Lancers Varsity Soccer Shuts Out Sharon

By Dan Rafuse

The Norton High School boys soccer team qualified for the Massachusetts state tournament last week. This tournament bid was a reward for all the hard work they put in during the regular season. They drew the Sharon Eagles in the first round, playing them to a 5-0 blowout win yesterday afternoon at Norton High.

 With both teams finishing with winning percentages at .500, the matchup was sure to be an even one. Norton, however, started the game out strong and never took their foot off the gas. Two early goals from freshmen stand out Jonathon Lach put the Lancers up 2-0 in the first half. The goals allowed Norton to go into the second half feeling confident but the offensive attack wouldn’t stop there.

 The Lancers often peppered the Sharon goalie with shots in this game and the second half was a continuation of that. With four minutes gone in the second half, Cody Shannon came up big on a corner kick as he connected on a beautiful backwards header, making the score 3-0. The scoring stopped for a bit after that but Lach put an end to the “drought” with fourteen minutes to play, scoring his third goal for the rare playoff hat trick. Senior captain Matt Sugar wrapped up the game by scoring a deep rocket of a goal with ten minutes to go, putting the score at an impressive 5-0.

 Norton’s impressive offensive attack was matched by an equal performance by its defense. Last man back Anthony Kennedy did an excellent job at keeping the Eagles out of the zone throughout the game. When his efforts were thwarted off by Sharon attackers, goalie Joe Maia was there to prevent any damage. His confidence and poise in the box allowed the Lancers to finish the game without allowing a single goal. Final Score: Norton 5, Sharon 0.

 The Norton victory provided the Lancers with a ticket to Medway Sunday, where they will play the Medway Mustangs in the next round of the MIAA state tournament.

What do you think? Will the Lancers remain in the 'Big Dance'?