SWAMPSCOTT — In the opening round of the Division 3 girls soccer tournament, No. 26 Swampscott defeated No. 39 Quabbin Regional 4-0 at Blocksidge Field behind a hat trick from freshman Chloe Rogers.
Rogers scored the opener and added two more goals in the second half to send the Big Blue to the next round. Swampscott head coach Jaymie Caponigro praised the freshman’s breakout performance.
“This is definitely one of her best games that I’ve seen regarding her overall play this season, which is great,” Caponigro said. “You never want to hit your peak too early, and her being a freshman is not only great for us but also great for her and the potential she has to continue to grow over the next three years.”
The first goal came in the 31st minute when Greta Siefken sent a cross into the box and a crashing Rogers finished first-time into the bottom corner to make it 1-0.
“It was great to see Chloe step up and finish that cross from Greta,” Caponigro said. “We talk about it all the time — we need that person who’s willing to get that final touch and get that ball over the line. It doesn’t have to be pretty, but it has to go over the line. I think Greta and Chloe being able to do that helped open things up for us offensively.”
Swampscott didn’t have to wait long for its second goal. Siefken lined up a free kick from 34 yards out and lofted a shot that looped over the goalkeeper’s outstretched arms and into the net to double the Big Blue’s lead.
Despite the goal and assist, Caponigro said she was most proud of Siefken’s recent leadership.
“Having her step up this season in general — being an upperclassman, especially in these last couple of weeks — she’s been a playmaker, helping communicate and get players in the right position,” Caponigro said. “She’s not just getting points for herself but setting up others as well.”
Swampscott carried a 2-0 lead into halftime. In the second half, Rogers made it 3-0 after combining with Fiona Keaney, who slipped a pass between two defenders for Rogers to finish. Late in the game, Rogers completed her hat trick by heading home a corner kick.
While the offense shined, Caponigro credited her team’s defense for its 11th shutout of the season.
“This is our 11th shutout of the season which I think speaks to the fact that we are a little bit more of a defensive team,” Caponigro said. “We also have Eve [Byrne] in net, who comes up big for us a lot. I don’t think she gets the recognition she deserves all the time. She’s played really well this season, and so have our back four and our center backs, Sam [Ward] and Cecilia [Tripp].”
The Big Blue’s postseason run continues Wednesday when they travel to face No. 7 Cardinal Spellman at 5 p.m.
“It’s always great when you’re playing in November — not a lot of teams can say that,” Caponigro said. “That was one of our goals from the start of the season. It’s nice to not only achieve that but to get a win and play at home.”
