Cohasset tops Norwell in tight game
While Cohasset High School junior goalie Charlotte Malone might be the Matt Cassel of girls soccer, Cohasset senior goalie Johanna Brophy wants to be clear about one thing: “Don’t worry, I brush my teeth every day.”
With her team on its way to a 1-0 victory against Norwell Monday night, the 5-foot-2 goalie’s teeth were still tender to the tooth brush from having them knocked in by an errant elbow on Sept. 4 during the season opener against Notre Dame. Still, her teeth felt much better than when she was rushed to the dentist after the corner kick collision.
“That’s just my gauge of how well they’re healing, when I brush my teeth,” said Brophy, who was wearing a wire splint that stretched across six top teeth.
While the No. 1 goalie in the South Shore League and Eastern Mass. Second Team All-Star has been on the sideline, her understudy has shined just like a certain quarterback filling in for another certain local QB.
Malone hasn’t allowed a goal since giving one up within 10 minutes of replacing Brophy.
“I had a few people tell me ‘You’re the Matt Cassel of girls’ soccer,’” Malone said of the New England Patriots backup who has stepped in after a season-ending knee injury knocked out Tom Brady.
While tending to a bloodied Brophy, Cohasset coach Debbie Beal said she had no choice but to throw her backup into a “boiling pot of water. I was like ‘Have fun with it kid, write home when you get work.’”
The Skippers have also won all four of their games with Malone at the helm.
On Monday, Malone made six saves, not including the 12th minute of the second half when she was beat by freshman attacker Caitlin Collins. The ball squirted across the crease and toed the goal line before sophomore attacker Krista Prouty knocked it into the right post.
“I owe my life to the post,” Malone said.
Cohasset senior forward Torey Hart netted the only goal of the game at 6:20 of the first half to give Beal her first victory against Norwell during her 11-season tenure with the Skippers. Perhaps the worst of those losses to Norwell came in the Division 3 sectional finals last year. Norwell went on to lose in the state semis to Newburyport.
“It’s not the end all be all,” Beal said of beating Norwell (2-2), “but (never beating them) was on the back burner and always on my mind.”
In his 25th season coaching Norwell, Bruce Emerson said he can’t remember the last time he lost to Cohasset. After watching the Skippers 10 returning varsity players face his senior class of two, Emerson said his rival is on a mission this season.
“I like Debbie so much,” he said. “I know she wanted to get the monkey off her back.”
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