Whitman-Hanson rolls on in Div. 1 South

The Panthers scored four times in the game’s first 22 minutes and went on to defeat Newton South, 6-0, in quarterfinal action in the Division 1 South Sectional tournament.

The Panthers (20-0) got two goals each from junior Taylor Robertson and sophomore Taylor Kofton, along with single scores from sophomore Lauren Bonavita and senior Rachel Kelly.

Leading 5-0 at the half, the home team got its sixth tally just 80 seconds into the second half, and the game’s final 30 minutes saw massive substitutions from W-H, with virtually everyone getting into the game.

The Panthers’ ball skills and passing game came to the fore on the next goal, as Kofton passed into the middle where Robertson dished it off to Bonavita, who made it 2-0 at 17:30.

There was a brief Lions attack, after a free kick awarded when it was discovered a substitution snafu had left W-H with 12 players on the field, but with Panthers sweeper Elana Wood patrolling the back line, the home team was never threatened.

Gilbert’s long throw-ins had been a weapon all night, and that particular wrinkle paid off for the fifth Panther goal, when Robertson scored her second tally, off a Gilbert throw-in from the right sideline, in the 27th minute.

Newton South didn’t do a lot better against the Panther subs, but Sarina Regehr did blast a 20-yarder off the right goalpost in the 53rd minute, and a header by Rina Rabinovich in the 69th minute went just wide of the net.

A key element Sunday night was the Panther transition game, with midfielders and defenders like Gilbert excelling at turning Lions turnovers into instant offense.