LYNNFIELD — One game, two teams, three goals, and now, a Final 4.
Lynnfield’s girls soccer team, ranked third in Division 4, had its way with No. 6 Tyngsborough by a score of 3-0 in Wednesday afternoon’s Elite 8 matchup.
“It was a great game,” said Lynnfield coach Mark Vermont. “I thought we came out with good energy and moved the ball really well.”
Next up is a semifinal matchup against No. 2 Hamilton-Wenham. The Generals went into double overtime but prevailed over No. 7 South Hadley thanks to a game-winning goal from Tessa Hunt. The game will be played at Manning Field on Monday at 7 p.m.
“We are not done – that’s the message, is that we are not done yet,” Vermont said. “We’re ready to rock and roll for the next one.”
Simply put, with championship aspirations in mind, Lynnfield was a team on a mission. Just six minutes into the action, Bella Carroll found Emma Rose in front of the net. Rose took care of the rest, followed by a home-team celebration (1-0).
While the offense did its job, netminder Victoria Minor made a number of excellent saves to keep the hosts on top.
“They had some dangerous players and we did a good job containing them,” Vermont said. “I thought Victoria Minor made a great save early in the game when it was only 1-0. Corner kicks and set plays are how tournament games are won, so that was great.”
After a 1-0 halftime score, the Pioneers put the icing on a well-cooked cake in the second half. This time, it was Rose to Carroll for a header and – in the blink of an eye – it was 2-0.
Giada Antidormi found Ava Damiani on a crosser to seal the deal. With a three-goal cushion intact, time ran out on Tyngsborough.
“Lynnfield is a great team,” said Tyngsborough coach John Dormer. “We had four freshmen playing and a goalie in her first year. Lynnfield has a really good chance of winning it all. They were in the Final 4 last year. I will take a bump in the road in the final eight any time because Lynnfield is a great team.”
Owen Finn is a student at Endicott College studying journalism
