Ice Cream Machine scoops girls U-16 title

CUMBERLAND - They were in the middle of the pack during the regular season, but when it counted most, the Ice Cream Machine pulled out a dramatic 2-0 shoot-out win over Citizens Bank to take the Cumberland Youth Soccer Association Girls U-16 championship Saturday at Tucker Field.

The new champs were 3-3-0 during the regular season and were tied for third place in the six-team league, but on championship Saturday, the girls played their best of the season.

Coach Augustin Palacio's team was actually outplayed for most of the contest, with the Citizens Bank team dominating in shots on goal and in field possession, but keeper Samantha Bertherman and a tenacious defense prevented Citizens from scoring.

The game started relatively slow, with both teams stressing defense and not allowing the other to get any shots on goal. But as it went on, Citizens began to assert itself and take control, particularly Allison Bouchard, who dribbled through and around defenders on several occasions to set herself up for a shot or to deliver a centering pass.

On three occasions, those passes crossed the entire length of the goal, but no one was in position to knock the ball into the net. When Citizens was able to get off a clean shot, they either went wide of the net or Bertherman was there to haul them in before they reached the net.

Helping to anchor the Ice Cream Machine defense were Ashley Harpin, Kerrin Williams, Mariana Restrepo, Johnna Moitoso and Erika Bengston.

In the second half, Hannah Tavares of Citizens put together a strong drive, dribbling through defenders in a dash that took her almost the length of the field before she was tripped. A penalty kick was called outside the box, but it sailed way wide of goal.

Samantha Salmon of Citizens put together a good drive down the left side of the field and topped it off with a centering pass to Allison Baglini, but her shot was stuffed by The Ice Cream Machine defense, and another point-blank shot was blocked by Bertherman.

Regulation ended without either team able to score and the teams went to a five-minute overtime.

It appeared that Bouchard was going to end the game when she worked the ball free, dribbled around a defender and let go a hard, curling shot. But it hit the post and bounced out of bounds. A couple of inches to the left, and the game would have ended right there.

That was the best scoring opportunity that either team had in the overtime, and with no scoring, the game went to a shoot out.

Bouchard was first up for Citizens and booted a hard ball, but it sailed over the net. Ice Cream Machine's Mikaela Grady was up next, but her shot was stuffed by keeper Madison Tremblay.

Bertherman made a strong save on a shot by Samantha Salmon, and then Olivia Hedenskog gave the Ice Cream Machine a lead by booting one into the lower right corner of the net.

It was actually her second goal. On her first attempt, Hedenskog popped one into the lower left corner, but it was called back because she did not wait for the referee's whistle before shooting. The call did not frustrate her, and she calmly returned to the ball and this time put it in the opposite corner for the first score.

Bertherman made another save on a shot by Citizens' Allison Baglini, and Tremblay did the same to Erika Bengston, and it was still 1-0. Molly Fogarty's shot for Citizens sailed high and over the net, and when Johnna Moitoso booted a line drive that whizzed into the net, it was all over.