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Season openers: Good day for Sabers, Spartans, Cougars

By Tom King - Staff Writer | Sep 19, 2020

Telegraph photo by TOM KING Souhegan's Margot Manz, left, is bothered by Pelham's Sydney Nutter during Friday's season opening 4-1 win by the Sabers in Amherst.

AMHERST – Kelli Braley had that feeling early Friday again, one she as well as her players hadn’t had in awhile.

Game Day.

“I haven’t been that happy in a long time,” the Souhegan High School field hockey coach said. “I was so excited all day, climbing out of my skin, it was great.”

Even better that the Sabers, who finished as the Division II runnerups a year ago, started the season with a 4-1 win over Pelham, a team they beat in the quarters last year, at Saber Field.

But just to get back on the field during the pandemic was a win for Pelham, too.

“Oh it feels awesome,” Pelham coach Emma Brown said. “We’re lucky to have a season. It was super up in the air, but the girls were excited to be back and I’m excited to be back.”

That excitement, of course, was tempered by the fact the Pythons, who trailed just 2-1 at the half, gave up two third period goals within 1:31 to fall out of it.

“It was definitely a tough opener, they’re an awesome team,” Brown said. “I think we kind of let it get away from us. We need to stay focused.”

Souhegan’s Catie Summers got things going for the Sabers with two goals in the first quarter. Summers converted a feed from Molly Atkinson just over four minutes into the contest, and then scored again with 4:35 left in the period for a 2-0 lead.

The Pythons made things interesting with an airborne goal by Madi Roberto just 1:15 into the second period, but those two third period goals by Sabers Annika Madeja and Nicole O’Rourke basically left no doubt about the outcome.

“I think we have strength in the fact we’re returning so many,” Braley said. “We added some great new depth, and they’ve meshed well. We had that championship run last season, fell a little bit short.

“But so many coming back, so hungry to make things right, the way we want things to go, inspired them to play as hard and fast as they did. … They just let it go.”

Braley didn’t quite know what to expect but was glad to get this one over.

“It was such a weird preseason,” Braley said. “We didn’t have a full preseason. We werern’t able to scrimmage. I think getting this first taste of competition, we’re going to take off after this for sure.”

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In other games involving area schools Friday:

GIRLS SOCCER

MILFORD 2,

PELHAM 0

Rachel Gizzonio score a goal in each half for the host Spartans as they peppered Pelham with 15 shots on goal.

Caroline Tessier had four saves in the Milford goal.

BOYS SOCCER

CAMPBELL 3,

SANBORN 0

Connor Donaghey had two goals while Trevor Carty also scored for the defending Division III champion Cougars.

Ryan Latsha had an assist on a throw-in.

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

SOUHEGAN 3,

PELHAM 0

Katerina Stuopis had six aces and four kills in the host Sabers’ 25-13, 25-17, 25-17 sweep.

Allison McCall added eight kills with two blocks. Caitlin Cooper (four aces, four kills) and Lynn McNamara (five aces, three kills) also helped out.

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