BOXFORD — They left no questions unanswered in their playoff opener.
Relentless pressure by the Masconomet field hockey team right from the start Wednesady afternoon resulted in 90 percent of the game being played in the end of the visitors from Lowell High. By doing so, the Chieftains began defense of their Division 1 North title in dominant fashion with a resounding 5-0 victory.
Second seeded Masconomet (17-0-2), which had seven different players factor into the scoring, wasted little time jumping out to a lead. Freshman Maggie Sturgis figured in three of her team's scores with two goals and an assist, while senior captain Mak Graves dominated the middle of the field and added a goal and an assist.
"I love this team so much, and I'm fortunate to be on the varsity,' said Sturgis, who now has 17 goals and 10 assists on the season. "We have so many good players that it's tough (for opponents) to concentrate on just one. I'm having so much fun this season."
Masconomet head coach Maggie Bridgeo was pleased with her team's strong start to the postseason.
"We were able to keep the pressure on right from the start," said Bridgeo. "We knew what we were going up against in Lowell, a team that plays close together. We had to spread the field and use our speed."
It only took the home team three-and-a-half minutes to get on the scoreboard when Sturgis made a centering pass across from the right side. Cecily Paglierani was alone out front with the whole left side of the net to shoot at, and didn't miss.
Before long it was 2-0 on a goal by Graves, who was set up out front by Calley McSweeney.
Less than five minutes later, the hosts struck again on one of their five corner opportunities in the first 30 minutes. Kate Zamagni made an accurate pass to Sturgis, who sent the ball into the back of the net past Lowell goalie Emily Davis.
"The girls were ready," said Bridgeo. "They've been working hard in practice and knew what they had to do. They make my job coaching so much easier because they're so focused.
"Mak (now with a team-leading 27 goals and 9 assists) was just phenomenal. Some teams double and triple team her, but they really can't do that with our girls because somebody else steps up. All the other players know when she's got two or three (defenders) on her that they've got to pick up the pace to help her out."
When the Lowell (8-7-4) coaches kept yelling out to Red Raider players to watch out for No. 3 (Graves), they couldn't afford to leave others uncovered.
By halftime the lead was 4-0 after a pretty goal by Sturgis, who tipped in a long shot by Graves with just over 10 minutes until intermission.
Bridgeo started subbing early and often, giving her younger players a chance to get some valuable tournament experience. The final goal was scored by Caroline McCormick, with Julia Miller assisting.
Defensively, co-captain Orla Gauvain and sweeper Ava Tello made sure starting goalie Ainsley Gruener and Sophie Cohen (who played most of the second half) weren't busy at all.
Masconomet will next entertain Natick, a 1-0 winner over Winchester, Friday at 2:30 p.m. in the sectional quarterfinals.
Courtesy of: The Salem News
Four-year starter and senior captain Makayla Graves of Masconomet was named the Cape Ann League Kinney Division's Player of the Year in field hockey as the league announced its annual all-star team.
Graves, who has 27 goals, nine assists and 63 points so far this season for the eight-time league champion and currently unbeaten Chieftains (17-0-2), was joined on the All-Cape Ann League team by sophomore sweeper Ava Tello.
Other locals who were named CAL All-Leaguers include senior midfielder Heather Milano and junior midfielder Riley Daly, both of Ipswich; freshman goalkeeper Maeve Clark of Hamilton-Wenham; and senior forward Bridget Twombly and junior midfielder Lily Athanas of Manchester Essex.
Locals chosen as CAL all-stars included freshman forward Lily Sturgis, sophomore forward Lily Conway and junior midfielder Callie Beauparlant of Masconomet; senior forward Tatum Galuski and junior forward Rowan Galanis of Ipswich; junior midfielder Sarah Cooke of Hamilton-Wenham; and the Manchester Essex trio of senior forward Christina Bullock, senior back Cagney Pallazola and junior forward Anna Coyne.
Jenny Lerner of Georgetown High was the CAL Baker Player of the Year, while Coaches of the Year were Andrea Slaven of North Reading (CAL Kinney) and Bethany Noseworthy of Amesbury (CAL Baker). Lynnfield (Kinney) and Amesbury (Baker) won the Team Sportsmanship Awards.
Courtesy of: The Salem News
Masconomet 6, Lynnfield 1:
Mak Graves had a hat trick to up her season goal total to 24 as the Chieftains (15-0-2) completed another unbeaten campaign in Cape Ann League action.
Courtesy of The Salem News
Undefeated Masco Downs Triton 5-2
Mak Graves had a goal and two assists for the Lady Chieftains
Freshman Maggie Sturgis (1) scored twice for Masco
(Byfield MA) Masco can score goals.
This afternoon the Lady Chieftains (14-0-2) put up five of them, including four in the first half, and that was enough for a field hockey win over Triton, 5-2.
Senior captain Mak Graves paced Masco with a goal and two assists. Teammate Maggie Sturgis added two scores for the team from Boxford.
That Masco scored was no surprise; they now have sixty-nine goals in sixteen games.
That Triton (10-4-2) scored against Masco was a big surprise. Why? The last time the Vikings had a goal against the Chieftains was on September 11, 2015! That shutout lasted seven games.
Triton broke a four-year scoring drought vs Masco today
Gianna Conte had a goal and an assist for the Vikings
D1 commit (UMass Lowell) Gianna Conte assisted on Triton’s first goal (first half) and tallied their second one in the second half.
Junior Brianna Hood was the Viking set up in the first half. That goals evened things at 1-1.
The Lady Chieftains responded with three unanswered goals over a ten-minute segment.
“I was proud of the girls for fighting back after being scored on,” said Masco coach Maggie Bridgeo. “It hasn’t happened very often.” The LC’s had only allowed SIX goals in their previous fifteen contests.
Two of Masco’s answering goals were by freshman Maggie Sturgis. In both instances it was sophomore Lily Conway assisting from the right.
Maggie Sturgis (1) gets a goal
“Lily did a great job of getting the ball down the wing and crossing it,” added Coach Bridgeo.
Sophomore Ava Collins pushed the Masco advantage to 4-1 with three minutes left, set up nicely by Mak Graves.
“They outplayed us, “explained Triton coach Donna Andersen afterwards. “We were, however, much better in the second half and they didn’t do a lot of subbing.”
Gianna Conte’s goal made it a two-goal game with twenty minutes left in the second half but the home team would get no closer.
Kate Zamagni
Kate Zamagni’s score with 8:24 remaining gave Masco a 5-2 lead and more than enough separation to gain their 14th win of the season.
“Kate’s goal was probably the prettiest of them all,” said Coach Bridgeo. “It was a corner play and Kate took a straight shot.”
Coach Andersen was impressed with Masco: “They have a lot of speed and stick skills. They are very fast and very well positioned.”
Coach Bridgeo on Triton: “Triton played an unbelievable game. Their pressure cover defense befuddled our girls for a while.”
The Vikings entered this afternoon’s game undefeated in their last seven games. Last loss? To Masco (3-0) on September 23rd at Masco. Maggie Sturgis, Cecily Paglierani, and Kate Zamagni were the goal scorers for the Lady Chieftains in that one.
Kate Zamagni (4) and Jamie Bell
The LC’s two ties have been to North Reading and Central Catholic. There is a rematch with NR ahead on the schedule.
The Division 2 Vikings have reached post-season six straight seasons.
Masco won the D1 North last year and fell to Somerset in the state semi-finals. The Lady Chieftains lost only two starters from that 19-2-2 team.
I have seen Mak Graves play basketball, now field hockey. The girl has multiple game!
“She was the Cape Ann League Player-of-the-Year last year in basketball and field hockey,” said Coach Bridgeo. “She’s a great athlete who is usually two plays ahead in everything. She picked up a lacrosse stick and was good at it without even knowing how to play.”
Mak Graves after scoring a goal
It appears that Mak will be attending Northeastern in 2020 to continue playing field hockey.
There was a side feature to Masco’s state semi-final loss in 2018 to Somerset; the opponent had two boys on their team. “In my opinion,” said Coach Bridgeo, “the title laws were created to make it equal for females. It is difficult to play against two males. There’s a big physical difference between 18-year-old boys and 18-year-old girls. Years ago, when I was in high school, Masco had a boy on their field hockey team, and they played in a co-ed state tournament. Maybe it’s heading in that direction.”
Courtesty of: McClelland Miscellanea · Massachusetts North Shore: sports coverage with pictures and commentary
Masconomet 3, North Reading 0: Mak Graves scored a pair of goals to help the Chieftains move to 13-0-2 on the season. Lily Conway also scored on a great assists from Cecily Paglirani.
Courtesy of The Salem News
Masconomet 6, Newburyport 1
Senior Caroline McCormick scored her first goal of the season to highlight six different goal scorers for the Chieftains (11-0-2). Cecily Paglerani, Nina Morris, Lilly Conway, Julia Graves and Mak Graves also had goals for the winners, with Callie McSweeney dishing out two assists.
Courtesy of The Salem News
MASCONOMET 4, MANCHESTER ESSEX 0:
In a clash of Cape Ann League and Eastern Mass. powerhouses, the Chieftains (now 10-0-2) rolled to victory behind Ainsley Gruener’s eighth shutout of the season. Defender Orla Gauvain came across the crease to make a brilliant diving save as well to keep the whitewashing intact.
Cecily Paglierani paced the offense with a pair of goals while Lily Conway had a goal and an assist and Andrea Walker also scored. Maggie Sturgis finished with two assists and Mak Graves dished out one, with Ava Collins having a terrific game in the middle of the field.
Courtesty of The Salem News
