SWAMPSCOTT — The Swampscott girls soccer team scored three goals in the second half to notch a 3-0 shutout win over Marblehead in a Northeastern Conference match-up at Blocksidge Field Wednesday afternoon. The Big Blue scored two of their three goals on set pieces, an area of the game coach Norman James said the team works on relentlessly in practice.
“We work on those set pieces like crazy in practice and it’s really become one of our strengths,” said James. “We have great players who can execute those plays as well, and that never hurts.”
Swampscott’s offense was led by Haley Bernhardt, who scored one goal and distributed one assist. Grace DiGrande and Sophie DiGrande each scored one goal, while goalkeeper Nikki Rosa made three saves.
Marblehead played a great defensive game in the first half behind Grace Arthur, Meeghan Cronin and Carter Murray. But limited scoring chances and not being able to capitalize kept the Magicians off the scoreboard.
“We played tough soccer from start to finish,” said Marblehead coach Annie Madden. “We stuck with them for a period of time but hats off to Swampscott. They have some really talented players who can put the ball in the back of the net.”
The two teams played a scoreless first half, but Swampscott knocked on the door constantly. The Big Blue dominated time of possession and got several good runs at the net. On top of that, Swampscott had two free kicks and a corner kick, all of which resulted in close misses. Marblehead got a couple of good scoring chances late in the half, but the score remained at 0-0 entering the break.
In the second half, Swampscott continued its solid play. The Big Blue were finally able to get on the board about seven minutes into the second half. After being awarded a free kick from about 40 yards out, Grace DiGrande launched a booming shot that just snuck over the leaping grasp of Marblehead goalkeeper Rachael Saulnier and under the crossbar to give Swampscott a 1-0 lead.
From there, things snowballed. Swampscott continued to push the ball on the offensive end, and just five minutes after Grace DiGrande’s goal the Big Blue scored again. This time it was Bernhardt, who made a great move to get around her defender, switch to her left foot and bury a shot to put her team up 2-0.
The Big Blue added a bit of insurance with just under 15 minutes to play. After being awarded a corner kick, Bernhardt sent a ball into the box that was headed into the net by Sophie DiGrande, making it 3-0 Swampscott and effectively sealing Swampscott’s win.
Now at 10-4-1, Swampscott has three games left in the regular season before the state tournament. The Big Blue are aiming to go into the tournament with momentum, starting with a tough match against Beverly Friday (4).
“That’s a huge game for us, if we win that one we’re in line to win the NEC,” said James. “I think we just need to be a little cleaner up front and keep attacking on offense and we should be in pretty good shape.”
For Marblehead (5-10), the goal is to end the regular season on a positive note. The Magicians play Pentucket Thursday (4).
“We’re just always looking to improve,” said Madden. “From the start of the season to where we are now, we’ve made huge strides as a program and as a team. We’re just going to keep pushing until the final whistle.”
