LYNN — Defense was the theme of the night for Tuesday’s 23rd Agganis Girls Soccer All-Star Game. At least for the first half, that is.
The North all-stars found their footing on offense in the second half, scoring four goals in the final 40 minutes to come away with a 5-0 win over the South squad at Manning Field.
“They’re all very talented players and they all work hard,” North coach Tim Phelan, of Austin Prep, said. “The thing I like most about this game is it exposes the girls to the Agganis Foundation and all the good things they do for the youth of the area with college scholarships and giving back.”
“It was such a great time,” North coach Chris Coviello, of Saugus, said. “The kids had a lot of fun. It wasn’t the result we were looking for but it is what it is. We were able to keep up with them in the first half. We didn’t have many shots in the second half.”
Peabody’s Jillian Arrigo and Emily Nelson, and Lynnfield’s Elizabeth Shaievitz each scored a goal in the second half to help lead the North. Nelson was named MVP for the North, while St. Mary’s Mia Nikolakopoulos earned MVP honors for the South.
“It was definitely cool and exciting,” Nelson, who’ll play college soccer at UMass Lowell, said. “I ended my high school career with a high note. Me and Jillian have been playing together since we were 10 years old. It was nice to play with her one final time. A lot of the girls I played against tonight are girls that I’ve played with and against in club. It was nice to have that friendly competition.”
“It was really fun,” Nikolakopoulos, who’ll play college soccer at Sacred Heart, said. “It brought back a lot of memories. I’m glad I got to play in it. It’s definitely a confidence booster going into my college freshman year. I’m nervous but this definitely helped and I had a lot of fun.”
After a quiet start to the game, the North squad struck through to claim an early 1-0 lead. With 32:19 to play in the first half, Erin O’Shea, a Hamilton-Wenham midfielder, fired a shot into the back of the net for the game’s first goal.
From there, things calmed down for the rest of the first half. English’s Alexa Zayas attempted to even the score with 26:30 remaining but her shot was saved by North goalie Kate Mitchell (Lynnfield). North forward Hailey Lovell (Wakefield) sent three shots in the closing minutes but two tailed off the mark and one was saved by South starting keeper Mackenzie Gilmore (Danvers). At the end of the first half the North led 1-0.
The North all-stars turned their offensive attack up a notch in the second half and it paid dividends. After South goalie Tommi Hill (English) swatted down the North’s first shot, the North fired in a string of three goals over the next five minutes. Nelson scored with 35:30 to play in the second half. Arrigo followed suit with a tally at the 33:16 mark. And two minutes later, Shaievitz capped the rally to turn a 1-0 game into a 4-0 North lead.
“It’s great to coach the Agganis game,” Phelan said. “A lot of them will play in college and a for a lot of them this is their last game. It’s a great experience, a beautiful facility. The girls have a good time and it’s very enjoyable.”
Austin Prep’s Ellen Klucznik added a goal in the closing stages to seal the 5-0 win.
