Gators blank Rams for title
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WESTFIELD - After seven years and two changes in division, the Gateway Regional girls soccer team has returned to the top of western Massachusetts.
The fifth-seeded Gators won the Western Massachusetts Division 3 Tournament championship with a 1-0 victory over No. 3 Granby on Sunday at Westfield State College.
"It just feels wonderful to be back where you belong and play for a championship," said Steve Estelle, who coached Gateway to five straight championships from 1998 to 2002. The Gators then played in Div. 2 for four years before returning to Div. 3.
"It's been a fantastic year," Estelle added. "This team just keeps getting better and better, and growing throughout these playoffs."
Gateway last was in the postseason in 2005, when it lost in the Div. 2 quarterfinals.
Now, the Gators (14-3-2) are advancing to play central Massachusetts champion Sutton (17-1-3) in the state semifinals at 5 p.m. Tuesday at Foley Stadium in Worcester. Sutton, the top seed, defeated No. 2 Hopedale 1-0 in the Central championship game on Sunday.
The Rams finished their season at 15-3-3.
The lone goal of the championship contest came less than four minutes into the second half, when Erika Mason, stationed directly in front of the Granby goal, took a long pass from Kathleen Toomey and launched it over the fingertips of Rams goaltender Abby Hurlburt.
"I didn't realize I'd scored it," Mason said. "Then everybody attacked me, and then I knew it was a goal."
For the most part, the defenses controlled the game. Hurlburt finished with seven saves, and Gateway keeper Brook Fairman blocked four.
"When two good teams play each other, the defenses step up," first-year Granby coach Nuno Pereira said. "Usually, there's limited amount of offensive opportunities.
"I thought we did a good job, but you can't win if you don't score, and this is the first game all season where we didn't score," he added.
Estelle, who is in his 20th season coaching the Gators, told his players that if they reached the championship game, he would shave his head. On the sideline against Granby, his much shorter locks included the letters "GSR," for "Gateway Soccer Rules," shaved into the back of his head.
"With all these games we won, he said he'd shave it. He was going to go a little bit lower, but he shaved #GSR' instead," Mason said. "We might make him" shave something else if the team continues to advance.
"We needed to win a big game, and sometimes, you can take their mind off of things by putting the pressure on you and directing the light toward something silly," said Estelle, who has a beard that may become the razor's next victim. "My wife wants me to do that, but I don't want to shave my beard off."
It was the final high school game for Granby seniors Jessica Ginepro, Tory Cebula, Hillary Ladeau, Nicole Ladeau, Emily Lafleur, Stephanie Isabelle and Melissa Strycharz.
The Rams last won a western Mass. title in 2004, and though they fell short this year, that should not take away from their accomplishments, Pereira said.
"I'm really proud of these girls, for the kids that they are and for the way they've played all season. I told them that they're already winners in my book," he said.
"This team has come a long way from last year," Pereira added. "They made a lot of people proud, especially me. This team is special."
