MIAA Boys: Takeaways from Norwell’s semifinal win over Dover-Sherborn

Not much separated Norwell and Dover-Sherborn in Monday's Division 3 state semifinal. (Matt Doherty)

MEDWAY, Mass. — For Norwell coach Michael O’Dea, it was no surprise who broke the deadlock Monday night with a spot in the MIAA Division 3 state championship on the line.

Locked in a tense scoreless battle with defending champion Dover-Sherborn, senior stalwarts Bret Amorosino and Ben Garland flipped the match for the Clippers. Amorosino buried a cross in the 55th minute and Garland struck nine minutes later to propel second-seeded Norwell to a third straight title game with a hard-fought 2-1 semifinal win at a windy and chilly Medway High.

“Bret was there, like he’s been all year, to put the first one home,” said O’Dea. “And then Ben Garland was a man possessed today. Any time he got on the ball, something dangerous happened. He was big on that second goal, which turned out to be crucial.”

After falling to D-S in last year’s title game, Norwell earned some payback and will look to capture a second championship in three years on Saturday (4:45 p.m.) against fourth-seeded Greater New Bedford at Curry College. D-S cut Norwell’s lead in half on a 69th-minute goal by standout Caio Dos Santos. But the Raiders’ late push was turned away by the Clippers’ back line and keeper Nick Fein.

Here are four takeaways from a high-level match between two of the state’s best teams.