MIAA Girls Soccer: Peabody ready for Haverhill

The Peabody girls soccer team begins the Division 1 North Tournament with a first-round game in Peabody Sunday at 1 p.m. against Haverhill. Peabody coach Dennis Desroches is excited for the tournament.”We are going to have our hands full with Haverhill, but we will be ready to play,” Desroches said.Peabody is the No. 3 seed; Haverhill is the No. 14 seed.Peabody finished the season undefeated (16-0-2) while Haverhill was 9-5-4. Peabody will be led by the trio of Hayley Dowd, Emily Manoogian, and Victoria Digiacomo. Dowd had 39 goals and 15 assists. Manoogian had 18 goals and 24 assists. Digiacomo had 24 goals and 11 assists.DIVISION 2 NORTHTop-seeded Danvers leads the way in its sectional. No. 1 Danvers (15-0-3) will face No. 16 Gloucester (8-8-1) in a first-round matchup at Danvers on Saturday at 6 p.m.Gloucester and Danvers have faced off three times during the regular season, with Danvers winning all three. Danvers coach Jim Hinchion cannot wait for the tournament to start.”It is a very exciting time of year. We just have to focus on one game at a time and we will be fine,” Hinchion said.Leading the way for the Falcons offense are Corey Persson and Brittany Russo. Kellie Macdonald will set the tone for the Falcons defense.Swampscott is seeded eighth and has a home game against Bedford in the first round. Swampscott (10-6-2) will face No. 9 Bedford (10-7-1) Saturday at 2 p.m. Swampscott has dropped four in a row coming into the tournament but coach Francesco Recchia is confident in his team.”Bedford will be a challenge for my team. We are finally just about over the flu and will be at full strength for the first time in weeks,” Recchia said.Leading the way for the Big Blue are captains Mallory McDonough and Maggie Shepard.Fenwick drew the 13th seed and will travel to North Reading in a first-round matchup. No. 4 North Reading (11-4-3) will face no.13 Fenwick (7-4-7) on Sunday at 1 p.m. Fenwick coach Karen Guillemette is happy with where her team is sitting.”North Reading is a very good team and it is going to be a tough game. We had our ups and downs, but we are coming together at the right time,” Guillemette said.Fenwick’s defense has been its strength during the season with goalie Jill Dean leading the way.Saugus (No. 12) visits Dracut in a first-round matchup. No. 5 Dracut (12-5-3) will face No. 12 Saugus (10-7-1) on Saturday at 2 p.m. Saugus coach Chris Coviello is encouraged with his team’s play.”We are playing very good soccer right now. Even though we have had some trouble scoring, I am confident we will have a strong performance Saturday,” Coviello said.Saugus’ defense was solid all season with goalie Melissa Toomey leading the way.Salem is seeded 15th and makes a trip to Arlington Catholic for a first-round game. No. 2 AC (14-0-4) will face No. 15 Salem (7-6-5) on Saturday at 2 p.m. Salem coach Jessica Doyle is confident with her team’s chances.”We are very excited to be in the tournament. We have to stay focused and need a complete team effort to win,” Doyle said.Leading the way for Salem are leading scorer Jasmine Bryant and sweeper Jackie Rocheville. The combination of Bryant and Rocheville will try to end a drought of 10 years without a tournament win.Marblehead is seeded 14th and travels to Wayland in a first-round matchup. No. 3 Wayland (14-2-2) will face No. 14 Marblehead (9-7-2) on Saturday at 7 p.m. Marblehead coach Sam Yawson is confident in his team.”We have been playing with a lot of confidence. We are playing our best ball coming into the tournament,” Yawson said.Leading the way for the Magicians are captain Emma Crowley and Mary Keroack.DIVISION 3 NORTHLynnfield is seeded fourth and plays Weston at home in the first round.Lynnfield (13-3-2) will face No. 13 Weston (5-11-2) on Saturday at 2 p.m. Lynnfield coach Mark Vermont is excited for the tournament.”Weston is a very good team. This will be a fun game to be a part of. I can’t wait,” Vermont said. Leading the way for Lynnfield will be its four captain