GIRLS SOCCER
Rockport 2, Gloucester 0: Scoreless at the half, Rockport dropped in two second half goals to run away from their Cape Ann foes. Brooke Cote helped generate the first goal, centering a ball to Gabby Lucido who flicked it on to the foot of Emilia O’Connor. O’Connor gained control and rocketed a shot into the back of the net.
Then, with just five minutes remaining in regulation, Lucido threw a ball into O’Connor who split the defenders with a pass right to the foot of Sunny Gallagher. Gallagher beat the keeper with a shot to the low left corner of the net.
“It was a back forth game,” said Rockport coach Sharon Chapman. “Gloucester had several scoring opportunities that they didn’t connect on. We have a 3-1-2 record in our last six games, (so) hopefully we are peaking at the right time and have some momentum going into the tournament.”
The Vikings were coming off a scoreless tie to Essex Tech and a 1-1 draw with Georgetown earlier in the week.
“As far as my team was concerned, that was a win,” added Chapman, speaking on the Georgetown game. “They beat us 8-1 the first time we played them.”
Rockport closes the regular season with a 4-11-3 record and will be in the mix in the Division 5 state tournament, most recently holding the No. 9 ranking in the draw.
For Gloucester (2-15), which was hosting its Senior Night, junior Meadow Anderson made some great runs but was unable to generate a goal for her team. Senior goalkeeper Jessica Harvey also made some great saves in each half, while freshman Jude Friday and junior Abigail Desmond played well defensively in front of her. The Fishermen have one final game remaining: a 6 p.m. clash at Manchester Essex on Tuesday evening.
FIELD HOCKEY
Masconomet 1, Gloucester 0: The Fishermen wrapped up the regular season at 13-4-1 after a hard fought battle against the unbeaten Chieftains on the road Friday afternoon.
“They scored early and we missed some opportunities. (But) the entire team played really hard,” said Gloucester head coach Lauren Riley-Gove. “Defense was lights out. Awesome field hockey, just couldn’t find the net.”
Gloucester will now await their fate in the looming Division 3 state tournament. The Fishermen were ranked No. 12 in the latest rankings.
BOYS SOCCER
Rockport 1, Danvers 1: The Vikings (9-4-5) wrapped up the regular season with a competitive draw, with Flynn Blanchard scoring the lone goal for his team. Blanchard put home a beautiful strike from the 18-yard-line to the top right corner of the net. Keeper Zakarya Bouafi played “out of his mind”, according to coach Conor Douglass, making seven or eight point-blank diving saves.
Late on Thursday evening, the Vikings picked up a 1-0 win over Georgetown.
Blanchard had the lone goal in that one, too, collecting the ball at the 18 and wiring a shot to the top right corner of the net. Bouafi was once again on his A-game, playing “lights out”, according to coach Douglass, to record his sixth shutout of the year.
Rockport will now await its draw in the upcoming Division 5 state tournament, where it has been ranked No. 3 in the power rankings for the past few weeks.