WILLIAMSTOWN -- With the clock winding down, the Mount Greylock offense just wanted to fire a shot on goal and hope to get lucky.
Get lucky it did.
With just a second to play in the game, Hoosac Valley was whistled for a hand ball inside its own 18-yard box, giving the Mounties a penalty kick.
Alex Majetich took the free shot and put it past Hoosac's Meg Richardson to lift the Mounties to a 2-1 victory on a rain-drenched field Tuesday afternoon.
"I just focused on looking one way and going the other," Majetich said. "I wanted to keep it low and just put it in the back of the net. I envisioned putting it in and it worked out pretty well for me."
Before the penalty kick, it looked as though the Mounties would be lucky to escape with a tie. Greylock had a goal called back with six minutes to play, and the Hurricanes controlled the tempo from there.
Hoosac striker Danielle Beauchemin kept Margot Besnard busy in the goal. Beauchemin fired four shots in the final three minutes, while Lily Kronick added one. Besnard wasn't fazed, as she dove to her left then to the right and back to the left to keep the game tied.
"I think it was just all adrenaline in the end," the senior goalkeeper said. "It felt like a playoff game to me.
"I think I just stopped thinking and I let my training take over and my instincts just kicked in. I got lucky a little bit, but I made the saves."
Besnard's only mistake
After the Hurricanes scored, Greylock started to take over, firing nine shots and keeping the ball in the Hurricanes' end for much of the half.
"I would say we were on life-support when we were down 1-0 with a 1-1-1 record on the season," Greylock coach Tom Ostheimer said. "We just couldn't drop this game. I thought we were going to leave the field with a tie, but we got pretty lucky in the end. I think we got a real beneficial call."
Both teams were awarded a penalty kick in the second half, and both saw excellent play from their goalkeepers. Besnard finished the game with 14 saves, while Richardson recorded nine.
"I thought the officiating was a little bizarre, but we just wanted to stay positive," Majetich said. "We came out a little flat and Hoosac took advantage of that. But we came back and played twice as hard."
The victory leaps Greylock over Hoosac for first place in the South Division, with five points. Hoosac has four. Greylock takes on Drury on Thursday and will visit Wahconah and Pittsfield next week. Hoosac hosts Mount Everett on Thursday and plays Pittsfield next week.
"I think you just have to get back on the bus and tell the girls they did a great job and tomorrow is a new day," Hoosac coach Blair Mahar said. "It's the first day of the rest of our season. We just have to play like we did in the first half and get the wins we need to get."
To reach Sam Monroe, email smonroe@thetranscript.com.
On Twitter: @NAT_DigitalSam
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