Generals Sports Roundup: Boys' Soccer Win, Cross-County Excels at Invitational

The boys’ soccer team captured a shutout win on Friday afternoon and the Generals cross country teams had a excellent showing at an invitational meet in Wrentham on Saturday.

Boys’ soccer:

Hamilton-Wenham, 2; Amesbury, 0.

Sophomore midfielder Russell Gregorian scored once in the first half and senior striker Charlie Serpa finished with a goal in the second half to lead the Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School boys’ soccer team (4-2-1) to a win over visiting Amesbury High School on Friday.

Generals senior goalkeeper Luke Besse recorded the shutout - his fourth this season. Seniors Ian MacLean and Chris Carlson led a solid defensive screen through the center, which kept Amesbury to just two shots.

Both teams got off to a slow start on Friday after playing ten minutes on Thursday afternoon before the game was abandoned under a barrage of heavy rain and rolling thunder.

Midway thru the first half on Friday, Gregorian received a ball on the left wing from midfielder Max Montanari, dribbled past three Amesbury defenders and sent a right-footed shot across the goalkeeper and into the far side of the net.

Serpa, Montanari and Ian MacLean had several chances to add to the tally in the first half, but a determined goalkeeper and defenders turned the chances away. In the closing minutes, Gregorian lashed a dipping shot at the goal from 20 yards out, but it struck the crossbar and over the top of goal.

It took the better part of 20 minutes into the second-half for the Generals to breakdown the hard-working Amesbury resistance. Junior Tyler Bussone found a loose clearance near the top of the Amesbury penalty area and swooped past a defender to send a shot right at the goalkeeper, who saved it. But then the goalkeeper dropped the ball and Charlie Serpa followed the play and stuck the ball into the net from two-yards out.

The win gives the Generals 9 points and drops Amesbury to 0-6-0. The Generals travel to Newburyport (4-1-2) on Monday, to Rockport (4-1-1) on Wednesday at 6 p.m. and host Georgetown at home on Friday at 3:30 p.m.

- Submitted by Chris Carlson Sr.

Boys’ Cross Country:

The boys’ cross country team finished fourth in a field of 25 Div. 2 teams at Saturday’s Bay State Invitational.

The top finisher was sophomore Matt Gillis in 20th place at 18:06. Other Generals scorers included Dan von Staats (21, 18:06), Michael Allara (29, 18:24), Jack Blatchford (53, 19:10), Kevin Rutigliano (71, 19:26), Lucas cruz Nascimento (88, 19:49) and Alex MacDonald 96, 19:56).

Girls’ Cross-Country:

First place is a 19 team Div. 2 field at the Bay State Invitational.

The Hamilton-Wenham girls’ cross-country team topped the competition in Div. 2 at the Bay State Invitational in Wrentham on Saturday.

Freshman Emily Weigand was the top Generals finisher in 5th at 20:19. Teammate Margaret Blatchford was right behind her at 20:23 in 6^th place. Other Generals corers included Emily Horgan (10, 20:46), Claire Pacione  (14, 21:11), Emily Senning (30, 21:52), Sarah Duffy (43, 22:32) and Carrie Goodrich (65, 23:22),

Coaches: To report your scores, send games scores and game summaries to Hamilton-wenham@patch.com.