Natick dominates Belmont to clinch trip to Div. 1 final

In the MIAA Div girls soccer tournament defending champion Natick fell to Bishop Feehan in overtime in the semifinals One year later the RedHawks had no intention of letting their semifinal contest be that close Two first-half goals from sophomore Kerrington Sheriff started an onslaught that ended in a - achievement over Belmont and sent Natick to the state finals for the second time in three seasons Last year we thought we would go to the championship and when we didn t it was heartbreaking Natick co-head coach Denise Trubiano disclosed This group is such a special group and we are so happy for them It s an unbelievable feeling To come out in a championship at this level and this stage and put it away - is just unbelievable Natick co-head coach Kari-Ann Daley revealed I just think that we have so a multitude of weapons and you just can t double everyone Belmont s Zoe Marion left and Natick s Emila Sousa fight for the ball during the first half Natick rolled to a - win in the state semifinal Photo By Matt Stone Boston Herald Belmont had a sparse strong chances to start the first half but Katie McMahon stood strong and made specific key stops in the crease Once the RedHawks got selected pressure on offense Seton Hall commit Nicole Proia pushed the ball towards the net and fired a crosser to Sheriff who crashed the net and fired it home for the lead Minutes later Sheriff corralled the ball at about the -yard line and floated it into the back of the net to double the lead I was trying to hit the corner and hope I made it Sheriff declared of her shot attempt Later in the first half Abby McCauley crashed the net and buried a shot to extend the lead to three She mentioned the club has struggled to start strong throughout the season but Tuesday s performance exhibited how Natick can take control of a contest All season long we have been a second-half crew where we didn t come out as strong as we longed to in the first half but settled in the second McCauley explained We knew with a talented Belmont unit over there we had to be ready to go from the start We had that mindset that we had to start strong Even when it was - coming out of our timeout we knew we needed to fight fight fight or we could lose it Belmont s Catherine Greiner and Natick s Abby McCauley right battle for the ball Tuesday night Natick earned a - win in the state semifinal Photo By Matt Stone Boston Herald The Marauders entered the second half chasing three and struggled to cross the -yard line in the final minutes as the RedHawks dominated possession Our defense has done an amazing job this season not letting players get by them McCauley revealed We knew that defense currently was going to take everyone including midfielders and forwards to drop back and we executed this day When someone lost the ball we were all in it together and attacked the ball Maddie Bonner and Proia added insurance goals in the final minutes to give the tournament its final outcome Natick now advances to the title encounter which will be on Saturday in Leominster As the RedHawks prepare for the championship Trubiano declared town pride will be at the forefront of the players minds For them this is such a proud moment Trubiano reported It means so much to them as Natick players who have gone through the initiative from youth to high school