RallyNorth.net

Wed, Sep 12, 2007 05:00 PM @ Newburyport

Team	Final
Pentucket	0
Newburyport	2

Newburyport girls record another shutout

Wednesday, September, 12 By Dan Guttenplan
Sports editor

For a Newburyport girls soccer team that is 41-4-5 since 2005, wins that garner trophies are no longer cause for celebration.

Such was the case for the Clippers yesterday after they claimed their third consecutive ALS Cup with a 2-0 victory over Pentucket.

The final whistle drew nothing more than a militant march to the hand-shake line for the Clippers. Pentucket seemed to be more pleased, by comparison, to make the trip back to West Newbury with its two-goal loss.

“I thought our girls really rose to the occasion,” Pentucket coach Elaine Treado said. “We always know it’s going to be tough coming (to Newburyport). They’re on a good run right now.”

Newburyport’s run looked to be reaching its apex in the team’s first two matches. In its opener on Saturday, Port shutout Division 1 foe Lowell, 3-0. Two days later, the Clippers scored four goals in the opening eight minutes en route to a 7-0 victory over River Rival Triton.

“We played fabulous soccer in our first two games,” Clippers coach Rob Gonnam said. “We consider ourselves fortunate to win this one. I think normally a team gets a letdown after a great game like the one we had against Triton.”

After playing Pentucket to a scoreless tie in the first half, Veronica Poirier tallied the Clippers’ first goal in the 53rd minute. The sophomore gathered a pass on the left wing and fired a shot at Pentucket goalie Heather Thomas, who deflected the ball back to a charging Poirier. Charging for the net, Poirier deposited the game-winner.

“Veronica was one of the girls making better decisions and moving in anticipation of the play,” Gonnam said. “I moved her up to striker on a hunch that she’d make something happen.”

As has been the case countless times over the past three seasons, junior Jillian Kinter added an insurance goal for Newburyport | scoring on a rebound in the 67th minute.

Making Newburyport’s season-long shutout streak of 240 minutes all the more impressive is the fact that its defense has been plagued by injuries. The Clippers played yesterday’s match without their top four defensemen | Mary Ryan, Grace Curry, Taylor Whitehill and Shannon Fitzgerald. “It’s not as though we don’t have quality players to go in there when people get injured,” Gonnam said. “Kids have a tendency to rise to the challenge. They’re fighting for an opportunity to play, and if they do well, other kids will have to win their spots back.”