Norton Blows Past TVL Champs

Defenders Colin O'Leary (middle) and Danny Pereira (left)congratulate keeper Ryan Blakeley (right) after the shutout against Millis on Monday. The Lancers won 7-0.

Norton faced off against TVL rival Holliston today at Holliston. The Lancers and Holliston are rivals, and Holliston was the team that beat Norton in the third round of the MIAA playoffs last year. Holliston had the advantage last year in the series versus Norton. Norton won the first matchup 5-2, lost 2-1, and then lost 1-0 in the state tournament. The games between these two often have an extra edge and excitement to them. Norton seems to be the more dominant team this year though. The Lancers came into the game expecting a hard fought game, but they still anticipated a strong victory.

Norton came out of the gates pretty strong against Holliston today. The Lancers took an early lead of 2-0 in the first 20 minutes of the game. The first 2 goals were scored by Jon Lach and Jordan Lach. After that the Lancers controlled the entire game. Holliston was no match for Norton on this day. Norton's domination did not slow during the second half. It picked up. Norton scored 4 more goals in the second half. Goals were scored by Jared Kahn, Jon Lach, Danny Pereira, and 2 by Matt Bukowski. Over the last four games Norton has scored 20 goals and conceived 0. This proves how the defense has been a strong point of Norton's success this year. Jon Lach had nothing but positivity to say after the game,"We played really well and dominated every aspect of the game. It felt really good because they knocked us out of the playoffs last year, and there has always been a rivalry between us. Every defender played really well to help keep the shutout. The midfielders and forwards did their job and finished the opportunities that came". Norton looks to continue this successful first half of the season with a home game against Westwood at 3:30.

NHS Boys' Varsity Soccer

The Norton High School boys' soccer team entered a new season this year. The Lancers had a fantastic season last year. They started the season off undefeated, but ended up losing 2 of their final 4 games in the season. They went on to lose in the second round of the MIAA Playoffs to league rival Holliston. Holliston had also handed Norton their first loss of the season. The Lancers lost 7 seniors this year, 6 of whom were starters. When asked about this year's team compared to last year's, Coach Nick Gale had this to say, "It's difficult to not look back to last year's team and the success that we had. It was a great group. However, this year's team is the focus of our attention and we don't want to take time away from our current team to dwell on past success. Our program this year has the skill, intelligence, and the chemistry to have just as much success as last season, if not more. We don't want to settle for good enough, we want more, and our team shares that mentality." Coach Gale and the Lancers seem to have a strong winning mentality heading into the new season.

The Lancers are considered a young team compared to other teams in the TVL. The Lancers have 5 seniors, and just 3 of them are starters. The rest of the team consists of 9 juniors, 2 sophomores, and 1 freshman. Many teams would be slightly concerned with having such a young core, but Coach Nick Gale has complete confidence in the young squad, "It may not be ideal for other programs, but I think it's a great situation for us. Our 3 starting seniors have been varsity players for 2-3 seasons now, and they are providing direct leadership to our youngest players on and off the field. we also have a strong sophomore and junior class with varsity and club experience whom have a direct impact in our current success, and they will provide future success to this program. Sometimes programs have to start from square one when a senior class graduates - we do not". Coach Gale's confidence in this young team directly represents this organizations great chemistry and mentality. This young team seems to be looking to do big things this season and in seasons to come.

Last year the Norton boys' soccer team was a serious threat for the TVL title. The Lancers posted one of the best seasons the high school has seen in a long time. The goals of the past team were aimed very high compared to most years. Usually Norton is scratching and clawing to make it into the state playoffs, but last year they hoped to go deep into the playoffs and to contest for a state championship. Senior Captain Matt Bukowski was asked about his goals for the team this year after such a successful past season, and he showed no signs of a weakened confidence for this season, "Our goals haven't changed. We strive to be the best in the TVL and in the state. Our current team is as strong as any Norton soccer team has been". This year's team does show all the rights signs of potentially being one of the best teams in Norton High School history. The immense amounts of skill, hard work, and chemistry between all the players has exhibited the vast potential this team has for this season. Coach Eric Greene and his team are heading to Ashland tomorrow, and are looking for a resounding win against what seems to be an inferior Ashland team.