RallyNorth.net

Tue, May 27, 2008 05:00 PM @ Georgetown

Team	Final
Playoff Game North Division 2 - Round 2
Westford Academy	10
Georgetown	11

Hartford tallies 10 points in tournament opener

Wednesday, May, 28 By John Shimer
Staff writer

 On the opening day of state tournament play, Shannon Hartford showed Westford Academy why she was the Cape Ann League Division 2 player of the year.

Scoring eight goals and assisting on two others, Hartford had a hand in all but one of No. 6 seed Georgetown's goals in an 11-10 victory over No. 11 Westford Academy in the EMass. Division 2 North opening round.

With No. 14 seed Pentucket (11-8) upsetting No. 3 seed Bishop Fenwick (16-2) on the same side of the bracket, the Division 2 North quarterfinal matchup will pair the CAL's two players of the year in the second round. Pentucket's Sarah Galligan, who notched seven goals yesterday, will attempt to match Hartford at Georgetown High later this week (date and time to be determined).

Yet, for all of Hartford's tremendous efforts on the field yesterday, the Royals still needed a fluky, albeit brilliant, play from Meghan Makiver (1 goal, 1 assist) to provide the game-winner.

After Westford Academy narrowed the lead to a one-goal difference for the third time in the game, 10-9, the ensuing face-off set off a long battle in which several bunched-up skirmishes took place. However, Makiver came out with the loose ball off a high bounce and went sprinting straight to goal for the final Royal strike.

"I think we all really wanted it, and it was a great team effort," said Shannon Hartford. "We didn't know anything about Westford, so we had to adjust on the field. But our team played really tight defense, and April was really strong in net."

The all-CAL quarterfinal matchup did not appear to be in the cards for the Royals early in yesterday's game. Trailing 2-0, Georgetown needed over 15 minutes to find the back of the net when Katherine Falzareno found the streaking Hartford cutting to the left of goal and burying her shot low.

That play along with several big stops by April Surrette (14 saves) helped the Royals grab the momentum as they scored three more goals before the Grey Ghosts had an answer, and eventually carried a 5-3 lead into halftime.

"I thought the kids started out flat | not connecting their passes well at all," said Hartford. "Then about seven to eight minutes in, we started playing our game."

After allowing an early goal to Westford to bring the game within a goal, Georgetown opened up the largest lead of the game as Hartford scored her third penalty shot of the game and Katherine Falzareno (2 goals, 1 assist) scored back-to-back penalties, the second of which trickled in through the legs of the WA goalie.

Calling a timeout the Grey Ghosts went to their two go-to players | Libby David and Sarah Livingston | who promptly delivered three straight goals to WA right back in the game.

Steadfast, Hartford put the team on her back and scored two of the most skilled goals of the day. The first of which she took from behind goal, swung around, put a head-fake/duck-under move to beat two defenders before beating a third defender right in front of net. On the second goal, she went right at the WA defender before beating her off a great dodge for another goal.

Alyssa Rosenthal also scored for Georgetown, and Robyn Scotti provided an assist.