Dowd, Digiacomo Give One-Two Punch to Advance to State Final [VIDEO]

All season long, the duo of Victoria Digiacomo and Hayley Dowd have provided a deadly one-two punch for the girls' soccer team. That duo struck again in Tuesday night's 2-1 overtime victory over Oliver Ames in the Division 1 state semi-finals.

Just 2:48 into the extra session, Dowd, who scored the tying goal in the second half, fed Digiacomo on the Oliver Ames end of the field. The junior forward slid by two defenders and slid her shot past OA goaltender Alexis Duffy-Protentis to send her team on a date with destiny for this weekend's MIAA state finals.

“We were very fortunate to put that one away at the end,” Peabody coach Dennis Desroches said. “Victoria and Haley have been coming through for us all year long. They’ve worked so well together and that combination up front is awesome. We were very fortunate to put that one away.”

The undefeated Lady Tanners (21-0-2), , face west sectional champs East Longmeadow on Friday (5 p.m.) at Worcester State University.

Oliver Ames had faced similar circumstances in its overtime win over previously unbeaten Bishop Feehan in the south sectional semi-finals last Friday, as the top ranked Shamrocks seemed to take the momentum over in the second half, but the Tigers dug deep and earned the victory.

They weren't so lucky this time around, but nevertheless OA coach Britt Sellmayer was pleased with his team’s effort.

“I’m very pleased,” Sellmayer said. “I’m very pleased that they hung in there with one of the best teams in the state and with how well they ran tonight.”

OA certainly had its chances throughout and generated momentum with Kristina Simonson’s first half goal at the 27th minute to put the Lady Tigers up on Peabody.

Looking for an answer against the tough OA defense, Peabody got it quickly with Dowd’s seventh goal of the tournament just 4:04 into the second half.

Dowd’s goal came as a result of key halftime adjustments made by Desroches and his coaching staff.

“The most important thing [I told our team] was to keep the ball on the ground against this team,” said Desroches. “They have some big, tall girls over there who are strong and physical. Everything up in the air, they were winning.

“It was very important that we kept the ball on the ground and not allow them to win those 50-50’s. And we were able to do that,” he said.

Both teams had opportunities to take the lead late in the second half -- OA had several chances on corner kicks, while Peabody earned some chances on free kicks.

But solid defensive efforts from both sides, particularly from OA’s Clarissa Romero (playing her third straight game with a fractured nose), kept the game tied through the end of regulation.

“She was outstanding,” Sellmayer said about Romero. “She was playing with a fractured nose and to go toe-to-toe with one of the best players in Massachusetts [Dowd]…she did a great job. She did a great job for us all year.”

OA, the winners of this year’s south sectionals, ends its season with a record of 17-3-3.

“It was a great year for us,” said Sellmayer. “South sectional champs and taking Peabody to overtime…it was a great season. I’m very pleased.”

Peabody added yet one more team to its list of postseason conquests, having now knocked off , Concord-Carlisle, , and Oliver Ames. The Tanner City ladies hope to add East Longmeadow and a state championship to that list on Friday.

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