'Canes Fall in the Final Second to Mounties
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Tuesday's game between the Mount Greylock and Hoosac Valley girls' soccer team was wild from the start. The only thing crazier than how the game began was the way it ended.The two South Division rivals were the only two teams in Berkshire County to take the field during Tuesday's constant downpour of rain. After an evenly played first half, the two squads traded goals after halftime and looked destined for a tie when the weirdest thing happened with one second left in the game. The Hurricanes were whistled for handball in the box, giving the Mounties' Alex Majetich the chance to win the game in the most dramatic fashion.
The senior captain did just that, using a perfectly placed shot to beat Hoosac goalie Megan Richardson and give Greylock a 2-1 victory at home.
"Alex had scored a goal with six minutes left in the game, but it was waved off inexplicably," Mounties head coach Tom Ostheimer said. "Hoosac carried the play the rest of the game, and Danielle Beauchemin fired shot after shot against our defense. [Goalie] Margot Besnard made several miraculous saves to preserve what appeared to be a 1-1 draw, but after she made a booming punt, Melissa Swann played a ball into the box, and we were awarded with a generous handball to set up a PK with one second left."
It was a tough break for the Hurricanes, who fell to 2-1 on the year and one point behind Greylock (2-1-1) in the South Division standings. Beauchemin's play was a bright side for Hoosac, however. The senior midfielder gave the visitors the lead three minutes into the second half, scoring on a penalty kick after Besnard was called for holding forward Marissa Felter in the penalty box.
Greylock answered in the 65th minute, though, thanks to sophomore Kelsey Orpin's third goal of the season. Orpin fired a shot past Richardson to tie the game, and the Mounties fought off the Hoosac attack thanks to tough defense by eighth-grader Sarah Stripp and 14 saves by Besnard.
Greylock has another big South Division game when Drury visits at 6 p.m. on Thursday night. The Hurricanes, meanwhile, will try to rebound in their next match, a 4 p.m. home game against Mount Everett on the same day.