RallyNorth.net

Fri, Nov 11, 2011 02:30 PM @ North Andover

Team	1st	2nd	Final
Chelmsford	1	0	1
North Andover	0	0	0

Chelmsford ousts Knights in North semis

WOBURN — In a battle of Cinderella teams in the Division 1 North semifinals, Chelmsford's Hanna sisters combined to oust North Andover.

Rachel Hanna scored with nine minutes left in the first half with Megan Hanna assisting as the No. 15 Lions (14-5-3) trimmed the No. 14 Scarlet Knights (12-5-4).

Megan Hanna shot from outside the box, it deflected off a defender's head and goalie Megan Collins tipped it up off the crossbar. But Rachel was there for the rebound.

"It was a goal of opportunity and they took advantage," said Knights coach Bud McCarthy, who lives in Chelmsford. "We really didn't have good chances. Chelmsford played a good game. They destroyed our passing game."

It was a memorable postseason run by the Knights, highlighted by the huge upset of unbeaten Andover on penalty kicks in a first-round thriller.

Yesterday the Knights were led by forward-midfielder Pam Coufos and forward Liv Boudreau, who recently signed a lacrosse scholarship to George Washington.

In the four tourney games the Knights gave up just one goal ... unfortunately that was enough to end their season. Throughout the postseason, Rachel Barnes, Alex Medlock, Alexa Duffy, Audrey Samuelman and Carrie Manteiga came up big time and time again. And the good news is Collins is only a freshman.

Chelmsford is on the rise under new coach Anne Marinaro, the former Central Catholic coach and ex-Andover star. Marinaro, who lives in Windham, was 48-15-14 in a previous four-year stint at Chelmsford but in the seven years after she left, the Lions made the state tourney just once.

"I give a lot of credit to Anne," said McCarthy.