ME Hornet Ava Magnuson finds the back of the net in a 6-0 win over Amesbury at home.
Photo: Paul Clark
The boys lost 30 to 25 in a close race. Junior Captain Finn O'Hara won the race in 17:58. The race for second place was close with 3 General's runners vying with Senior Logan Cooper and Junior Captain Charlie Lations for position. Logan and Charlie ended up taking fifth and sixth places. Also scoring for the Hornets were Juniors Nate Gardner and Jack Whelski.
The girls won 15 to 50 by forfeit. Sophomores Sabine Cooper, Lassen Ando, Captain Whitney Turner and Stella Straub place 2 through 5 in a close pack. Freshman Lily Oliver was next to complete the scoring.
Next up is Amesbury at Ravenswood on Wednesday September 21.
The Manchester Essex Varsity Girls Soccer Team started the week still looking for their first official win of the season. They traveled to Amesbury on Tuesday and did not have to wait long to take the lead. They scored early in the first half through Pippa Springer after an excellent assist from Mechi O’Neil. Pippa then turned provider for Charlotte Crocker, who found the net with a shot from just outside the box. There was still time for another goal late in the half when Mechi forced a mistake from the keeper and managed to find Megan Hurd, who put the ball in the back of the net. Mechi also scored a great header in the first half herself that was unfortunately ruled offside.
The Hornets maintained their intensity in the second half, with Lily Stefanovich and Charlotte Crocker dominating the midfield battle, but they were unable to finish the numerous chances they created. Finally, they managed to increase their lead, again through a neat finish from Pippa after Megan pressured Amesbury’s keeper into another mistake.
Manchester Essex continued to pile on chance after chance but had to settle for just the four goals and their first regular season win of 2022.
Player of the Game: Pippa Springer for a great attacking display in which she created numerous chances for herself and the rest of the team.
After a day of training on Wednesday, The Hornets traveled to Pentucket on Thursday for a game that promised to be challenging.
That promise was realized when Pentucket scored, against the run of play, early in the first half. Manchester Essex responded resiliently but were frustrated in front of the goal several times until finally a long throw in from Megan Hurd found Olivia Kent at the back post who managed to poke the ball home.
The Hornets maintained their relentless pressure on Pentucket in the second half, but it was Pentucket who took the lead halfway through the second 40 minutes.
Manchester Essex fought to get back into the game and were close to leveling the game several times, especially through a great run from Mechi O’Neil, but they were unable to find the goal they needed until a late free kick from Libby Lawler found Ella Arntsen who bundled the ball into the goal with a combination of her head and back.
At 2-2 with only minutes left, Manchester Essex were the team pushing for a win, and they went close through Mechi again in the dying seconds. Despite settling for a tie, it was a great performance against a strong opponent that will give The Hornets confidence going into next week and facing Newburyport and Rockport.
Player of the Game: Mckay Brooks for a dominant and aggressive defense display.
Field hockey had another strong week, going 2-0-1.
W Amesbury (6-0), goals were scored by (Ella Chafe Ast by Caelie Patrick, Ava Magnuson Ast by Torrin Kirk, Abby Kent, Caelie Patrick, Ava Magnuson, Grace Gerhardt).
W Pentucket (4-0), goals were scored by (Caelie Patrick (x2), Greta Gado, Abby Kent). This win was a great team effort against a challenging CAL opponent. Definitely the highlight of our week.
T Bishop Fenwick (2-2), goals were scored by (Abby Kent, Caelie Patrick)....this was a hard fought tie, and the girls worked to dig themselves out of a 2 goal deficit in the second half.
The Manchester Essex boys’ soccer team went 2 and 0 on the week with wins over both Amesbury and Pentucket to even up their season tally to 2-2. On Tuesday, the boys hosted Amesbury, the team that eliminated them from the State Tournament last season. The match started off with a noticeable difference in playing styles. Amesbury began the match very directly while the Hornets had a more possession-based attack. In an outstanding build, a brisk pass out of the back found Brady Gagnon with space to dribble. He slowed play down to let attacking players make runs through and played a ball forward to an overlapping Finn Lawler. Finn began a series of 1-2 passes through Becket Spencer and Sam Bothwell who ended up playing a ball across the goal for Brady to blast a one-time shot past the keeper from the six-yard box. Brady 's high pressure would be featured in the second goal as well as he broke up the defensive build which caused a loose ball to bounce right on to Becket Spencer's right foot and he pounded it in for a 2-0 lead. After some sound defending the match would end 2-0 and give the Hornets their first win of the young season. The Hornets followed up that win with an even more impressive one on Thursday hosting CAL Large perennial power Pentucket. The Sachems feature top end speed up top with both of their strikers. Once again, the defense held of the direct balls through to these speedy strikers. The goal came in the second half, once again on a cut back in close for Becket Spencer to thump home for the win. The Hornets have a busy week with both matches on the road at Newburyport and Rockport.
