One of the favorite sayings of legendary football coach Bill Belichick is “the hay is in the barn.” Translation: the team has done all they can do. What happens next is out of their hands.
That’s where things stood after Plymouth North girls soccer’s 1-0 loss on Monday to Bridgewater-Raynham. Unfortunately, they were 33rd in the MIAA’s final power rankings of the regular season, one spot out of making the playoffs.
The top 32 teams in the rankings, as well as any remaining teams with a record of .500 or better, advance to the playoffs. The Eagles finish the season with a record of 5-10-3.
B-R (12-2-4) scored the only goal of the game off a deflection of a corner kick in the 47thminute. Plymouth North activated chase mode from that moment on, nearly scoring on two rushes in the final five minutes of the game.
Brielle Howard dribbled down the sideline and crossed the ball to the front of the net to Ally Viscarello for a great scoring opportunity that the B-R goalkeeper was able to turn aside to keep her team in the lead.
The Trojans controlled the ball for long portions of the game, but Plymouth North played with the desperation of a team knowing they needed a win or a tie. Defenders did a great job of deflecting shots away from the goal area and when B-R did get a clear shot on net, junior keeper Claire Ruuska was there to make several outstanding saves.
“B-R is a strong team and I think we were able to play right with them today,” said Ruuska. “We let in an unfortunate goal, but we have nothing to hold our head down about.”
Ruuska has had a great first season on net for Plymouth North, contributing five shutouts this season.
“I think I’m a pretty good shot stopper and I’m trying to break down all the little things” that go into playing goaltender, said Ruuska.
Senior captain Mia Hergenhan was all in for playing at least one more game as a Blue Eagle.
“We started the season off strong and hit a rough spot in the middle season (where the team went 0-7-2), but we’ve played better in the last few games,” said Hergenhan. “The good thing is we remained positive as we worked things out and now we’re playing better again.”
While Plymouth North girls soccer just missed out on bonus games this year, there are some other local teams to keep an eye on during tournament season.
Plymouth South football (3-5) is the 11th seed in the race for the Division 3 state title. They will play Thursday night at 6 p.m. at No. 6 North Attleboro.
Plymouth North volleyball (13-7) enters the Division 1 playoffs as the No. 24 seed and on a five-match winning streak. They’ll travel to face No. 9. Needham on Friday at 4:30 p.m. in first round action.
Rising Tide girls soccer has one of the top scorers in the state in junior Lila Ewell. The Herons finished the regular season in second place in the Cape and Islands Lighthouse Division with a record of 11-4-3. They are the 15th seed in Division 5 and will host #18 Pioneer Valley Regional in first round action (date and time TBA).
The cross-country teams from Plymouth North, Plymouth South, and Rising Tide are all in the chase to win a state title. The Division finals are set for Saturday, Nov. 14 with the State Championship races the following Saturday. Both events will be held at Fort Devens.
In non-playoff football action, Plymouth North hosts Holliston Friday night at 6 p.m.
David Wolcott can be reached at dwolcott@plymouthindependent.org.