HIGH SCHOOL PLAYOFF ROUNDUP: Plymouth North boys soccer advances to Div. 2 semifinals
PLYMOUTH – Last season the Plymouth North High girls soccer team got hot at the right time and blazed a path in the state tourney to Division 2’s Final Four.
This season the Plymouth North boys soccer team is taking the same trip.
The Blue Eagles, the 12th seed in the Div. 2 bracket, beat the wind, the rain and Westborough High, 2-1, on Sunday in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, North (15-3-3) will meet No. 1 Oliver Ames at a neutral site (other details TBD).
Junior Josh Murray got things started Sunday with a score off a corner kick to give the Blue Eagles a 1-0 lead.
Plymouth North’s defense took over from there. The back line kept the Westborough attackers a good distance from their net and goaltender Josh Bates was there for some big saves when needed.
The Eagles earned a little breathing room five minutes into the second half when Malachi Val jumped on a Raiders mistake and quickly converted it into a score to make it a 2-0 game.
Things got chippy as time clicked off the clock. Westborough had to play a man down after one of their top scoring threats was given a red card after running into Bates.
The Raiders made things interesting with 8:05 left on the clock when Saad Naseet was taken down in the penalty area and converted the penalty kick to cut the deficit to 2-1.
On the other side of the Div. 2 bracket, No. 3 Bedford will take on No. 2 Hopkinton, which beat No. 10 Wayland on penalty kicks on Sunday.
Plymouth North opened the playoffs with a 1-0 win over Agawam when sophomore Eric Godlewski converted on a corner kick with a header in the final minute of the game.
Thursday’s game with Holliston went to a shootout before the Eagles won in the seventh round. Godlewski scored during regulation time for North.
In other high school playoff action on Sunday:
BOYS SOCCER
Newburyport 2, Pembroke 1: The Titans' dream of a perfect season ended in the Div. 3 quarterfinals as No. 9 Newburyport (21-0) got a tiebreaking goal from freshman Sean Gasbarro with 6:12 remaining to advance to the semis. Jack Duperre staked Pembroke (20-1) to a first-half lead with his first goal of the season.
Unbeaten Newburyport hands Pembroke boys soccer its first loss in Div. 3 quarterfinals
Randolph 3, Pope Francis 2: Angelot Brun, Jonas Norsica and Baldimy Joseph scored to lead the 10th-seeded Blue Devils into the Div. 4 semifinals. Randolph (13-6-2) will play No. 6 Blackstone Valley (17-2-2). Details of that game have not been announced yet.
Sutton 2, Holbrook 0: The 23rd-seeded Bulldogs' underdog run was ended by No. 2 Sutton (13-3-4) in the Div. 5 quarterfinals. Holbrook (13-8-1) had won three previous playoff games.
Belchertown 3, Hanover 2: The No. 11 Hawks (12-7-2) lost to the No. 3 in the Div. 3 Elite Eight.
Oliver Ames 3, Longmeadow 2: Andrew Martins scored two goals and Joey Carney scored one. Sophomore keeper Drew Hall made an unbelievable save in the final minute to preserve the one-goal lead. The Tigers will play No. 12 Plymouth North in the Div. 2 Final Four.
GIRLS SOCCER
Hingham 3, Brookline 2: Sophie Reale scored a goal in each half, and Claire Murray struck after the break as the second-seeded Harborwomen edged No. 7 Brookline in the Div. 1 quarterfinals. Hingham (17-0-4) advances to Tuesday's semifinals (6 p.m. at Whitman-Hanson) against the winner of Sunday's late game between No. 3 Bishop Feehan and No. 6 Natick.
This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: HIGH SCHOOL PLAYOFF ROUNDUP: Plymouth North boys soccer makes semis
