By Allison Goldsmith
I&M Sports Editor
Goalie Russell Bartlett and the defense in front of him have been stingy in recent weeks. The boys varsity soccer team picked up two more shutout victories this week, topping Cape Cod Academy and Norwood, both 1-0 at home, to bring the season total to six shutouts in 14 games.
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Photo by Nicole Harnishfeger
Jasper Young clears the ball up the field against Cape Cod Academy last Thursday. The Whalers won the game 1-0. |
“Both of those games (Russell) was key in making significant saves. That’s worth so much to know that if you can get one goal, there is a good chance our defense and goalie can win the game for us. We have had a lot of those this year,” head coach Rich Brannigan said.
Also this week, the Whalers lost on the road to Cohasset 3-2. Tuesday’s game at Martha’s Vineyard was postponed until Wednesday, too late for this edition of Sports, so that the boys’ team could support the girls soccer team in their home game against the island rivals.
The Whalers improved to 7-3-4 overall on the season with four games remaining and have officially qualified for the playoffs. The win against Cape Cod Academy also secured the top spot in the Lighthouse Conference with games against Provincetown and Sturgis still remaining on the schedule.
After a week off with no games and little practice, the Whalers earned a key victory against the Seahawks on their home field, which set the tone for the rest of the week.
“It helped us get our place again on the field, finding each other and getting back into that game mentality and that was real important. Had we lost that game, we could have easily gone 0-3 the last couple of games. That was a real important win for us to get our feet back under us and regain that confidence and feel good again about playing soccer,” Brannigan said.
Despite losing on the road at Cohasset, the Whalers carried the momentum over into the 1-0 victory over Norwood.
“We have played with a lot of confidence and energy at home. We didn’t really have that kind of energy and feel to the Cohasset game,” Brannigan said. “We were really excited with the Norwood game, with all of the factors that were involved.”
In the first meeting between the two schools, the Whalers lost three starters to injury, which they tied 3-3 in the final minute on a penalty kick by Jasper Young.
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Photo by Nicole Harnishfeger
Goalie Russell Bartlett makes a save during last Thursday's varsity soccer team match-up against Cape Cod Academy which the Whalers won 1-0.
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Young was back to breaking the Mustangs again on Sunday at home. With under 10 minutes remaining in the first half the senior defender was again called upon to convert a penalty kick, which he did to put the Whalers on top 1-0.
“It was a great energy and morale booster. We were getting chances prior to that and we still had chances after that, but at that point in the game it was great,” Brannigan said. “It gave us a good chance to talk to the kids at halftime in a more relaxed mode. Having that 1-0 lead really settled the guys in and we were able to focus more on the game plan for the second half.”
The Whalers played solid defense against a pressing Norwood attack in the second half.
“I think our defense is the most valuable asset of our team. I am really happy for them. It has been a rotation of who is playing at times, with two injuries from starters. With the leadership Russell (Bartlett) and Jasper (Young) and Henry (Farrell) bring, those guys have been able to cover up for any misgivings anywhere else on the field,” Brannigan said.
Bartlett made at least four key saves late in the game to keep the Mustangs off the board, while Emerson Gouzman headed the ball out of an open net with under four minutes remaining to maintain the lead.
Against Cohasset on Saturday, they Whalers did not play with the same energy on the road as they had at home.
“We didn’t really have much run of the play. The whole game basically, we didn’t really have the run of the play we had hoped,” Brannigan said.
After Cohasset took the 1-0 lead, Gouzman evened the score with a goal off a set play from Farrell in the 28th minute. The score was 1-1 at the half.
The Skippers took the lead at 2-1 before Fransisco Mancia re-tied the game with a goal 13 minutes into the half.
The Whalers played an even midfield game for the rest of the half, but Cohasset drew a free kick off a handball penalty 20 yards out from the goal. The Skippers’ player curved the ball around the wall of defenders to the far post to score the eventual game-winner.
“We were positioned right and Russell was in a good spot in the goal mouth, it was just a great shot,” Brannigan said.
Against Cape Cod Academy at home, the Whalers swiped their second victory of the season over the league competition. Coming off a lengthy layoff, the Whalers relied on good offensive pressure early, and strong defense late.
With 6:05 on the clock in the first half, Sebastian McFarlane passed ahead to Carl Stevens on the right side. Stevens sent a shot to the far left post which ricocheted into the net for the only goal of the game.
Farrell and Devon Kohler anchored the Whalers in the back as the Seahawks put pressure on the net late in the game. Bartlett made a highlight save as the referee’s whistle sounded the end of the game.
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