FITCHBURG – On Friday afternoon, the Ayer-Shirley Regional girls’ soccer team finished up its regular season on a strong note.
The traveling Panthers visited the Fitchburg/Westminster line to take on the host Bulldogs of Monty Tech in a CMADA Consolation bracket game.
Ayer- Shirley received a goal from Sastea Cherduville with an assist Gracie Hanss as the Panthers earned a 1-1 draw with the hosts up at Bulldog Field.
Ayer-Shirley improves to 7-9-3 with the tie while Monty Tech is now 4-9-3.
Under first-year head coach Bill Naylor, the Panthers have turned things around. After finishing with a 1-14-2 overall record in 2022, Ayer-Shirley is now preparing for the MIAA State Tournament. With Friday’s tie, the Panthers are unbeaten in their last four games. The tie against the Bulldogs came on the heels of a 5-0 triumph over visiting Worcester Tech on October 26 back at Harold Norton Athletic Complex. The win helped Ayer-Shirley celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness Night the right way.
Against those Worcester Tech Eagles, Cherduville netted three goals while Hanss added three assists. Abby Staples and Jordan Kosakowski also found the back of the net for the winners on Thursday. Goalie Alexis Carlson had the shutout in net for Ayer-Shirley.
The Panthers will find out their postseason fate on Wednesday, November 1 when the MIAA announces the Massachusetts State Tournament pairings for both boys and girls in all five divisions. The Panthers hit the field on Friday afternoon ranked 26th in the state in Division 5. The top 32 teams in each division receive an automatic berth into the tournament.
In other Panthers action this past week, the boys’ soccer team concluded its season on a powerful note as Ayer-Shirley defeated host Tyngsborough 4-2 at Tyngsborough Elementary School on October 26.
Ayer-Shirley finishes the regular season with a solid 12-5-2 overall record. The Panthers have won four of their last five matches, the only loss during that streak came at the hands of host Sutton on October 24 in the CMADA Tournament.
The Panthers are currently 22nd in the Division 5 Power Rankings and will find out their opening round opponent on November 1 when the state tournament pairings are announced.
The Ayer-Shirley girls’ volleyball team wrapped up its fall 2023 campaign when it dropped a 3-1 decision to visiting Grafton at the Ayer-Shirley Regional Middle School.
With the loss to the Gators, the Panthers finish the season with a 6-12 overall record and end the year on a four-game losing streak.
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