ROWLEY — It was a cathartic goal for everyone involved with the Triton girls soccer program.
“We’ve been dying to finally have someone follow through on a well-served ball,” said first-year Vikings coach Danielle Perkins.
“It was about time.”
With 15 minutes left during Tuesday’s gridlocked game against Amesbury, senior Abby Sullivan hustled to get there first on a deep ball down the right sideline. The quad-captain quickly swung her right leg, sending a beautiful crossing pass out in front of the Redhawks’ goal. It’s a play that’s happened a handful of times during each of Triton’s opening four games this fall, but for every one, nobody’s been on the receiving end of the call.
But not this time.
As it often happens, Sullivan’s pass somehow bounced through the initial traffic that had sprinted back in an attempt to clear. and waiting on the other side of it all, in perfect position, was Alyssa Ewell. The senior converted her golden opportunity with a strike into the back of the net, and minutes later, Triton got to celebrate its first win of the season with a 2-1 victory over Amesbury.
“We’re finally starting to string some positive stuff together,” said Perkins, who’s also served as a track and basketball coach since arriving at Triton back in 2019. “We’re starting to get a little bit more organized. I have a lot of people I can rely on to put in different positions and bounce them around, so it’s been nice.”
What hasn’t been nice, though, has been the schedule.
For a young team with only four seniors and under new leadership, Triton (1-4-0) couldn’t have asked for a tougher start. You get thrown the CAL’s version of the “Big 3” with Lynnfield, Newburyport and North Reading out of the gate, then have to travel up to play Rockport for a night game. The Vikings took their lumps — as most every team would with that slate — but Tuesday’s result could be the changing of the wind.
Now is the time to build on the momentum.
Amesbury actually struck first, and in a blink, getting a goal from Annah Belisle off a feed from Ellison Talbot during the opening few minutes of the game. A senior, Belisle created the Redhawks’ best two chances of the afternoon, her other coming midway through the second half on a great run up the middle before her shot went just wide. Between her, Maggie Francis, Lily Clark, Della Hildt, Talbot, and Maeve Snyder, the Redhawks had long stretches controlling the midfield. Credit also needs to go to senior goalie Sadie Bolth, who kept a clean sheet for most of the first half thanks to the defensive play of Carly Testa, Lexi Desmond, Addy Upson and Liv Thorpe.
But Triton struck back.
Near the end of the first half, the Vikings drew a corner that Ava Herrera took. The senior sent in a great cross, and Sullivan was in the right spot to control possession and send home the equalizer right before the break. Summer Pawlick, Neala Hurley, Ava Mullen and Sarah Ewell also worked hard to create chances for the Vikings, while Bella Burrell, Maeve Hughes, Corrina Storrs and Bella Carmody locked in on defense after surrendering that opening tally.
And the Vikings appear to have a good one with freshman goalie Addison Ewell.
“We have a lot of athletes on the team, they’re all athletes,” laughed Perkins. “I mean, Addy has been a saving grace in net, too. A lot of our outcomes would look a lot different if she wasn’t in there.”
Thanks to a couple of big saves from Ewell to open the second half, it stayed a 1-1 game. Which eventually set up the heroics from her cousin, Alyssa, to finally get the Vikings in the win column.