PEABODY — Soccer is a game in which it doesn’t matter how many shots, corners, or chances you create, unless you put the ball in the back of the net.
Tuesday night under the lights at Veterans Memorial Stadium, Marblehead’s girls team, which had 36 shots on goal, needed a last-minute penalty to tie Peabody, 1-1.
In added time, it looked as if Peabody – ahead by a goal – was going to hold on. The Magicians held possession in Peabody’s box and the Tanners couldn’t clear the ball. From there, Marblehead’s Lucy McDonald was fouled inside of the penalty box and the refs blew their whistles, indicating a penalty kick.
Marblehead’s leading goal-scorer this season, Callie Gilmore, stepped up to take the kick and scored left side to tie the game.
“It’s unfortunate to concede a penalty that late in the game,” said Peabody coach Andrew Douglass. “I’m just proud of how the team defended and played today.”
Marblehead coach Lisa Wales was happy to come out with a draw, but remained frustrated that her team needed to rely on a penalty.
“We had 36 shots on goal and it came down to a PK in the last two minutes of the game. This was exactly what happened with Peabody the last time we played them. Credit to Peabody, because they did what they had to do defensively to keep us out,” Wales said. “I’m just frustrated with our lack of execution of putting it away. I’m proud of the girls for not giving up and finding a way at the end to, at least, get a draw.”
One reason why Marblehead found it hard to score: Peabody’s standout goalie, Alessandra Forgione.
“She’s amazing. I know when a team shoots, I can look at the bench or talk to my coaches because I know she’s going to save it. I’ve been fortunate enough to always have a great goalie during my four years here, and Alessandra had to wait for her opportunity and she took it,” Douglass said. “When the ball is in the air, she’s very athletic and I know the ball will always stick to her hands. The few rebounds she gives up are never in a dangerous area. She’s a great goalie all around.”
Wales complimented opposing goalie Forgione as well, adding she made several “nice saves.” She was also proud of her two underclassmen, McDonald and Gilmore, for delivering in crunch time.
“Both of them are tough, tough players. They have ice water in their veins. There’s absolutely no quit in them,” Wales said. “I’m so glad they’re on our team.”
Peabody’s goal came from a long-distance shot from Connie Patturelli, whose shot just hovered over the outstretched arms of Marblehead’s Hailey Gilmore.
“Connie is basically my quarterback out there. Offensively, we look to her to find the right pass or in a game like today, be the difference-maker. Today, she stole the ball and had a great finish on the goal,” Douglass said. “She’s constantly running from box to box. She’s not really a defender, but she can do it because she’s smart and knows where to be at all times.”
Peabody defended well as a team, but Ally Bettencourt – playing multiple positions – stuck out to Douglass.
“She’s a Swiss army knife for us. For the previous three years, she’s been a defender, but at times this season, we’ve had trouble holding the ball up top. We made the decision to move her up to striker because she’s strong and gives us an outlet. She scored the tying goal against Danvers because of her ability to hold up the ball,” Douglass said. “She’s very selfless because when we score, she’ll look at me to see if she’s going back to defense to try and hold onto the lead. I have the utmost confidence in her because she’s probably one of the best defenders in our league.”
Settling for a draw, Wales knows what her team needs to work on as it prepares for another Northeastern Conference opponent in Gloucester (Monday at 7:15 p.m.).
“We’re a very skillful team and sometimes, when we move the ball, we try to jam it in the middle and sometimes move it too laterally. We need to look at the seams more,” she said. “Sometimes, you just need to take it to the goal. We’ll continue to work on our finishing and execution.”
Peabody welcomes Swampscott at 6 p.m. on Monday.
