RallyNorth.net

Tue, Jun 03, 2008 05:00 PM @ North Andover

Team	1	2	3	4	Final
Playoff Game Division 2 East - Quarterfinals
Winchester	2	2	1	0	5
North Andover	1	1	2	0	4

Razor-Sharp Winchester topples Knights

Wednesday, June, 04 By Peter A. Martin
Staff writer

Third-seed North Andover was upset in a defensive battle 5-4 by No. 13 Winchester in the Eastern Massachusetts Division 2 quarterfinals at Walsh Stadium.

"We were a defensive team all year and we had our offensive opportunities today, but we just didn't finish," said North Andover head coach Steve Connolly. "But the defense has carried us, and they carried us again today, we just needed to get a few more goals."

North Andover was forced to show that defensive prowess very early as Winchester possessed the ball for the first 3:50 of the game. The defense did manage to hold Winchester to just one shot in that lengthy possession.

After being penned in so long, the Scarlet Knights were ready to strike, which they did less than 15 seconds after finally getting the ball. Jon Blackwell found Steve Collura in transition for a quickfire goal and a 1-0 lead.

But the Sachems responded, ripping off four unanswered goals, the last coming with 4:07 to play in the half, for a 4-1 lead. But sophomore Brien O'Connor (13 saves) was nearly flawless after that.

North Andover got one more before the halftime horn sounded when Chris Hopkins fed John Carney for the score.

The Knights controlled the play for the first few minutes of the second half before giving up an extra-man opportunity, and eventually an extra-man goal.

After giving up that goal, North Andover continued its assault undeterred. The Knights got one goal back when Kyle Dolan found the back of the net, and again as time expired in the third when Blackwell found Collura cutting through the middle | a play that was a near mirror image of the first goal.

"We made a few adjustments at the half," Connolly said, "and I think the kids realized, hey | if we don't go now | we don't do it. They had the advantage first half, we had the advantage in the second half, no doubt about it."

North Andover continued to dominate into the fourth quarter, registering seven shots in the frame but each one was denied by junior Matt Sharp, who more than lived up to his name.

"At the end of the game, when we were really pressing, he made three or four big saves," said Connolly. "We could have won this thing by two goals. So a good goalie will take you a long way."

Those saves, including two on an extra-man opportunity for the Knights and one on Blackwell, who was alone less than five yards from the front of the net, kept Winchester in the game.

When Sharp robbed Matt Foster with less than a minute to go it allowed Winchester to get the possession back and run out the clock.

North Andover finishes up at 17-5 for the second straight year.