023 – to generate chances in the box.

With just over 10 minutes left in the half, Hampshire added another. Elijah Picard ripped a shot from five yards outside of the 18 that never got through, but another fortuitous Raiders bounce set up Moro in a dangerous position next to the penalty stripe. Moro took one dazzling touch around a charging Northbridge player and rifled a right-footed shot in for a score.

Exactly two minutes later, Miller set up to take a free kick following a Rams foul. He curved it perfectly over the Northbridge wall and into the top left corner for the highlight-reel tally from well outside the box.

“I didn’t really have [a strategy], I just saw the keeper was a little out of position so I tried to hit it far post and it went in,” Owen Miller said. “I usually have the same approach. If it’s a little farther out I may change to a longer run up, but other than that it’s pretty much the same.”

In the blink of an eye, Hampshire went up 3-0 – displaying its ability to score in bunches with a host of talented players up front.

“It’s huge to have a balanced attack,” Brad Miller said. “And today, Joe Moro has been working and is huge for us as a forward, so to get the goal he got today was much deserved. It takes a lot of pressure off of Owen, and it’s really important. For us to have a chance moving forward we have to be able to spread it out and have everybody involved in the offense. That’s critical for us.”

Hampshire (9-3-7) continued to pressure Northbridge the entirety of the second 40 minutes, but the Rams stood tall to keep the deficit at three goals.

Colin Holt was tremendous in goal all game long for the Raiders, whether he anticipated through balls and crosses or made timely saves to keep momentum on Hampshire’s side. The senior plays a key part in ensuring the Raiders’ defense is in the right place at the right time.

Holt made six saves to notch his eighth clean sheet of the season.

“He’s one of the best goalies I’ve coached for sure,” Brad Miller, who was the longtime Longmeadow High School boys soccer coach prior to Hampshire, said. “He just has a good read on the game. He’s excellent with his feet, and today you could see, when he does make good saves, he doesn’t let up rebounds. He’s rock-solid. It gives everybody else confidence, and the backs aren’t totally nervous like everything is on them. He’s been huge for us and will be moving forward because it’s only gonna get harder as we go.”

Hampshire’s Round of 16 bout will likely be on Friday, right back at Michael Dorunda Field.