RallyNorth.net

Coming off its electric state-title-clinching victory over Bromfield, the Newburyport girls were already riding an emotional high.

When the team got off Interstate 95 North at the Route 113 exit, it received quite the surprise courtesy of the Newburyport police and fire departments, who took the team on a full-fledged, sirens-ablaze escort through from the highway through downtown before heading back to the school.

LOWELL | It took all of five minutes before it was evident to all in attendance at the Newburyport girls soccer team's state title game Saturday that the Clippers were the superior squad.

Position-by-position, the Clippers had more speed, power and general know-how than their Division 3 state final counterparts from Bromfield. The best player on the field, Jillian Kinter, wasted no time in asserting the Clippers' dominance with a now-you-see-me, now-you-don't charge to the net in the 14th minute. At the time, it appeared as if Kinter's goal would open the floodgates for a Newburyport scoring barrage.

Today, Newburyport High sports fans will have their first opportunity to witness a state championship for a Clippers team since the boys basketball team captured a Division 3 state title in 2000.

The Newburyport girls soccer team, winners of the last two Division 3 North titles, will play Bromfield for a state championship at Cawley Stadium in Lowell at 11 a.m.

The key to success for the Newburyport girls soccer team is simple.

Start with a pack of good soccer players who are knowledgeable, motivated athletes willing to do the work necessary to become a successful team.

If last year was its coming out party, then this year Newburyport announced its presence with authority (to quote Tim Robbins from the movie "Bull Durham").

A year ago, Newburyport may have only played two bad games. The first being against North Reading | a team the Clippers traditionally had trouble playing | losing 1-0 in the middle of the regular season.

Newburyport girls soccer coach Robb Gonnam does not call her the "energizer bunny" for nothing.

Just when legs on the field at Quincy Memorial Stadium appeared to be looking a little heavy last night, there was Taylor Bresnahan running hard to set up the dramatic game-winning goal over Norwell in double-overtime in the Division 3 state semifinals.

She may just be the key piece that makes everything else run so smoothly in the highest scoring offense in Newburyport girls soccer history.

A back-to-back All-League player, Maggie Mahoney currently stands as Newburyport's fourth all-time leading points scorer with 89 (41 goals, 48 assists), but it may be the team's accomplishments that mark her stature in school history.

The Newburyport girls' soccer team not only has speed, a plethora of talent and great ball movement, but it's also very heady | as overmatched Ipswich High found yesterday morning at Leary Field.

The once-beaten Clippers scored four times on head balls off of corners and generally spent so much time in Ipswich territory that the field may have seemed tilted to the Tigers' end in a 6-1 victory.

"Forget about vengeance and focus exclusively on excellence."

That was the pregame message Robb Gonnam delivered to his No. 2-seeded Newburyport girls team before they played No. 8 Ipswich in the Division 3 North final at Acton-Boxborough High School's Leary Field.

On a chilly evening at North Andover High School, the Div. 3 North girls soccer bracket was whittled down to the final two teams.

Newburyport prevailed over Lynnfield, but Georgetown fell to Ipswich in overtime.