GRANBY — Staring straight in the face of a 2-0 deficit to visiting No. 4 Hoosac Valley, the No. 1 Granby girls soccer team had to dig deep and find any source of energy if it wanted to reach the Western Mass. Class D finals for the second straight season.

Many of the Rams hung their head after Hurricanes midfielder Kimberly Mach put Hoosac Valley ahead by two, some of them even shed tears.

But Granby sophomore forward Kalli White wasn’t ready to let the Rams’ sectional tournament hopes die just yet. White scored just before halftime to cut the deficit in half, and after Marcela Tapia knotted it up, White buried the game winner in the final minutes to propel Granby to an improbable 3-2 victory – sending the Rams through to the Class D title tilt. They now await the winner of Tuesday’s game between No. 2 Hopkins Academy and No. 3 Palmer.

White received the ball on the very edge of Granby’s attacking third. She dribbled all the way through Hoosac Valley’s defense, got the ball to her left foot and let fly a bullet from the top of the box. It ripped into the back of the net just under the crossbar, and soon White was surrounded by a flurry screaming of blue jerseys.

“We knew we had to get a goal,” White said. “I knew I had a lot of pressure on me. I kept shooting, they weren’t really going in and I was kinda getting frustrated. But I was just keeping my head up, and then when I got the ball, I saw an open lane. I decided to go across the [defender], and then had a shot with my left foot. It went right to the top corner.”

Typically the top seed in any tournament isn’t used to playing from behind, but playing in the widely competitive Central League, Granby has spent plenty of time working its way back from behind throughout the regular season. The Rams came in at 7-10 overall, but their strength of schedule led them to the No. 1 seed in Class D.

When they trailed 2-0, thoughts of doubt may have lingered for a moment, but head coach Bob Weaver never lost faith in his team.

“You can’t go through Western Mass. without seeking adversity,” Weaver said. “We were getting our chances, but it was our execution from 25 yards and in [that we struggled with]… It’s like we talk about: win and move on. It doesn’t matter how you win, it doesn’t matter if you won by a lot or won in PKs, as long as you win and move on. That’s our goal… There’s no better preparation than to play the quality of teams that we play [in the regular season]. You go against Northampton twice, you go against Monson twice, you play Southwick twice. The Central League is loaded.”

After White’s first goal put Granby on the board, Tapia added the equalizer with 23 minutes, 30 seconds remaining in the second half. Maggie Crawford dribbled down the right sideline, fought off a Hoosac Valley defender and sent a cross toward the front of the net. Hurricanes goalie Emma Meczywor – who was tremendous all game, recording 20 saves – dove to knock the ball away, but it found the feet of Tapia. She blasted in the easy goal to tie it up.

White then served up the winner to give Granby another crack at a Western Mass. championship after losing in the finals a year ago.

“We were pretty down, some of us even almost in tears,” White said. “But we knew that we couldn’t put our head down. Once we put our heads up and got that first goal, then we got a couple more.”

Class C quarters

No. 5 Smith Voc 1, No. 4 Greenfield 0 – The Vikings defense did its job on Monday, keeping the Green Wave off the scoreboard to advance to the semifinals with a 1-0 victory in Greenfield. 

Erin Miller tallied the lone goal of the game in the first half, assisted by Monique Fredette. Vikings goalie Maggie Lauder pitched another shutout, stopping five shots as Smith Vocational advanced to face No. 1 Mount Greylock on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. in the semifinals. 

Boys soccer

Class C quarters

No. 4 McCann Tech 2, No. 5 Smith Voc 1 – A pair of goals vaulted the Hornets into the semifinals with a 2-1 victory over the Vikings in North Adams Monday. 

McCann Tech will take on top-seeded Mount Greylock in the semifinals. 

Non-playoff

Easthampton 1, Wahconah 0 — Brayden O’Connor tallied the lone goal of the day on an assist from Finn Garvey as the Eagles blanked the Warriors in a consolation matchup Monday afternoon.

Sam Barr was fantastic in goal for Easthampton, saving all 17 shots that came his way to earn the shutout victory.

Late weekend results

Boys soccer

Longmeadow 3, Northampton 2 (2OT) — The Blue Devils led 1-0 at halftime, but they ultimately fell in a double overtime heart-breaker to the Lancers in the Western Mass. Class A quarterfinals on Sunday night.

Sam Busone scored both goals for Northampton while Johnny Nields-Duffy and Will Senn-McNally added assists. Salem Gregory made five saves in the box.

Pittsfield 3, Hampshire 2 (OT) — Owen Miller scored a pair of goals for the Raiders, but their Western Mass. Class B tournament hopes came to a close in the quarterfinals on Sunday.

Hampshire will play in a consolation bout before the MIAA state tournament begins.