HAMLETS WIN SIX OF SEVEN IN MASS PREMIER

On a very wet weekend when many Mass Premier League games were cancelled throughout the state the Fuller Hamlets played their own scheduled games and hosted two others diverted to the Bowden Fields from the waterlogged grounds elsewhere.

Pitted against league-leading Nashoba, the Hamlets Under 12 Boys mastered the wet field and gave the much bigger Nashoba team a competitive game. The Hamlets' defense once again played with courage and determination, led by sweeper Michael Hoy who improves with every game, and is becoming a very accurate passer in his long-ball clearances as well as a technically sound tackier with fine timing. Chris Masterson and Kevin Theriault also stepped up and provided good cover for goalkeeper Thomas Kulesza who made several fine diving saves on the goal line and two as he came off the line to foil breakthroughs. The Hamlets' stalwart defense held off Nashoba long enough that the Hamlets, with their first serious attack nearly took the lead midway through the first half. The Hamlets' dynamic central midfielder Connor King made one of his long dribbles and hit a stinging shot from 15 yards out that the Nashoba 'keeper clutched cleanly in a magnificent aerial dive to his left that brought gasps and applause from players and spectators alike. This save served notice that only a precision power drive or a close-in cross-and-shot would beat this keeper, and as the Hamlets attack had neither in the rest of the game they would be shut out by a rugged team that produced a power drive that beat Hamlets' goalie Thomas Kulesza just before half time.

In the second half, as in previous games of the Under 12 Boys, a bad refereeing decision would ensure a Hamlets loss. The Nashoba left winger cut in near the corner flag and crossed a low ball that skidded in to goalie Kulesza who dived and held it under his arm. But the big Nashoba striker blatantly kicked it out of the goalie's possession and scrambled it across the line. (Does this referee think that possession means having two hands on the ball? If so, he should be sent back to refereeing school). The players greeted this decision with disbelief, and the spectators justifiably howled with derision. With the game destroyed by bad refereeing, an irrelevant goal soon followed, and the result went into the books as a 3-0 loss.

The game on the Upper Field saw the Hamlets Under 13 Boys play New England Mutiny and consolidate their league standing with their fourth victory in six games. The Hamlets welcomed back Nick Kraus who, on the 10-minute mark, emerged out of a midfield battle to run past two defenders to slip the ball under the ineffectual dive of the advancing Mutiny 'keeper and score in the right corner. Soon after, James Lacasse, playing in the midfield, stepped up to take a direct free kick from 28 yards out. The well-hit drive curled under the cross bar and over the outstretched arms of the small goalie to effectively end the contest. Slack play by the Hamlets' defense midway through the second half gave the Mutiny a rare opportunity to score which they accepted. But this mobilized the Hamlets and they restored the two-goal margin almost immediately with a good turn-and-shoot goal from 10 yards out by Jordan Smith. The final goal came from man-of-the-match Kraus. A good shot from Emil Ethiel bounced out to Kraus who beat the advancing keeper with a precision lob known to the Hamlets as a "sizzler", a shot much practiced and greatly prized by campers at the Hamlets Summer Soccer Camps. As usual, goalie Andrew Haas's confident command of his goal-line and the penalty area proved an inspiration to the team and, in a different role, Kyle Gordon was tenacious in wresting control of the midfield away from the quick and tough Mutiny midfielders. Score: 4-1 Hamlets.

In the second game on the Upper Field the Hamlets Under 13A Girls played the rugged Nor'easter team out of Fall River, a Portuguese soccer stronghold. The Hamlets, state champions in 2004, had never beaten the Fall River Club by more than a one-goal margin, and league standings suggested that this game would be a difficult one. But the Hamlets, perhaps stung by the loss to Scorpions the previous week, played their best soccer of this and perhaps the spring season. After a 5-goal power drive-shooting-spree had won the game the referee asked this correspondent: what are you feeding these girls, spinach ?'

The first drive by Jill Goretti was from 30 yards out on the left rising all the way into the top right corner of the net, a memorable goal that capped off a 20-yard run. The goal produced a collective gasp from the large crowd. Within three minutes Kristen Martinson hit the crossbar and Karissa Prete hit the upright with strong shots that were scrambled away. But the Hamlets were not to be denied. After another powerful shot by Jill Goretti was parried and scrambled out, it came out to Mary-Claire Pelletier on the edge of the penalty area who hit a powerful low drive into the bottom left corner that left the goalie helpless. After a Nor'easter foul on the edge of the box Kristen Martinson stepped into the direct free kick and powered the ball into the top right corner to give the Hamlets a 3-0 halftime lead.

Martinson simply dominated the game in the second half, her powerful headers putting pressure on the Nor'easter defense and her shooting causing havoc in the goal area. She scored her second goal from another direct free kick, had two more drives from the open field saved well by the overworked goalkeeper before completing her hat-trick with an 18-yard drive from a well-placed cross by Pelletier. In truth she could easily have had a double hat-trick. As woman-of-the-match Martinson's all-round play was overpowering, quite in contrast to her ineffective game against Scorpions. Throughout the game striker Karissa Prete put pressure on the Nor'easter defense with her strong runs and, with three minutes to go, she deserved to score on a low near-post drive that the goalie tipped round the post. The Hamlets' defense made few mistakes and for a second game in a row Anna Gallerani was outstanding, especially in her role as an overlapping fullback. In the last minute goalie Samantha Whittier lost her shutout when the central defenders made a marking mistake and let in the talented and speedy Nor'easter striker. Final score: Hamlets 5-1.

The weather favored the Hamlets Under 11A Girls who were scheduled to play in Attleborough against Explosion FC with whom they were tied for second place in the league with identical 5-1 records. The Explosion field was waterlogged; consequently the game was shifted to the Bowden Lower Field. The Explosion proved to be small and quick, and good passers of the ball. At first they gave the Hamlets some problems. But the first goal on the fifteenth minute settled the Hamlets down. Liz Carlson's shot, after a 20-yard run, was parried by the goalie and Haley Connors scrambled it into the net. Just before half time the Hamlets clinched the game. A run by Liz Carlson, bustling out of the midfield to the edge of the penalty area, produced a pass to Monica Hall who passed it on to the better-placed Lauren Barton coming in at the back door Unmarked she slotted it to give the Hamlets a 2-0 lead at halftime. The second half saw several chances squandered at both ends, and saw the Hamlets allow the Explosion opportunities to get back into the game as the territorial advantage swung towards them. But in pushing forward the Explosion left the defense exposed and in a two-sister combination Sarah Hall dropped the ball over the top of the sweeper, giving sister Monica Hall a breakaway that she finished with a good shot into the corner to give the Hamlets a 3-0 win and a 6-1 record that gave them second place uncontested.

In a game in which a victory could keep them in the 8-team Mass Premier First Division for the spring season when the League cuts the number of teams down from 10 to 8, the Hamlets Under 14 Girls played Nova (New Bedford area)) who were two places above them when the game began. In an even first half, the Hamlets were gifted the one good chance of the half, and Kelsey Jarosz scored with a well-placed shot from close-in after a goalmouth error. Nova rallied and challenged the Hamlets defense in which Courtney Wood's long clearances and Despina Proko's hard tackling and tenacity protected the flanks while Heather Dziembowski, the perennial woman-of-the-match, did her usual impeccable tackling and clearing at the heart of the defense If she continues to improve in the way she has done this year she is clearly bound for College Division One play. The leader of the team proved it time after time in breaking up Nova's attacks and weakening their resolve. Erin Ronan made no mistakes in the Hamlets goal, and Caitlin Labonte proved a tough midfielder, working well with Wood to stymie Nova's attacks on the Hamlets' left side. Katie Tupper's right-side runs and crosses and Katie Nasuti's grit and grind in central midfield   Tupper's right-side runs and crosses and Katie Nasuti's grit and grind in central midfield contributed greatly to the stifling of Nova's forays in the middle, forcing them to play long balls down their left.

The Hamlets 1-0 victory gave them a 2-3-2 record, sixth place in the league, and relegated Nova to eighth. The Hamlets need three points in the last two games against low-lying teams to clinch a top 8 spot in the Spring First Division. The Hamlets Under 11B Girls gained a 1-0 win by forfeit over Winchester which, together with their two ties, took them off the bottom spot in the league. They celebrated on the Lower Bowden Field with a pick-up game against their parents in lieu of the absent opposition from Winchester and later in the week, under the lights gained a hard-fought 2-0 victory over the Fuller Hamlets Wanderers Girls.

In a make-up game under the lights at the Bowden Fields the Fuller Hamlets Under 13 Girls outplayed Mission (Mansfield area) beating them 4-1 on goals from Karissa Prete, Kristen Martinson, Stephanie Seagrave, and Brianna Poulin. With a 4-2-1 record and 13 points they are in third place in the Mass Premier First Division and face the final two league games against teams-Delta and Force-well below them in the league table.