WILLIAMSTOWN -- They know the history. They know they're the underdogs. But it's not scaring the Mount Greylock boys' soccer team away from today's rematch with Belchertown.
"I think we have the right ingredients to certainly compete with them," coach Blair Dils said. "They're not Barcelona, they're Belchertown. ... They're very, very good, but we're going to give them our best shot."
The Mounties have been eliminated from the Western Massachusetts Division II tournament the last three years by a combined total of three goals.
Each time Greylock was the No. 1 seed. Each time Belchertown was the underdog. Each time the underdog won. That history bodes well for the Mounties.
The Mounties (16-3-1) enter today's game against the Orioles as the No. 4 seed. The Orioles (19-0) are No. 1. The Greylock players all see the No. 4 seed helping them in getting the win.
"We'll play more like we don't have as much to lose," senior midfielder Nathan Majumder said. "In the past two years there was a lot of pressure on us and we thought of ourselves as we can't lose. But now, we're just going to play to win and we know we can."
The Mounties lost 4-3 in a semifinal game in 2009, but the last two times the teams have played, the Orioles have won by a 1-0 score. Last year's game was the Western Mass. final.
Senior keeper Sean Houston has been in goal for all three meetings. In 2010, he was beaten on a header off a corner kick.
One win in four chances would have been unacceptable in 2009, with the Mounties fresh off a state title in 2008. But a 25 percent success rate against Belchertown is looking quite appetizing now.
"I'm totally excited," Houston said. "It's my last chance to get at them. This time the tables are kind of turned because we're the underdog."
The Mounties had a solid tuneup for today's game when No. 5 Monson visited Williamstown Monday for a quarterfinal game. The Mustangs were not afraid to play with Greylock and carried play for more than half of the game. It was a complete turnaround from the first round game when Athol played a 5-4-1 and man-marked Majumder nearly the whole time.
"We know Belchertown's not going to pack it in," senior center back Jonah Majumder said. "They're going to take it at us. Playing against that same style is good to prepare us."
The Mounties have played some tough opponents this season, namely Amherst (who is the No. 2 seed in the Division I tournament) and No. 3 Monument Mountain, who they split the season series with. That also gives the Mounties confidence for today.
"I don't think Belcher town's any better than any of the other teams we played, Amherst Regional, Monu ment, none of those teams," Jonah said. "I think' we're just going to take it at them and hopefully we'll bag one."
To reach Josh Colligan, email
jcolligan@thetranscript.com
On Twitter: @NAT_DigitalJosh
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