Class D boys soccer: Pioneer outlasts Smith Academy 2-1 in semis, punches title-game ticket (PHOTOS)

Pioneer’s Hayden Girard (17), right, battles for possession with Smith Academy’s Aidan Hopfenspirger (18) during the host Panthers’ 2-1 win in the Western Mass. Class D semifinal round on Tuesday night in Northfield.

Pioneer’s Hayden Girard (17), right, battles for possession with Smith Academy’s Aidan Hopfenspirger (18) during the host Panthers’ 2-1 win in the Western Mass. Class D semifinal round on Tuesday night in Northfield. STAFF PHOTO/JEFF LAJOIE

Pioneer’s Will Glazier (25), right, looks to clear the ball under pressure from Smith Academy’s Oscar Higuera (1) during the host Panthers’ 2-1 win in the Western Mass. Class D semifinal round on Tuesday night in Northfield.

Pioneer’s Will Glazier (25), right, looks to clear the ball under pressure from Smith Academy’s Oscar Higuera (1) during the host Panthers’ 2-1 win in the Western Mass. Class D semifinal round on Tuesday night in Northfield. STAFF PHOTO/JEFF LAJOIE

Pioneer’s Kurt Redeker (3) looks for an open teammate against Smith Academy during the host Panthers’ 2-1 win in the Western Mass. Class D semifinal round on Tuesday night in Northfield.

Pioneer’s Kurt Redeker (3) looks for an open teammate against Smith Academy during the host Panthers’ 2-1 win in the Western Mass. Class D semifinal round on Tuesday night in Northfield. STAFF PHOTO/JEFF LAJOIE

Pioneer’s Braeden Tsipenyuk, right, battles with Smith Academy’s Cajun Benson (10) for posses

Pioneer’s Braeden Tsipenyuk, right, battles with Smith Academy’s Cajun Benson (10) for posses STAFF PHOTO/JEFF LAJOIE

Pioneer’s Jackson Glazier (8), right, and Smith Academy’s Cajun Benson (10) battle for possession during the host Panthers’ 2-1 win in the Western Mass. Class D semifinal round on Tuesday night in Northfield.

Pioneer’s Jackson Glazier (8), right, and Smith Academy’s Cajun Benson (10) battle for possession during the host Panthers’ 2-1 win in the Western Mass. Class D semifinal round on Tuesday night in Northfield. STAFF PHOTO/JEFF LAJOIE

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

Staff Writer

Published: 10-29-2024 9:08 PM

NORTHFIELD — After the Pioneer and Smith Academy boys soccer teams played twice in the regular season — and the Panthers won the second game just 1-0, the expectation was for a tough, low-scoring affair on Tuesday when the two Schmid League foes met for a third time in the semifinals of the Western Mass. Class D tournament. 

Through 15 minutes however, it looked like goals were going to be coming in bunches. 

The top-seeded Panthers scored six minutes into the contest but in the 12th minute, the fourth-seeded Falcons responded with a goal to tie the game. 

Both defenses locked in from there, with the game tied 1-1 at intermission. 

Just as it did in the first half, Pioneer struck early in the second half. Kurt Redeker converted a penalty kick in the 46th minute and Smith Academy was unable to answer from there, as the Panthers advanced to the Class D finals with a 2-1 victory. 

“Smith is a great team,” Pioneer coach Michael Italia said. “They’re aggressive, they have good skills, they position well and know the game well. We’ve worked hard this year to really learn the game, increase our skill level and be able to dig down deep. The boys are really proud of winning the Schmid Division. They know they’re a special team. Camaraderie is great.” 

The Panthers (15-1-2) advanced for a meeting with third-seeded Monson in the Class D final at a date and time to be determined. 

For Smith Academy (13-4-1), it was a corner kick late in the game that nearly knotted the score. 

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The Falcons sent the corner in and had numerous chances of putting the ball on net, but miraculously none of the shots made it into the goal. The final attempt was stopped in front before Pioneer was able to clear the ball and alleviate the mountain of pressure Smith had put on. 

“I think we hit the post, I think they blocked a couple, the ball bounced around,” Falcons coach Jason Duncan said. “I’m still not sure how it didn’t go in the goal. I thought it was once or twice for sure but suddenly it just didn’t. I don’t want to call it a lucky win but they certainly seemed to have some luck on their side on that play but it’s soccer. Sometimes the ball bounces your way and sometimes it doesn’t.” 

Down two midfielders, Italia said he was proud of the way players moved to different positions and were able to hold down a Falcons team that is dangerous all over the field. 

“Every game with Smith has been a battle to the end,” Italia said. “We knew that we were in for a tough one tonight. We had to dig deep. We were down two of our starting midfielders and Hayden Girard stepped up, Jacoby Stumpo stepped up, Brody Welcome did a fantastic job. They played fantastic and I’m so proud of everyone’s performance.” 

It was Redeker who put Pioneer on the board in the first half. Girard sent the corner kick in and it bounced around in the box before Redeker got on it and smashed it home to give the Panthers the opening lead of the game. 

The Falcons answered on a free kick just outside the box in the 12th minute. Cameron Graves sent the ball to the left side of the goal, where Ryan McCoy and Pioneer goalie Gavin Gammell went for the ball. McCoy was able to get his head on it and Gammell raced back to the end line and grabbed the bouncing ball, but it had already crossed the goal line when he got to it, tying the game at one. 

Judah Glenn drew the penalty in the box that led to Redeker’s penalty kick, as the Panthers sent him the ball up top and he used his speed to drive by the defender and draw the trip. 

Redeker came up to take the penalty kick on Jake Wilcox, who had already saved a penalty earlier in the first half. The senior buried it into the bottom left corner of the goal, giving Pioneer the 2-1 lead. 

“This is the kind of game we expected,” Duncan said. “They’re really athletic and they play really hard. They have speed up top and guys who chase the ball. It puts a lot of pressure on your defense when their game is the long ball and you have to defend and chase it for 80 minutes.” 

While Smith Academy generated good scoring chances throughout the first half, the Pioneer defense did its job to limit those scoring opportunities before the flurry of chances off the corner late. 

“I think their back line sagged a bit so there wasn’t as much running room,” Duncan said. “They got the ball and would put it right back on us. As soon as we moved forward, we’d get dis-possessed and were defending immediately.” 

Winning a Western Mass. title was the Panthers’ goal from the start of the year. After all the hard work put in by the players throughout the season, Italia said he was proud of his group for putting in the required work to be in a position to achieve that goal. 

“The first day of practice we talked about what we wanted to achieve this year,” Italia said. “Getting to a Western Mass. final, winning it and making a run at states were the goals the team set. They’ve worked really hard. I’ve pushed them quite a bit this year to the limits I felt they could take and they’ve hung in there consistently. It’s all coming to fruition now. Hopefully we’ll be able to finish it off against Monson.”