OT goal propels Pilgrim JV to state final

By Jacob Marrocco
Posted 10/29/15

It looked as though the Pilgrim junior varsity girls’ soccer team would be deciding its second consecutive match on penalty kicks as time dwindled down against Mount Saint Charles in the state …

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OT goal propels Pilgrim JV to state final

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It looked as though the Pilgrim junior varsity girls’ soccer team would be deciding its second consecutive match on penalty kicks as time dwindled down against Mount Saint Charles in the state semifinals on Tuesday.

However, the Pats were awarded a corner kick in the final minute of action for one last opportunity just before the whistle. The ball was sent in to a stacked box, where Lauren Vannostrand, amid the fray, booted a shot past goalkeeper Abby Dalpe. Cheers erupted from the Pilgrim bench, and seconds later Pilgrim was on its way to the finals.

“Whether it’s the 70 minutes for JV, or the 80 minutes for varsity, we try and play from whistle to whistle,” Pilgrim head coach Rich Marrese said. “I knew in the two overtimes that was probably our best chance to get a ball in, so just try and pack the box. Hopefully it squirts out to somebody and [they] put it in, and that’s kinda what happened.”

The Pats and Mounties played a war of attrition for the first 79 minutes, including most of both overtime halves. The teams combined for just a handful of chances, but Pilgrim had a few more. Vannostrand had a chance early in the first half on a pass from Victoria O’Leary, but Dalpe gobbled up the shot. Lindsey Adams raced by the Mounties’ defense early on, but her shot was off-target.

Harley LeClair shined on defense for the Pats, allowing almost no opportunities to materialize in the Pilgrim zone. In the second half, she made the save of the game when goalkeeper Madison Dowling couldn’t corral a loose ball and LeClair kicked it away as it trickled towards the goal.

“She’s so fast, she’s so good with her feet,” Marrese said. “She’s also come on very well as a swing player, getting some varsity minutes in. She’s been kind of our key defender back there for the entire season.”

LeClair also provided the Pats with their best chance in regulation on a free kick following a foul on Alyssa Andrews from just outside the box. LeClair chipped a shot high near the crossbar, but Dalpe was able to get her fingertips on it to send the ball away.

Pilgrim had reached the semifinals after beating cross-town rival Toll Gate on penalty kicks, 2-1.

The Pats will go to Coventry for the JV state finals today at 3:30 p.m., though weather could force the game to be rescheduled. The two teams tied 0-0 earlier in the season.

“It’s gonna be a small field, so there’s gonna be a lot of little passes, a lot of working the ball up the field,” Marrese said. “They’re a very good team, they’re in the finals for a reason. We just gotta work hard and, as hard as we work all season, that’s how we’re gonna come through.”

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