CHESHIRE, Mass. – The Hoosac Valley girls soccer team Thursday could not overcome a rough start as Springfield Central scored three times in the first 20 minutes and went on to a 3-2 win.
The Hurricanes got goals from Ashlyn Lesure and Talia Rehill in the second half and generated a number of good scoring opportunities but could not get over the hump and get that elusive first win of the season.
Hoosac Valley coach Mark Ziaja was disappointed to see his defense break down so completely in the opening stages.
“We held Monument [Mountain] scoreless for 70 minutes, which we had been kind of hanging our hats on,” Ziaja said. “We shut Mount Greylock down for 50 minutes until they turned it on. The defense has been working, and today … “
Central set the tone for the first half in the third minute of the match when Angalece Quinones had an open look from about 20 yards out and fired a shot off the crossbar.
Seven minutes later, Quinones was on frame with a try from deep on the right wing to make it 1-0.
It took just four minutes for the Eagles to double their lead when Yeny Mejia scored from the middle of the 18. And in the 20th minute, Luna Hemingway took a direct free kick from 40 yards that was stopped by Hoosac Valley keeper Emma Meczwyor (12 saves), but Tyler Swan cashed in the rebound to make it 3-0.
Ziaja called timeout and changed up his personnel, settling an injury-depleted defense by moving back striker Lesure to shore up the back line.
“We were missing Mallory Mazzeo, who has been pretty much the anchor,” Ziaja said. “She’s the only one who had played every game this season as a center back. So we were playing with two center backs who are both seniors, but they don’t have a ton of experience back there.”
The tactical change paid off.
In the 29th minute, Lesure shut down a Central forward on a deep run up the right wing to stop a dangerous scoring chance.
And with things settled down in the back, Ziaja was able to return Lesure to the front line. With just more than a minute left in the half, Lesure made a run up the right wing and centered the ball through two defenders for Rehill, whose one-timer from the edge of the 18 sailed just over the crossbar.
Hoosac Valley continued generating that kind of pressure at the start of the second half, and it paid off in the 47th minute.
Bella Klose sent a through ball up the middle that was deflected by a Central defender right to Lesure at the top of the 18. Lesure took the ball unmarked into the box and fired a shot from about 10 yards that put Hoosac Valley on the board.
Six minutes later, Klose set up Rehill in space about 25 yards from goal, and this time, her one-timer was true, sailing over the keeper and under the bar to get Hoosac Valley within a goal at 3-2.
Central, which started the second half with its second string keeper, reinserted starter Nalia Mitchell. And she came in handy because the Hurricanes had the bulk of the scoring opportunities from there – many off of strong restarts by Maryn Cappiello, either from the corner or in the field on free kicks.
In one sequence in the 73rd minute, Hoosac Valley earned three straight corner kicks from the right wing as Central’s defense played the ball out of danger over the end line.
And with just more than four minutes left, Cappiello and the Hurricanes executed a different corner play as she played the ball high on the right wing for an entry into the 6, where Lesure’s header caromed off a Central defender.
That was the last good chance in a half where Hoosac Valley carried the play despite losing one of its starters during the match.
“A big loss was Kim Mach in the second half,” Ziaja said. “I’m really surprised at how well we played without her. I’m thinking if she was out there for that kind of surge, maybe do get that third goal.
“But hopefully it’s a short-term thing for her.”
That injury – and the final margin – aside, Ziaja was pleased with what he saw on Thursday.
“I’m very happy,” he said. “I actually saw some really good things I haven’t been seeing consistently from us. It’s just that we haven’t put together a full game yet. When we do, I think we’ll get our first one.”
