Canton 3, Dedham 1: Berman double bounces Marauders

Apply enough force to even the strongest of objects and its bound to show a few cracks. That’s precisely the formula Canton used Wednesday night to end the Dedham High girls soccer season.

Kelsey Rausch’s direct kick with 13 minutes left proved to be the game-winner and Lauren Berman tacked on the second of her two goals in the final minute to seal a 3-1 victory for the No. 3 Bulldogs and oust the No. 6 Marauders from the Division 2 South tournament in the quarterfinals.

Dedham’s campaign ends at 16-3-1 while Canton moves on to face the defending state champions, Duxbury, in the semifinals.

“Offensively they are an explosive team, we knew that,” said Dedham coach Don Savi. “We had a couple of chances early in the game that might have changed things, but its too bad two teams like this have to meet in the quarterfinals. I think there are three really good teams – Duxbury, Canton and us -- and its unfortunate that we had to play each other this early.”

Dedham was whistled for a foul just outside the top right corner of the area that set up the winner. Rausch took the free kick and sent a well-struck shot for the near post. Marauders goalie Cara Corcoran appeared to believe it was sailing wide, but instead it settled into the back of the net for a 2-1 lead.

The Marauders spent much of the remainder in the Canton end searching for the equalizer, earning a trio of corner kicks, but it never came. With Dedham pressed forward, Berman, the Hockomock League MVP as a freshman, struck for the capper as the final moments were ticking away.

“We definitely expected that kind of game, we knew coming in it was going to be tough,” said Canton coach Anthony Cosky. “They have two goal scorers, everything that they get is through them and we knew if we slowed them down we’d be in this game. We are an attacking team. We have been scoring goals all year. The offense just came through.”

Canton unleashed a barrage of 28 shots on the Marauders, including 17 in the first half, but it was Dedham that got on the board first. Jenna Savi sent a long ball from midfield for Patrice Vettori, who burst through a pair of Canton defenders to corral it and blasted a left-footed shot into the far right corner midway through the first.

The Bulldogs’ strategy of firing from distance at every opportunity paid off in the 33rd minute when Kensey Waterman’s long bid was stopped at the right post by Corcoran, but popped loose to Berman, who pounded in the rebound to level it at 1-all.

Savi had a look in the last minute of the first half after a pretty lay back from Vettori but it spun just wide and the teams went into the break knotted.

Berman was gifted a glittering chance to put the Bulldogs up early in the second when Waterman service skipped off the head of the Dedham defender right to her alone in the middle of the area, but Corcoran came up with stunning kick save to keep the contest tied.

Dedham’s best chance of the second came when Vettori took aim at the far post but had it deflected off target, with Canton goalie Erin Russell (11 saves) recovering in time to smother the shot at the near post.

“To go 16-3-1 in the Bay State, that’s a great season, Herget champions, the best record in the whole league,” said coach Savi. “I’m just proud of the team tonight, they played hard and leave here with their heads up high.”

(Tom Fargo is Sports Editor for the Dedham Transcript. He can be reached at (781) 433-8372 or tfargo@cnc.com.)