Mount Greylock Downs Lee in Western Mass Semi-Finals
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. -- With about seven minutes left in the second half of Wednesday's Western Massachusetts Class C semi-final, Lee scored its second goal of the game to trim its deficit to four.
Mount Greylock answered with the last six goals of the first half and the next nine goals overall en route to a 16-3 win.
Lexi Politis scored five goals, and Ainsley Abel and Sarah Polumbo each had a hat trick as the Mounties improved to 17-2 and advanced to next week's regional final at Berkshire Community College against the winner of Thursday's game between Granby and Pope Francis.
Mount Greylock started strong with goals by Polumbo, Abel and Politis in the first nine minutes.
But things really got going after the Wildcats responded to the top-seeded Mounties' early run.
"The big run in the second half came from our timeout," Abel said. "We got a little water, hydration, rest and just decided we were going to clean it up for the second half.
"I think that was our biggest challenge in the middle of the first half -- just dropping balls and not making clean, smart passes. But I think we cleaned it up pretty well."
Abel scored her third goal of the first half in the 17th minute on a free position to make it 6-0.
Lee answered right away off one of the few draw controls it took from Polumbo. Libby Ballinger found a way past Mounties keeper Christy Rech (three saves) to make it 6-1.
Less than a minute later, Annette Boyko set up Ashley Sonsini to make it 6-2.
But it took just nine seconds for the hosts to answer when Polumbo controlled the draw, took the ball up the field and fed Politis, who converted to give her team a five-goal lead.
Phoebe Hughes and Gianna Pesce each scored before half-time to make it 9-2.
Politis scored her third of the game in the 34th minute to give Mount Greylock a 10-goal lead and start running time.
Six different Mounties scored in the win, including Addison Abel, who finished with a goal and two assists.
"We just try to get the ball moving because every single person on that field can shoot the ball, even some of our defenders," Ainsley Abel said. "So everyone touches the ball. That's our goal. That and assisted goals."
Lee (14-3) got eight saves from Sierra Beckman. The Wildcats bowed out of the Western Mass tournament but move on to next week's Divison 3 state tourney. Those pairings are set to come out on Wednesday.
Lee coach Sarah Schaefer said she expected it to be a high-scoring game against the Mounties. She just would have liked to see her offense generate some more chances.
That said, Shaeffer was happy to see her Wildcats get a chance to compete against the 2022 state quarter-finalists.
"I love seeing teams like this," Schaeffer said. "Because I think we play harder. I think we fight harder. I think this shows us what we can do and what we can achieve.
"I mean, [Mount Greylock], to me, looks like a team that plays year round. They go home, they shoot on their goal, they play wall ball, everything that I'm trying to get these girls to do. I can show them, 'That's how you can play if you do these things.' So I like seeing a team like that."