The Danvers Varsity Girls Soccer Team hosted the North Andover Scarlet Knights Monday night in a non-league match.  North Andover came into the game with a 7-6-3 record but with some very big wins and ties already this year.  Danvers knew they would have their hands full with this Div. 1 opponent.

 

Danvers controlled play very early on and looked as though they'd get a very early goal.  Sophomore Lila Doucette played a diagonal pass to senior, captain Krysta Zamejtis.  The captain played a perfect pass through the North Andover defense to junior Georgia Prouty for the break away.  Prouty's shot was blocked by the visiting goalkeeper and the game stayed scoreless.  Prouty would get a second chance though.  In the 13th minute, senior captain Skylar Laws played a long, diagonal pass to Prouty who received it and hit a left footed rocket into the upper part of the net for the goal.  Danvers would have other chances as well.  Zamejtis hit a missile of a shot that hit off the North Andover crossbar and out.  Freshman Emma Sutherland created all kinds of chances beating her defender up the right side of the field.  But Danvers couldn't get that second goal.

 

With 12 minutes to play, a ball bouncing in the the Danvers penalty area hit a Falcon defender in the arm, and the penalty was awarded to the Scarlet Knights.  Junior Goalkeeper Maddie Dembowski got a glove on the penalty kick but it went off her finger tips and in for the tying goal.  The score remained 1-1 at the half.

 

"We played very well the first half.  We had some great chances but couldn't convert.  Their goal late in the half was a tough one for us.  We had a few mistakes for 20 - 30 seconds and they hit the crossbar and eventually got the penalty kick.  Other than that stretch I thought we played a solid half."

 

6 minutes into the second half, North Andover took the lead.  Off of a direct kick, there was a rebound that Maddie Dembowski seemed to collect.  It looked as though a North Andover player bumped into her forcing her into the goal but the refs let the play go, giving the visitors the 2-1 advantage.  Danvers continued to play well though.  Senior Captain, Reese Holland was excellent at winning head balls and making clears out of the back.  Skylar Laws was first to every ball on her side of the field and played super aggressively.  Sophomore Addi McCarty made some important defensive stops and also had some great long distance serves off of free kicks.  Senior captain Molly Godfried also defended well and combined well with the midfielders to possess the ball.  In the 18th minute, St. Pierre played a nice pass to Georgia Prouty who turned with the ball and broke through the visitor's defense.  Her shot found the back of the net to even the score at 2.  Only 6 minutes later, Prouty was taken down in the box by the North Andover goalkeeper giving the Falcons a penalty kick.  Liv St. Pierre took the kick and scored, her third PK of the season.  With the score 3-2, North Andover picked up the pressure.  Sophomore DeAnna Figueiredo made some big defensive plays down the stretch and Dembowski came up with some key saves. Late in the game sophomore Lila Doucette was sent in on a Falcon breakaway but her shot hit the post and went right into the keepers hands.  Danvers continued to defend hard though and when the final whistle blew, Danvers had the 3-2 win and kept their 11 game unbeaten streak in tact.  Their record improved to 12-2-2.

 

"That was a battle tonight and I'm proud of how the Girls stayed focused even when down a goal.  North Andover is big and physical and they played us tough, especially in the second half.  Maddie made 14 saves tonight so she was busy, but she stayed strong.  Skylar and Georgia had great games as well.  We had some trouble finding the back of the net.  We had 2 breakaway opportunities and hit a post and a crossbar.  Sometimes the ball just doesn't go in for you.  Hopefully our luck changes a bit as we enter the State Tournament next month.  We'll need those goals to go in."