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Amesbury Indians Girls Soccer '19

Wed, Oct 16, 2019 03:45 PM @ Pentucket
Team 1st 2nd Final
Amesbury 0 2 2
Pentucket 1 0 1

Amesbury clinches CAL

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Wednesday, October, 16 By Jeff Hamrick

WEST NEWBURY – Amesbury soccer coach Adam Thibodeau can count on Alyssa Pettet keeping her noggin in the game until the final whistle.

For the second time this season, Pettet’s header turned a corner kick into a game winner with less than a minute left. Wednesday afternoon at Pentucket it was with fewer than 10 seconds remaining when the Holy Cross commit converted a MK McElaney corner into a 2-1 victory over the Sachems.

The victory wrapped up Amesbury’s second Cape Ann League crown in three years.

“Against Manchester-Essex the last time we played them and beat them 1-0 in the last 30 seconds of the game and it was a corner from MK,” said Pettet, who scored both Indian goals Wednesday. “I knew there wasn’t very much time left, but I didn’t know how much (because the field has no scoreboard) … I’m just getting more opportunity to score this year, and I’m not busting it over the net like last year.”

After scoring six goals as a junior, Pettet has 13 this year, including at least one in eight of the past nine games.

“Aly is incredible,” Thibodeau said. “Her story is something special because she’s a D-1 commit as a defensive center back, which is the position she’s played for us her whole career. This year, I asked her to kind of come up and give us some help on the offense. It’s incredible to see from her. She’s more than doubled her career goals to this point.”

Pentucket (8-5-2) kept Amesbury on its defensive end throughout the first half while taking a one-goal lead. But the Indians are accustomed to tight games having built a 9-1-4 record despite scoring more than one goal only six times this and more than two twice.

Pettet tied the match in the 15th minute of the second on a penalty kick. And although Amesbury had to wait until the final seconds for its next goal, it was much more offensive while putting up eight of its 10 shots on Pentucket goalie Ashlynne Reade.

“We came out in the second half in a three-striker set to really try to generate some offense,” said Thibodeau, whose squad has three regular-season games remaining before going after their fourth straight Division 4 North title. “It worked early when we got the call to get the PK, and then we were able to play a little bit more of our defensive style … Once it was an even playing field, we were able to possess the game a little bit better.”

Once again it was senior keeper Alli Napoli who kept Amesbury in the match, allowing only one penalty kick. Many of her 13 saves were made diving one way or the other or leaping and punching shots over the net. It was the fifth time this year, Napoli has posted double figures saves.

“Alli is a three-time all-star, a two-time all-league,” Thibodeau said. “She’s incredible. She has 46 career shutouts to this point in her senior year. She’s an incredible athlete who uses every bit of her size.”

The Sachems had a strong first half, making Napoli work. A penalty kick by Mackenzie Currie in the 17th minute provided a 1-0 lead and was Currie’s 17th of the year. Annabelle Sylvanowicz, who had four shots on net, was denied twice by Napoli’s diving saves.

“We were moving the ball quick,” Pentucket coach Daniel Millard said. “We were keeping calm and had a lot of chances. Actually, I think it was one of the best performances we’ve had, and one of the most surprising (finishes) … Credit (the Indians), they played to their strengths and they play to their strengths really well.”

Game Statistics:

Goals: A — Alyssa Pettet 2; P — Mackenzie Currie

Assists: A — MK McElaney

Saves: A — Napoli 13; P — Ashlynne Reade 8

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