In a tie game, with no time left on the clock, the Chieftains stunned North Attleborough on a buzzer-beating goal yesterday, winning 4-3.
Despite being down 1-0 to start the game, the Masco offense locked in and bounced back to take the lead on two hard-hit goals from senior forward and NEC MVP Ava Gauvain. Junior midfielder Mia Marques was also incredibly active in pursuing scoring opportunities in Rocketeer territory.
The defense, led by senior NEC all-star Savanah Stevens, senior McCarthy Daly, senior Hannah Mitchell, and junior NEC all-star Ella Massey, did a great job limiting North Attleborough in Chieftain territory. Stevens held down the fort while Mitchell had some blasts to the midfield.
With the devastating loss of junior NEC all-star goalie Sabrina Cafarelli, it was time for freshman goalie Julia Beauvais to step up to the plate in her first varsity start. Beauvais delivered big time for Masco, recording 12 saves.
At the end of the third quarter, North Attleborough had retaken the lead, 3-2, but the reign of Gauvain was not yet over. In the middle of the fourth quarter, Gauvain completed the hat trick, tying the game at three apiece.
Off a corner hit from Gauvain, Stevens retrieved the ball and barreled it into the goal for the game-winner as time expired, sending Masco to the Sweet Sixteen.
In only her first year as head coach of the Chieftains, NEC Coach of the Year Vanessa McGuire has led her squad to not only an NEC championship but also a second-round playoff berth.
(7) Masco now looks ahead to a strong (10) Westwood team this Thursday under the bright lights of Danvers High School at 6:30 p.m.