H.S. Roundup: Mahar boys soccer flips script on Ware to earn spot in Round of 16

Published: 11-06-2023 8:51 PM
Modified: 11-06-2023 8:51 PM |
After falling to Ware 5-0 in the semifinals of the Western Mass. Class C tournament, Mahar boys soccer coach Dan Guertin had to decide whether to shake things up or run things back when No. 17 Ware came to Orange to take on the 16th-seeded Senators in the MIAA Div. 5 Round of 32 on Monday.
Guertin opted to run things back and his team responded on their home turf, scoring early and flipping the script by taking a 3-0 lead at halftime.
Tristan Gaj didn’t allow any of the five shots he faced make it to the back of the net, as Mahar advanced to the Round of 16 with an impressive 4-0 victory at the Woodward Complex.
“I knew we could play better than we did last time against them,” Guertin said. “We had played four games in five days, they scored a minute in and it killed us. This time we were on our home field, we were on turf and we scored early on. We put in one of the best first halves we played all season. I’m proud of them.”
It was Lucas Isrow who gave the Senators (13-4) the ever-important opening goal.
Xander Dowler took a free kick from just inside the midfield line and blasted it into the box. With the Ware defense converging on Mahar’s Dom Whitman, the ball went just over Whitman’s head. Isrow reacted quickly, gathering the ball and firing it into the back of the net to give the Sens a 1-0 lead.
From there it was the Whitman show. The senior tallied twice before the half and tacked on an insurance goal in the second half to keep Mahar’s season alive.
Jackson Archambault also provided an assist in the win.
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Next up for Mahar is a trip out east to face No. 1 Sutton. That Round of 16 contest will be on Wednesday at 4 p.m. at the New England Futbol Club in Mendon.
Div. 5 Round of 16
Turners 3, SICS 0 — The third-seeded Thunder made quick work of the No. 19 Bulldogs on Monday, picking up a 25-23, 25-10, 25-17 sweep to advance to the Round of Eight.
Turners (20-2) will host the winner of Tuesday’s Round of 16 match between No. 6 Blackstone-Millville and No. 11 Hopedale in the state quarterfinals.
Taylor Greene dished 19 assists, put down five kills and eight aces and came up with two digs for the Thunder. Madi Liimatainen recorded 11 kills, three aces and six digs, Janelle Massey tallied six kills, three aces and three digs, while Maddie Dietz came up with 10 digs and smashed two aces in the victory.
Boys soccer
Frontier 6, Tyngsborough 0 — The eighth-seeded Redhawks scored twice in the first half before tacking on four goals in the final 40 minutes to cruise into the MIAA Div. 4 Round of 16 with a 6-0 win over No. 25 Tyngsborough on Sunday in South Deerfield.
Frontier (18-2) will play No. 9 Monomoy in the Round of 16 on Wednesday at 5 p.m. in South Deerfield.
Nico Fasulo and Chanmin Son scored in the first half before Aiden Valderrama, Fasulo, Ian Paciorek and Gus Radner tallied in the second half. Fasulo, Eric Larsson, Max Rajballie and Paciorek provided assists while Owen Babb made five saves in goal in the victory.