[ccfic caption-text format="plaintext"]
By Michael Flanagan
Hometown Weekly Sports Editor
It was a tough outcome for the Westwood High School varsity girls soccer team on the pitch on Friday evening at Flahive Field as the Wolverines (1-2-0) fell, 3-0, to perennial TVL power and rival Norton.
The Lancers struck first with 26:44 to play with a goal off of a corner kick to claim an early 1-0 lead.
Senior midfielder Hannah Bean nearly tied the game at one with a header off of a cross from senior wing Victoria Webb-Johnson, but the bid went just high off the cross bar and game remained 1-0 in favor of Norton.
Westwood keeper Anna Varriale kept the deficit at one at the half thanks to a pair of big saves, one in which the senior sprawled to her left and knocked the ball away on a cross before stopping another ball on a leap to bat it above the cross during a corner kick.
Despite the Wolverines upping their pressure in the offensive end to begin the second half, it was Norton who struck next with a goal off of transition to make it 2-0 with under 20 minutes to play. Down two and desperately trying to climb back into the contest, Westwood put extra bodies in the attacking third to try and generate offense. The gamble backfired, however, as Norton was able to extend its lead to 3-0 with a goal on an odd-numbered counter to seal the victory.
The Westwood girls will look to get back on track with a back-to-back set against Ursuline on September 20 and a road trip to Hopkinton on September 21.
For funny and incisive sports analysis, follow Mike Flanagan on his personal Twitter at @fLAno0.
