PALMER, Mass. -- Mai O'Connor made five saves, and Lily McDermott scored the game-winner Friday as the Mount Greylock girls soccer program took a big step forward with a 1-0 win at Palmer.

 

The Panthers beat Mount Greylock three times last fall: 6-2 in Williamstown, 4-2 in Palmer at 2-1 at Agawam in the Western Mass title game.

 

This year, the teams played to a 2-2 draw at Mount Greylock back on Sept. 16.

 

"We've closed the gap on Palmer," Mount Greylock coach Tom Ostheimer said. "It was good to finally get over the hump."

 

In the 24th minute on Friday, Molly Sullivan played a ball off a defender in a crowded 18, and the ball came to McDermott who slotted it in for her eighth goal of the season.

 

Mount Greylock outshot Palmer by a narrow 6-5 margin in winning its fifth straight and staying undefeated on the season at 11-0-3.

 

The Mounties finish the regular season at home starting with Hoosac Valley on Monday before hosting Lenox at the end of the week.