Hoosac Valley Shows Improvement in 1-0 Loss to Smith Voc

CHESHIRE, Mass. – After dropping a 4-0 decision at Smith Vocational in the second game of the season, the Hoosac Valley girls soccer team Monday played to a scoreless draw against the Vikings for 72 minutes.

 

But with 7 minutes, 10 seconds on the clock, Smith Voc broke through.

 

Katelynn Hennessy’s blast through traffic from 20 yards out found the goal to send the unbeaten Vikings on to a 1-0 win.

 

Hoosac Valley (0-7-2) held an opponent to one or fewer goals for the fifth time in its last six games but was held scoreless for the sixth straight time.

 

And the Hurricanes held Smith Voc (6-0-3) to one goal for just the second time this season despite dealing with an injury in the back.

 

“I’m unfortunately down one of my seniors, one of my senior starters, who is sick today,” Hoosac Valley coach Lindsay McGinnis said. “It was tough, but they held their own – coming back from a game that we lost pretty hard to Smith Voc earlier in the season.

 

“We’ve been working hard on trying to close those gaps.”

 

Hurricane backs Peyton Choquette and Isabella Klose were key to closing down the Vikings’ attack in the first half.

 

Smith Vocational outshot the hosts, 9-3, in the first half, but most of those shots – for both teams – were from outside the 18, and both keepers had clean looks at all of the shots they faced.

 

The Vikings started the second half with a good test for Hoosac Valley keeper Hannah Lord (17 saves) when Monique Fredette fired a shot from the top of the 18 that Lord caught in the 45th minute.

 

Ten minutes later, Smith Vocational’s Erin Miller took a direct free kick from 22 yards out on the left wing that went through the Hoosac Valley wall but clipped the post on its way over the end line.

 

The Vikings quickly followed with two more attacks that forced Lord to step up.

 

First, Smith Voc’s Isabella Letourneau made a run on a through ball into the 18 against a drawn out keeper who forced a shot high. Then Fredette took a shot from 20 yards out on the left wing that Lord stopped with a leaping grab.

 

But as they have done most of the year, Lord and her defense rose to the occasion again and again.

 

“She was making great saves,” McGinnis said. “Unfortunately, the one that got by her through her legs, it’s an unfortunate mistake. That happens. … Our defense is great back there, too.

 

“[Klose and Choquette] are two of my seasoned starters on defense. We need them back there.”

 

Another difference maker in the back was Savannah Warner, who alternated between trying to get the Hurricanes moving forward and getting back to hold the Vikings at bay.

 

“Savannah is my go-to sweeper,” McGinnis said. “I’m trying to push her up to solidify some of the gaps we have in the midfield as well. I can do that the majority of the time, but sometimes I need her back there as well.”

 

Hoosac Valley is back on the road Thursday for a game under the lights at Ware.

 

Photos from this game here.