Gillis, Nash Net Goals To Lift Monomoy Girls Soccer To First Win

HARWICH – There’s an old sports adage, “put shots on net and good things will happen.”

 That was the recipe that helped the Monomoy girls soccer team earn its first win of the season, a 2-1 victory over visiting Sturgis East last Thursday.

 Senior Paige Nash netted the game-winner after her high shot from the sideline bounced off the outstretched hands of the Sturgis East goalkeeper and into the net with less than two minutes remaining in the first half.

 “It’s exactly what we’ve been saying,” Monomoy coach Jennifer Peterson said of the goal. “Get it on frame and take shots from the outside so they have to come out because they were packing it in a little bit. Good things happen.”

 Sophomore Rylie Gillis opened the scoring with 10:04 left in the first half, though the lead was short-lived after Sturgis answered with an equalizer with 8:27 to play in the frame. 

 The win pushed Monomoy to 1-1 for the young season after a 2-0 loss at Falmouth in the season opener on Sept. 3.

 “It was really awesome,” said Nash, a Chatham resident. “I think our team really deserved it. We’ve been working to try to come together as a team and communicate more, so I thought that definitely paid off and showed in the win today.”

 The Sharks enter this fall in need of scoring after graduating its top four points leaders from a year ago. Despite the loss of 2023 seniors Karah Deveau, Kiki Pigo-Cronin, Karlie Monteiro and Ciarra Terry, Thursday’s win showed this year’s team can produce scoring chances. 

 Peterson was pleased with the opportunities her players created, even if they didn’t all result in goals.

 “I thought we had a lot of good chances and created shots that could’ve went in but didn’t,” Peterson said. “So, that’s a little frustrating, but I’m glad that they created them.”

 The coach added that she expects Gillis and juniors Mackenzie Bowers and Riley Hesse to create plenty of scoring opportunities throughout the season. 

 “We lost our top goal scorers, but with Rylie Gillis and Riley Hesse and Mackenzie up top, they are three really good attacking players,” Peterson said. “I think it’s really finding our shape in the middle and the back that’s going to take a little bit of time.”

 It helps that the Sharks returned senior goalkeeper Maya Flaherty, who enters her final season with confidence and determination.

“I’ve always been very anxious when I’ve been in net, but I’d say last year and this year especially, I’m really starting to come into my own,” said Flaherty, a Harwich resident. “It feels more comfortable now that I’ve gotten older and I know the players more. It feels like a weight lifted being a senior — it feels like my team and that’s calming to me.”

Peterson said the goalkeeper provides the team with a “calming presence” between the pipes.

“She’s quietly vocal and a real steady, calm presence back there,” she said.

Peterson said after qualifying for last year’s Division 4 state tournament, the Sharks hopefully can work toward a return to the postseason and hopefully earn a high seed to play at home.

“I’d love to win our league and qualify for the state tournament again,” Peterson said. “Every year, we say that we’d love to have a good enough record to host a tournament game. I feel like with the new alignment it’s hard for teams on the Cape to get that recognition and get the high seeding to do that.”