Hornets Nest

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CROSS COUNTRY:

Manchester Essex XC teams competed in the League meet at Wrentham on Saturday. 

The girls' team placed 4th behind Newburyport, Pentucket and Triton (all large schools).  Although only the top 15 runners win League All Star status, our first four girls did great with Sabine Cooper placing 16th, Lassen Ando 18th, Whitney Turner 19th and Stella Straub 20th.  Caroline MacKinnon was our 5th scorer in 39th place.

On the boys' side, Finn O'Hara ran a great race finishing second behind Newburyport's Bradford Duchesne in 16:29.  Also scoring were Logan Cooper 25th, Charlie Lations 32nd, Nate Gardner 54th and Sam Heanue 57th.  The boys took 8th place overall in team scoring.

Complete results can be found at

https://live.mstca.org/meets/19036/xc-events/665185/scores

Next meet is Division 3B meet at Gardner on November 12.

BOYS SOCCER:

The Manchester Essex boys' soccer team ended their season with 1-1 draw to Ipswich to keep their state tournament hopes alive.  After having lost 2-1 to Ipswich to open the season, and despite losing both keepers to injury, the boys were able to salvage a tie in the final match of the season against a solid Tigers side to keep them at number twenty-nine in the state.  Coming off both a red card suspension and bruised ribs, sophomore Charlie Langendorf got the start in net and turned in a stellar performance with several key saves along with a break-away chance from Ipswich's best striker.  The back four of Jack Newton, Owen Olivier Munn Logan DeSouza and senior captain Andy Gagnon held Ipswich to very few scoring chances early with their communication and defensive shape.  Finn Birkeland and Finn Straub also played very well on the defensive side of the ball by containing the speedy Ipswich midfielders and preventing through-balls into their talented strikers.  The first goal was scored by the Hornets and came early in the second half of the match when Finn Lawler drove it down the right flank, beat his man, and then pounded a low cross to fellow senior captain Brady Gagnon who put it past the keeper on two touches.  After some up and down action the Tigers were able to score to equalize in the final ten minutes, and despite some excellent attacking chances from the Hornets, that was how the match would end.  It's now a waiting game to see how the rest of the Division finishes up it's final matches.  The Hornets currently sit number 29 in the state of more than 60 division IV teams, and it's the top 32 who get in.  If The Hornets do get in, they will likely host a play-in match on Friday, which could have a boys' soccer / football double header of state tournament action Friday afternoon and evening for Manchester Essex.

GIRLS SOCCER:

The Hornets started their week with a top of the table clash away against Georgetown that would likely decide which team would claim second place in the Baker division.  The game began with Manchester Essex in full control.  They dominated possession and Georgetown barely saw the ball in the first 20 minutes of the game.  Charlotte Crocker came closest to opening the scoring with a shot from distance that bounced off the post.  The Hornets were punished for not taking their chances however, when a quick Georgetown counterattack caught them off guard.  Georgetown managed to score with their first shot of the game to take the lead 1-0.  The Hornets continued to press but were frustrated until early in the second half when Kendall Newton set up Harper Brooks to tie the game.  Both teams pressed for a winner, but it was Georgetown who found the winner.

POTM: Harper Brooks

The Hornets followed up their game against Georgetown with Senior Night to celebrate the only senior on the team: Captain Kendall Newton.  They faced Ipswich, who they had tied 1-1 in a frustrating game all the way back in September.  The Hornets were clearly determined to make up for that frustration as they dominated possession and chances early in the game until a quick throw in from Meg Hurd found Mechi O'Neil who turned and played a beautiful pass into Libby Lawler who blasted an unstoppable shot over the Ipswich goalkeeper's head.  In the second half it was Kendall Newton's time to shine.  She scored a beautiful goal from the edge of the box after another great pass from Mechi O'Neil and then made the score 3-0 with a neat finish off of another Meg Hurd throw in.  Lily Stefanovich added the fourth goal with a great run ending with a shot from the edge of the box, and Caroline Willwerth got in on the action with a great turn and an unstoppable shot into the top corner to make it 5-0.

POTM: Kendall Newton

hornets nest, football, ipswich