Belisle Scores Pair as Veteran Hornets Top Westfield Tech
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – The McCann Tech girls soccer team has a lot of seniors and a lot of momentum from a team that won a preliminary game in the state tournament last fall.
So far, it’s added up to a lot of goals.
Camryn Belisle scored twice on Monday to lead the Hornets to a 3-0 win over Westfield Tech.
Through two games on the young season, McCann Tech has 10 goals, taking advantage of, perhaps, its biggest advantage: 11 seniors in the lineup.
“That’s a lot more than a normal team,” Molly Boyer said. “A lot of us have played together since we were younger. … We also have a lot of new players this year, so we’re trying to learn how to play together as a team.
“I think we’re going to have a really good season this year.”
Senior keeper Keira Lennon said that the Hornets’ time together has helped them develop a shorthand to aid communication on defense.
“Usually we can read each other’s body language really well … and we can say just one word and we know what the other one is talking about,” Lennon said. “That’s really helpful.”
McCann Tech (2-0) controlled possession from the opening kick and took control on the scoreboard in the 24th minute.
That is when Boyer set up Belisle at the top of the 18 with a pass back from the middle of the area and Belisle buried a shot past diving Tigers keeper Lindsey Deland (11 saves).
Late in the half, Belisle got a through ball at midfield and carried it all the way into the 18, slipping it past Deland, who came off her line to make the stop, and toward the goal. A Westfield Tech defender chasing down the play from behind nearly got a boot on the ball as it crossed the goal line to give the Hornets a 2-0 lead.
The final goal came just four minutes into the second half.
Junior Emily Feder passed back a ball from deep on the right wing to classmate Jazzmyn Valego in the middle of the 18, and Valego finished to make it a three-goal lead.
McCann Tech coach Mike Dowling said that having 11 seniors in the fold is a nice feeling.
“They don’t all start,” he said. “But they all could start.”
It was clear early on Monday that starting is not the only way to get into the game for the Hornets, who sprinkled bench players liberally throughout.
“We’ve got some depth, so I’m trying to develop the depth so it’s better all around,” he said. “I need to pick it up to where I play four up front or four in the mid. Because I play teams like Wahconah … they just pass around us because they have the extra person up.
“My philosophy is to have a girl at every position. But if you overload like Wahconah does or some other teams do, you have that extra person. … They’re going to get used to it. We don’t have too much time to get it down, but one of our objects this year is to get better come tournament time.”
McCann Tech continues a busy week on Tuesday when it hosts Putnam Vocational. The Hornets host Smith Voc on Thursday before going to Dalton to face Wahconah on Saturday.
Video: McCann Tech keeper Keira Lennon talks about her defense after Monday’s shutout win.
Video: McCann Tech’s Camryn Belisle scores her second goal of Monday’s win over Westfield Tech.
Video: Jazzmyn Valego scores for the McCann Tech girls in Monday’s win over Westfield Tech.