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Season ends for North Andover in semis

Friday, November, 13 By Jeff Hamrick

WOBURN — North Andover was knocked out of the state boys soccer tournament last night, but Scarlet Knights coach Bill Tarbox wasn't quite ready to believe his team's season was over.

Seeded third in the Division 2 North bracket, North Andover dropped a 1-0 decision to second-seeded Wilmington in semifinal action at Woburn High School. But Tarbox thought it was his squad which should have advanced to Monday's title game against top-seeded Concord-Carlisle, which defeated Danvers 2-0.

"I'd like to say we were the winners," Tarbox said. "By the score we weren't, but quite honestly I thought we were the better passing team out there, and with a couple breaks here and there in the first half, particularly, when the the wind was such a factor ... we could have had a couple goals there."

Wilmington (19-0-3) scored the game's only goal 7 1/2 minutes into the second half when Andy Owens took a pass from Kevin Flaherty and knocked a crossing shot past North Andover goalie Jack Hyman. The play was set up on an inbound pass from Michael Murphy, who took advantage of the wind the entire second half to help the Wildcats control the action with strong throws.

"That was their game," Tarbox said. "I mean (Murphy) had like four goals this season, but he had 15 assists. He lives on that throw in. It's hard to defend that."

Playing with the wind at its back, North Andover (17-2-2) controlled much of the first half against Wilmington, which posted its 11th consecutive shutout and 17th of the season. The Scarlet Knights' best opportunity came 11 minutes into the game on a breakaway by Jay Marchand, who got past goalie Marty Bamberg about 20 yards from the net. Marchand, however, wasn't able to get full power into the shot and Wilmington defenseman Colin Foley knocked the ball out of the net at the last moment.

"He took it right off the line," Marchand said. "I don't know what else to say. It was on the goal line and he just took it out. We were playing good in the first half. We had the win in our favor and everything was going our way. I really thought we were going to put one in."

Keeper Jack Hyman, one of six seniors on the North Andover roster, was solid all night, allowing only Owens’ goal, which came from out of a pack of players 15 yards out.

"Jack was outstanding, and you have to have a player like that in goal if you're going to sustain an attack," Tarbox said. "He played almost every minute of every game the whole season."