The Danvers Varsity Girls Soccer Team traveled to Beverly Monday afternoon on a gloomy, cloudy day with light drizzle.  The Falcons came into the game having lost or tied 6 out of the last 7 years on Beverly's field with the lone win coming a year ago, 5-2.  Both teams came into the match having only lost to Masconomet.  

 

Beverly came out of the blocks flying putting all kinds of pressure on the visitors in their end of the field.  For the first few minutes, the Falcons struggled to get any kind of rhythm going.  Around the 4th minute of play however, the Falcons connected on several consecutive passes and found sophomore Georgia Prouty alone near midfield.  The talented middie gathered the ball and exploded through the Panther defense on her way to a breakaway.  Georgia's shot beat the Beverly keeper wide but hit off of the post.  The rebound came right out to captain Ellie Anderson who had followed up the play.  Anderson's shot went just over the cross bar and the Falcons were kept off the board.  In the 13th minute of play, Beverly took the lead 1-0 off a goal from captain Isabella Sullivan.  Danvers would get another strong chance later in the half but was unable to find the back of the net.  Beverly added a second with 13 minutes to play in the half to make it 2-0.

 

"They were all over us.  We came out slow and lacked intensity.  We were trying to defend individually instead of as a team and it hurt us.  We did the same thing against Masco and the results were similar.  We just didn't match the effort of Beverly for that first 40 minutes."

 

The Beverly onslaught didn't stop at halftime.  The Panther's Isabella Jimenez scored only 3 minutes in to give the hosts a convincing lead.  The Falcons seemed to settle in a bit after that goal and started to even out play.  Georgia Prouty got Danvers on the board when she finished off a pass from freshman, Olivia St. Pierre.  The goal seemed to spark the visitors a bit and they played with more spirit.  However, it would be Beverly who would get the next goal of the game, making it 4-1.

 

"We played harder the second half but were still very sloppy.  We changed our formation a little to try and get more attack.  It worked in that we scored 2 goals, but we gave up 3.  It just wan't our day at all.  We had 14 shots for the game but Georgia Prouty accounted for 11 of them.  She had all 8 in the second half.  We need more from our other players offensively if we want to get to the next level."

 

Prouty would score her second of the game with 5 minutes to play to cut the lead to 2 again.  The play was set up by Anderson.  But Beverly answered less than a minute later making it 5-2.  Danvers would get one more great chance with only seconds remaining.  Senior Cali Abbatessa served a perfect corner kick into the box but it was headed clear by Beverly.  The game would end 5-2.  

 

"Two of Beverly's goals came off rebounds.  We need to be better defensively at recognizing dangerous balls in our own box and better at clearing them out.  Today was about missing easy chances early, not defending as a team and not matching the intensity of our opponent.  We're capable of so much more.  We've had a rough schedule to start the season with 4 of our first 5 games against very tough teams.  Hopefully we can settle in and focus on one game at a time and strive to get better each time we take the field.  These players have an amazing attitude and are hard workers so I feel strongly that we'll turn this slow start around."

 

Danvers next plays at home Wednesday night against Winthrop. It will be Senior night for the Falcons. Danvers record stands at 2-2-1.