The Danvers Varsity Girls Soccer Team hosted Salem Wednesday night for their last N.E.C. game of the 2023 season.  It was senior night for the Falcons and blue and white streamers donned the stands and canvas prints of the senior players were hung up on the fences.  The underclassmen made personal posters for each senior and they were also hung up to be displayed.

 

"Our underclassmen did a terrific job decorating for senior night.  The posters were great and a lot of time and thought was clearly put into it.  They did a great job."

 

After each of the 7 seniors were announced and they gave flowers to their families, the game was under way.  Senior Molly Godfried poked a loose ball from a Salem player to her sophomore teammate Liv St. Pierre.  St. Pierre dribbled to her right, into the box and hit a hard shot that deflected off of the goalkeeper and into the net for the first goal of the game.  3 minutes later, junior Brooke Wynott hit a shot from distance that also deflected off of the goalkeeper and into the goal.  Just 2 minutes after that, senior Skylar Laws took a pass from junior Georgia Prouty.  Laws crossed the ball from the right side and her cross found the feet of St. Pierre.  Her shot to the left side of the goal tickled the twine for her second goal in just 5 minutes.

 

"We got those 3 early goals and that's a tough hole to climb out of for Salem.  I liked that we came out of the gates looking to shoot."

 

The Danvers offense didn't score again until the 21st minute.  Molly Godfried played a ball up the left wing to Prouty.  Prouty passed the ball into the box and Skylar Laws passed it into the net far post for her first career varsity goal.  The Danvers offense quieted some after that.  Senior Liv Ferullo had a couple good looks on net but missed wide.  A shot by Godfried also missed just wide.  Senior Krysta Zamejtis also hit a shot just wide left.  Throughout the half, the Danvers defensive back line of Addi McCarty, Lila Doucette, Reese Holland and Laws all did well to protect their end of the field.  Sophomores Lila Flynn, Ashley Freitas, DeAnna Figueiredo and Addie Lamar also maintained strong defensive play in their own end.  Junior goalkeeper Maddie Dembowski didn't need to make a save in the half as it remained 4-0 through halftime.

 

Danvers stayed on the attack throughout most of the second half as well.  The speed of sisters Gianna and Emma Sutherland on the wings was difficult for Salem to handle.  The passing of Wynott and St. Pierre in the middle was impressive and Danvers continued to get good attacking runs from Ferullo, Zamejtis and Godfried.  The score stayed 4-0 until the 27th minute.  Georgia Prouty slid a square pass over to Laws who hit a 35 yard shot over the Salem keeper and into the net for her second goal of the game to make it 5-0.  4 minutes later, St. Pierre hit a ball over the top of the Witches defense giving Georgia Prouty a breakaway.  The junior calmly poked the ball past the Salem keeper for the 6th goal of the game.  In the 34th minute, Prouty struck again, much like her first goal.  Brooke Wynott place the long ball over the defense and the junior collected it and scored her second goal of the game.  Only 1 minute later, the same 2 players connected once more.  Georgia Prouty played a pass across to Wynott who hit a blast from 25 yards out for the 8th goal of the game.  The Danvers defense would hang tight the rest of the way and Dembowski didn't need to make a save in either half giving the hosts their 6th shutout of the season and boosting their record to 13-2-2.  The Falcons finished 2nd place in the N.E.C. Dunn division for the second year in a row.

 

"All of the players played well tonight.  We were very unselfish and moved the ball well.  I'm so thankful to my 7 seniors and how well they've brought this Team together this year.  It's been a very close group and they're playing very well.  Skylar had a really big game getting her first varsity goal and then topping it with a second.  Defensively we played a lot of girls and they all stood strong and protected our end of the field."

 

The 7 Danvers seniors that were honored tonight were Skylar Laws, Ellie Frost, Molly Godfried, Reese Holland, Mia Delafano, Liv Ferullo and Krysta Zamejtis.  Danvers will finish the regular season with a very tough non-league match in Brookline on Sunday.