By Michael Letendre
BRISTOL – When the Bristol Central and Bristol Eastern girls soccer teams finally took the field on Sunday afternoon, the match fell in favor of the Rams almost right off the opening whistle.
Within nine minutes of the start, Central had scored twice, added a goal late in the stanza before zipping up two additional scores over second half play as the Rams defeated the Lancers by a 5-0 final from the turf field at BCHS.
Central (2-5) earned its second victory in a row while Eastern (2-6-1) dropped another tough decision.
It took two goals from Central co-captain Francesa Amara to make it a 2-0 game, never looking back, over a superior offensive onslaught.
“We’ve had a rough start to the beginning of the season,” said Central coach Vicki Malick. “It’s not lack of effort it’s just lack of putting it in the back of the net. [We] changed some things up and it looks like it’s working out well for us now.”
Eastern tried to jumpstart its offense over stretches of the match and when the visitors made incursions into Central territory, the scoring combinations never formed thanks to a stingy defensive effort by Mya Santiago, Kyla Browning, Molly Greaves, and keeper Olivia Louis, among others, to help supply the shutout victory.
“Our defense has been solid the entire season,” said Malick. “There’s been a couple moments where, unfortunately, those moments turn into losses for us but it’s something that I’ve known that we are very solid on the defense. We just needed to change that momentum and shift offensively and we’re making it happen now.”
Eastern had about three quality chances at the net but each and every drive was snuffed out in the end.
There were other chances for the Lancers throughout game play but a shot on goal never came.
“I thought overall, I thought it was pretty evenly matched but Central really took advantage of their opportunities,” said Eastern coach Scott Redman.
The Rams scored 3:32 into the game as a ball found a streaking Amara, rumbling to the Eastern goal.
She got in front of the defense, slowed down a bit and fired a rocket at keeper Hailey Beebe (10 saves) as Amara notched the first goal of the outing.
Five minutes later, a corner kick led to another tally by the Rams.
On the play, the ball was kicked into the fray as Central’s Kaylynn LaPointe drilled a cross into Amara, hanging on the left side of the net.
She blasted in her second goal as Central zipped up a 2-0 cushion.
“Amara up top, finishes on the breakaway and kind of sets the tone and we’re playing uphill immediately,” said Redman. “They really magnified our mistakes by taking advantage of the broken corner, a little deflection and a great touch to guide it in [by Amara].”
A minute later, Eastern nearly answered as an attempt by Kate Patterson from the right side hit the post but did not fall in.
Eastern was able to get the ball over the midfield line several times but numerous 50-50 balls found the feet of Central players.
With 25:00 to go in the half, Amara took two more stabs at the Eastern net, but Beebe was there to deflect and then save another attempt as the Lancers tried to stay in it.
“We’ve played some really tough opponents and today there was no change in that. She’s been under fire all season,” said Redman of Beebe. “She definitely comes away with some bumps and bruises, but she keeps us in games. I mean the last game against Avon could have been 12-0 without her. She made sensational save after sensational save.”
“Today was no different. She kept us in it the best she could.”
But Central nabbed another goal as a corner kick – one of seven on the afternoon for the Rams – saw the home team strike pay dirt to make it a three goal spread.
This time, Sophia Dalipi fired a missile that curved into the outstretched hands of Beebe but the ball was deflected into the net as Central went up 3-0 with 18:41 left to go in the half.
Eastern’s defense, led by Emma Stavens, Shannon Philippon, Alaina Joy and Corinne Sutula held Central scoreless over the next 45 minutes while the home team kept the Lancers operating wide and not inside.
And after 40 minutes of action, Central took its 3-0 push into the break.
“I thought the first half was evenly played with the exception of Central finishing their chances and we didn’t,” said Redman.
Five minutes into the second half, Eastern’s Megan Krok put a great ball through the Central goal area but there wasn’t a foot to receive it and 10 minutes later, Maria Perrone had a bit of a breakaway, but the ball was booted wide to the left as Central’s 3-0 lead was holding.
The Rams kept the pressure on offensive attempts from Abigail Hansen, Lapointe, and Dalipi while Stavens and Krok had a good drive going with 21 minutes left but the drive was stopped by Amara, switching back on defense.
And a few moments later, the Rams added a couple insurance goals to put the contest away.
“Late, Central kind of poured it on and we were pretty defeated at that point,” said Redman.
With 12:48 remaining, Dalipi was awarded a kick via a foul and the shot at the Eastern goal was blocked but the ball came to Madalyn Palamar on the left side – drilling in the scraps to make it 4-0.
Then, with 5:14 to play, Palamar was pushing up the ball, found Dalipi streaking in from the left side and when the senior scored her second and final goal of the game, Central led by an imposing 5-0 push.
“We can’t let our foot off the pedal at this point because up until last week, we were 0-5,” said Malick. “We are definitely full steam ahead, figuring what works, what combinations work. We just have to go. We can’t let our foot off the pedal now.”
Eastern battled to the end but never scored as one last shot from Krok sailed over the goal at the buzzer as the home squad picked up a huge 5-0 win.
“We build up, we’ve got a great opportunity, and that last ball is too heavy, and the keeper cleans it up or not tight enough in a space and the defender pokes it away,” said Redman about Eastern’s offense. “We had numerous chances. It doesn’t show in the number of shots we had because we just don’t get that final ball in or the final delivery to get the shot off.”
“The buildup is there. It’s not enough but it’s certainly chances that we can build off of and continue to work in creating those opportunities.”
Bristol Eastern Girls Soccer – City Series Bout
BRISTOL CENTRAL 5, BRISTOL EASTERN 0
from the turf field at BCHS
Scoring 1 2 – F
Bristol Eastern (2-6-1) 0 0 – 0
Bristol Central (2-5) 3 2 – 5
Individual Scoring – First Half
– Francesca Amara (Bristol Central), 3:32
– Amara (Bristol Central), 8:35
– Sophia Dalipi (Bristol Central), 21:19
Individual Scoring – Second Half
– Madalyn Palamar (Bristol Central), 67:12
– Dalipi (Bristol Central), 74:46
Saves: Hailey Beebe (Bristol Eastern), 10; Olivia Louis (Bristol Central) 0.
Corner Kicks: Bristol Central 7.
Records: Bristol Central 2-5 overall; Bristol Eastern 2-6-1.
