MILTON – The No. 3 Hull girls soccer team scored first and never looked back, as they defeated No. 4 Monson in Saturday afternoon’s Division V state championship at Curry College.
“It’s hard to win a state championship, and it’s even harder to reach it,” Monson coach Larry Pagliaro said. “And when you get to the mountain top, it seems like it’s a little harder to stay at the mountain top.
“There was a time when we were tied at 1-1, and we were pressing, I said to myself, ‘OK, here we go.’ But it didn’t work out, so congratulations to Hull because they are a great program and organization.”
Though Avery Beaudoin recorded her fourth-season goal and a game-high 10 saves from Grace Berry, the Mustangs completed their season at 12-11-1 and fell short of raising their second state crown since 2023.
“This team is so relentless and keeps fighting until the end,” Pagliaro said. “I’m so proud of them. I know this one hurts, and they are so upset because it hurts like heck. But when we sit back and think of the big picture, we’re going to look at each other and go ‘Wow.’
“We had one hell of a season. Yes, it would have been wonderful if we had finished it off today. But we still had one hell of a season, and I could not be more proud of these girls.”
As the score remained deadlocked through the opening three minutes of action, Libby Harper attempted to change that for Hull as the junior cut across the middle. Harper then attempted the game’s first shot attempt before the defense countered.
The momentum was short-lived, though, as Berry made an impressive two-handed save along the right post to keep things scoreless.
After a brief timeout, the Pirates attempted a corner kick along the left. But instead of sending a pass into the middle, Hull used a give-and-go to conduct its offense outside the box. The fun only continued, as the ball was loose outside the area.
Despite the chaos, Aubrey Littlefield attempted to poke home the game’s first score. Berry said otherwise, though, as the sophomore made one of her six first-half saves on a dive along the right with fewer than 18 minutes left until halftime.
It didn’t remain that way for long, though, as the Pirates regained possession and continued to pressure the Mustangs’ defense. After five previous failed scoring attempts, the sixth time was the charm for Hull as Brianna Ramos located a deflection into the right corner to give her team a 1-0 lead with 8:36 left in the opening half.
Now with fewer than four minutes left on the clock, Monson earned its first scoring opportunity as Hannah Murphy was awarded a free kick from the 20-yard line. Once the senior took a deep breath, Murphy attempted to even the score.
It wasn’t enough, though, as Pirates goalie Montana Alibrandi made one of her five saves on a dive along the right post to ensure Hull remained ahead by one as both teams entered the break.
Eight minutes into the second half, both sides struggled to regain momentum. That quickly changed, though, as Murphy disrupted a pass in the opposing zone and took off. As the defense trailed behind Murphy, the senior attempted to prove why she is the state’s all-time goal scorer in girls’ soccer.
Like the previous attempt, though, Alibrandi made another impressive diving save along the right post to ensure the Pirates maintained their 1-0 lead with 30:33 left in regulation. Hull also maintained an 8-2 shots-on-goal attempt over the Mustangs through this moment.
“That was an unbelievable save,” Pagliaro said. “I’ve been watching sports for 50 years, and Hannah made a great shot. And you know what, you make the goalie make a great save.
“It’s not like Hannah bailed her out, and the ball went right to (Alibrandi). Hannah made the goalie make a great save, and you have to tip your hat to (Alibrandi).”
Despite back-to-back failed scoring attempts, Monson remained hungry. And it showed, as the Mustangs earned a free-kick opportunity after an opposing timeout. Once the kick went airborne, it deflected off multiple players near the box.
Alibrandi then left the crease with hopes of earning another aggressive save along the right. But that wasn’t the case, as Beaudoin momentarily evened the score at 1-1 with 18:32 left in regulation.
“Avery leads our defense with Lylia Ellis,” Pagliaro said. “But Avery is also a weapon on offense. This postseason alone, she had three points (two goals and one assist). Avery is so talented and dedicated – she makes plays all over the field for us.”
Fewer than six minutes later, though, the Pirates regained possession. Moments after Berry made another impressive save on a failed corner-kick opportunity, Meghan Duran swung the loose ball into the box from the left wing on a sequence that began with a corner kick.
Duran’s shot then bounced inside the far post through traffic in the six-yard box to move Hull back ahead 2-1 through 66 minutes of action.
The Pirates’ offense wasn’t finished, though, as Littlefield attempted to double their team’s lead with a quick shot along the right edge. But moments after Berry failed to secure the two-handed save, Libby Harper knocked home the rebound in the 73rd minute to ensure Hull emerged victorious.
Coming into Saturday, Monson was on a four-game winning streak as they defeated Franklin Tech, Holbrook, Saint John Paul II, and Granby by a combined score of 18-4 to make its first state-title appearance since the Mustangs raised their program’s second crown in 2023.
That impressive stretch ended, though, as the Pirates tamed the Mustangs to capture their first state championship in program history. Despite the outcome, though, Monson is proud of its accomplishments and remain optimistic about its future without Murphy.
The senior finished her high school career with 215 career goals and 53 assists. It remains unknown if another local athlete will follow in her footsteps moving forward.
Regardless, though, the Mustangs can only smile as they reminisce about their past five years together because Murphy is a one-of-a-kind athlete.
“I’m so lucky to have had the opportunity to have coached one of the best players in the state,” Pagliaro said. “Honestly, she makes me look good (as a coach). She is honestly the best player on the field, who makes plays. Today, though, (Hull) was physical with her as they double and triple-teamed her.
“(Murphy) kept coming, but we fell just short. Regardless, though, we have a great group of juniors that will be seniors next season. We also have some seventh and eighth graders in Aleksa Mengel and Jordan Szado. And they are going to be here for a while, so you’re going to hear about them as the season progresses.”
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