Hampshire Downs Monument Mountain
GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. – After scoring seven goals in its first two games, the Monument Mountain girls soccer team Wednesday was shut out for the second straight time.
Libby Puttick recorded a hat trick, and Addie Miklasiewicz scored a pair of goals as Hampshire handed the Spartans a 6-0 setback.
“Similar to the Wahconah game [a 5-0 loss on Monday], we have the players, we have the combinations to attack and finishing is an issue,” Monument Mountain coach Brian Jarvis said. “It’s something we’ve been working on, and we’re working on expanding that ability.”
The Spartans generated a couple of early scoring chances and held their own against the visitors for the first 30 minutes.
Mercedes Raifstanger registered the first two shots on goal of the game in the first five minutes of play.
But in the 33rd minute, Hampshire’s Madelyn Zannotti cashed in the rebound of a Maggie Lashway shot that was saved by the Spartans’ Ynes Bourdon (10 saves in 73 minutes).
One minute, 20 seconds later, Puttick struck from the top left corner of the 18 for a goal that sent Hampshire into half-time with a 2-0 lead.
“This is a very good team we played today,” Jarvis said. “I noticed it in warmups. So I was actually extremely proud of the girls to go that deep into the game.
“And, again, similar to the Wahconah game, had we scored one or two first, things can change very quickly. And we can defend quite well. But once the gates did open, it’s difficult to climb back when you’re playing a quality team like Hampshire.”
Monument Mountain was outshot by a margin of 7-3 in the first half.
But after the break, it was all Hampshire, which barely let the Spartans out of their half of the field and earned a 12-0 advantage in shots on goal.
The Spartans slipped to 2-2 this season with another tough test on the horizon with defending Western Massachusetts champion Mount Greylock visiting on Saturday.
Fortunately for Jarvis, he knows he has the talent on the team to turn things around over the next six weeks.
“Bella Calautti did a phenomenal job out there,” he said. “Mackenzie Scabro gave us great minutes today. Scarlett Ivas, fantastic in the back. Lucy Dohoney, a rock in the back – that’s a change we made to tighten things up in the back.
“Obviously, they won 6-0, but, again, depending on when the ball goes in the net things can change. … These girls can play. But the level’s got to come up.”