LENOX, Mass. -- Chances were few and far between for the Lenox girls soccer team on Monday night.
But the Millionaires made the most of what they got.
Abby Schilling took a through ball from Nicole Gamberoni up the middle of the field and scored on a counter with 3 minutes, 19 seconds left in the half for the game’s only goal as Lenox defeated Hoosac Valley, 1-0, under the lights.
“That counter was definitely against the run of play for that section of 15 minutes or so,” Lenox coach Kyle Zinchuk said. “It’s one of the advantages to having a team that’s as flexible and versatile as I think we are: We can play like this, where we can sit and defend really well, and we have the playmakers like Abby, like Nicole and others, who, even though we’re sitting and defending, can make something happen on a counter. We’re still dangerous in those moments.
“We’re lucky to have that.”
And Lenox (5-0), which has allowed just one goal in 400 minutes this fall, continues to benefit from the play of freshman keeper Sophie Patella, who five saves in the first half and nine in the game to earn the shutout.
“Tonight, Sophie definitely stepped up huge and stood on her head a few times for us,” Zinchuk said. “That was definitely a key role for us.”
At the other end, Grace Kronick played a strong game for the Hurricanes (1-2), stopping seven shots and coming up just short on and a diving try to stop Schilling’s game-winner.
Hoosac Valley’s offense, meanwhile, generated a lot of pressure from the right wing, where Allie Mendel made repeated runs and crosses to get the ball into the 18. But a number of Hoosac’s shot attempts sailed just wide of the goal, and Patella was able to account for the rest.
“I’m very happy with the amount of shots we took,” Hoosac Valley coach Kathy Budaj said. “But our shot selection -- and I saw it at Drury -- needs to become more selective.
“We need to make those back post runs. I mean, we had a girl making a back post run on the left side, and she hits it with her right foot. It’s those kinds of things.
“All I said to the girls was, ‘We see ‘em on Friday.’ “
An early season scheduling quirk has the Millionaires and Hurricanes on a collision course for the rematch on Friday afternoon at Hoosac Valley High School.
