Drury Downs Lee in Regular Season Finale
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – Drury put two past Lee to finish the regular season on a high note with a 2-0 win.
It’s been an up-and-down season for this young Drury (6-8-2) girls team, but they’ve shown fight, finishing the season strong as they head into Western Mass play. Lee (13-3), who came into this game on an eight-game win streak, looked like they were going to continue that trend early on.
The Wildcats had the majority of the possession early in the first half and even had the game’s best chance when Jenna Simone got a clean shot that was tipped by Drury’s keeper, Addisyn Shepard, off the bar and over the net.
From that point on, the game was mainly played in the midfield with the occasional chance from Drury.
As the game went on, Drury started to find their rhythm when Megan McGrath had a nice shot from outside the box that was tipped away by the keeper for a corner kick. Drury continued to build on that momentum, keeping the ball in the attacking third until just two minutes before halftime, when McGrath had another blast from outside the box that nestled past the keeper and into the corner to give Drury a 1-0 lead heading into the break.
“It was a good motivator [scoring before the half], and it helped us get momentum for the second. Our girls’ big thing is they match energy, so coming off the half on good footing helps our energy. Being up at the half has helped us out a lot this season,” Drury assistant coach Keanna Rudd said.
Lee did its best to change the game in the second half, putting early pressure on the Drury defense. The Wildcats had the half’s first chance with a nice dribble into the box that drew the keeper off her line. Unfortunately for Lee, they weren’t able to find the net but earned a corner kick after the defensive clearance. This Drury defense has really stepped up over the last few games, recording three consecutive clean sheets, including this final game of the regular season.
“Our girls have made so much progress this season. We had a rough start, but we’ve grown a ton, and we have a very young team, so it’s been a learning experience. They’ve worked really hard, and I think they are excited for the upcoming Western Mass. tournament,” Rudd said.
Lee continued to keep the ball in the final third but couldn’t find a way to break Drury down. Drury countered with a few half chances, but most of the play in the second half came from Lee. In the 60th minute, Lee had another good chance with a lofted ball over the defense that Drury keeper Addisyn Shepard was able to collect just in time.
That bend-but-don’t-break defense from Drury was enough to hold off Lee, and with just ten minutes left in the game, Drury added their second of the night when McGrath assisted Tenley Wood, who put it past the diving keeper. Drury almost added another moment later but were denied by Lee’s keeper, Maddy Kotek.
The Blue Devils will wait to see when and where they play in the Western Mass tournament, but they have to like ending the regular season with back-to-back wins. Lee will look to bounce back after a strong regular season overall.