Two Hat Tricks Propels Scoring Barrage in Brookline’s 10-1 Win

By Eliot Schickler

Hats off to the third-seeded Brookline High girls’ soccer team.

Netting a hat trick is huge in soccer, but when a team achieves two hat tricks in one game, this is enormous, and Brookline achieved this feat in a 10-1 home victory over 35th-seeded Brockton on Tuesday, November 5, in the first round of the Division 1 playoffs.

Warriors senior quad-captains Anna Leschly and Sydney Freese led the scoring barrage and along with senior quad-captain Makena Hammond, all fulfilled scoring milestones in helping Brookline raise its record to 9-6-3 and will host 14th-seeded Braintree High (10-7-2) on Friday, November 8, at Parsons Field. Brockton’s season ended at 10-7-2.

“I hadn’t known it at the time of the game but when I saw Syd, Mak, and Anna hit those
milestones I was so happy for them,” Warriors senior quad-captain Vilena Tchernychev
said. “They are three of my closest friends and I am in constant awe of each of them. They are three of the most hard-working people I know and I am so proud to be their friend because of what they do on the field but more importantly the people they are off the field too and the leaders and role models they are for the team.”

Leschly had her second career playoff hat trick and finished the game with four goals and two assists. Her first tally was career goal No. 30.

“I think the atmosphere of playoffs really drives me and I just love playing with girls varsity soccer at Parsons, in front of family and friends,” Leschly said. “It feels great to get on the score sheet, but in the end, playoffs are about the team. We are incredibly excited and motivated for these next few weeks.”

A will to win fueled Leschly.

“The environment of playoffs is always super exciting and motivating,” Leschly said. “I, along with the whole team, really wanted to have a dominant start and I think that reflected in our drive to goal and how clinical we were in front of the net.”

Freese had her first career playoff hat trick with three goals – her first of the game was the 20th of her career.

“They’ve all worked so hard throughout their careers to get to this point,” Brookline Coach Ben Peters said. “They’re all in great form at the moment and they all deserve everything they’ve achieved.”

This was the second straight year the Warriors opened their Division 1 playoff run with 10 goals. They throttled Chelmsford High, 10-1, in the opening round in 2023.

“The team has confidence in themselves and each other,” Peters said. “They’re here to perform and win.”

Junior Elin Lindgren-Palm created the first two milestone goals of her older Warrior teammates in showing her skills on the pitch in garnering the first playoff points of her career. Moreover, she
doubled her career point total.

“I was pleasantly surprised to have assisted goals in the playoffs, considering this was my first playoff soccer game and I was quite nervous,” Lindgren-Palm said. “I owe my assists to the trust that I have in my teammates and the bond we’ve built this season.”

Although Tchernychev wasn’t credited with any points, she played a centrifugal role in many Brookline goals, winning balls in the midfield, and sending crisp passes to the attack, who found daylight on the way to the net.

“I think the key in the midfield was just organization,” Tchernychev said. “The three in the middle regardless of who is there need to be communicating with one another to make sure not to over-shift and leave gaps.”

Tchernychev got the ball to a wide-open Lindgren-Palm, who was heading toward the net in the middle of the field. She then set up a hustling Leschly, who saw only daylight on the left wing and went in to score her 30th-career goal in the first minute of the game, giving the Warriors a 1-0 lead.

“Vilena had just passed me the ball, and I saw Anna making a run up ahead,” Lindgren-Palm said. “I knew that if I acted quickly and sent a good ball forward, Anna would get to it, and she did.”

Leschly said, “Syd had checked in and I saw space in behind, so I ran into it. When I got the ball, I just drove to the goal and finished. I had no idea about the 30-goal milestone.”

The Boxers showed signs of being a team to be reckoned with even though the score didn’t reflect it. They had scoring chances at many junctures, but Warriors senior goalie Julia Churwin is one of the best goalies in the state and made a few big saves. Churwin was helped by her stout defenders with senior Babette Hall and junior Mirabelle Keselman leading the way in keeping the ball out of the backfield. Complementing Hall and Keselman were senior Greta Radtke, Lindgren-Palm, her twin sister, Amalia Lindgren-Palm, juniors Julia Vianello and Lila Cannon, along with Sophomores Jamie Magee and Hannah Greer.

“The defense stayed super composed and locked in the whole game, even though there wasn't much action from the Brockton attack,” Vianello said. “They had two to three quick and aggressive attackers, but our defense, like Mirabelle, Jamie, and Babette, did a great job of containing them throughout the game.”

Brookline’s stout defense led to a strong transition on offense. A Vienello clear got the ball to the midfield, where Leschly deftly won a ball and got it to Elin Lindgren-Palm, who had daylight going to the net. She then slid a pass to a wide-open Freese, who went in from the left wing and made it 2-0 with 34:44 remaining in the half.

“After Anna’s goal I think both the rest of the team and I got a rush of energy, and I knew that we had taken control of the game,” Elin Lindgren-Palm said. “I definitely had a feeling of deja vu with Sydney’s goal, especially because it happened right after Anna’s. It almost didn’t feel real until the whole team ran to us with cheers.”

Not too long after Freese netted No. 20, Vianello found daylight on the right wing while heading to the net, and crossed it to a wide-open Hammond in the middle of the box. The captain made it 3-0 with her 20th career goal for the Warriors’ third milestone tally.

“It is very exciting. I love how some of my other teammates and best friends also achieved milestones that night, and it makes it so much more special that I was able to share it with them,” Hammond said. “We had a sense of urgency to be the first to score knowing we had to gain
momentum. I think the pressure of the moment allowed me to find the opening and finish my chance.”

Brockton called a timeout after Brookline made it 3-0, but it didn’t help the visiting team much. With 33:13 left in the half, Freese won a ball and got it to Leschly, who then crossed it to Vianello, who headed straight to the center of the box and put the ball in layup style with 33:12 to go in the half.

“I saw that Sydney was dribbling down the left side so I started to make my run in the box to give her an option for her cross,” Vianello said. “Anna was able to get a foot on Syd's cross and I was right at the back post to tap it in. So honestly, Sydney and Anna set the goal up for me and I just happened to be in the right place, at the right time.”

No one can blame Boxers' junior goalie Courtney Miler who made a few brilliant saves, but the Warriors were relentless on offense. Vianello was a catalyst all game and from the right wing, sent
a cross to the middle to Leschly, who was robbed by Miller. However, Freese charged in and tapped it in with 25:15 left to make it 5-0.

“Syd had gotten to the end line - which she always expertly does - so I made a run near the post,”Leschly said. “There was pace on her cross, so I couldn’t quite adjust to get a shot off. I figured if I could get something on it to tip it to the back post, Julia would be there, and that’s exactly what happened.”

Leschly, who took the initial shot, was credited with the assist. If this was hockey, Vianello, who already had her first career playoff goal and assist that day, would have been credited with an assist and her third point of the day. Although the junior didn't receive a point, she played an integral role in making it happen.

“I tried to stay out wide the majority of the game because the Brockton defense was very over-shifted and I was given lots of space,” Vianello said. “Anna was able to find me with a nice ball and I saw that I had space and took it. Anna and Syd were both running in the box so I tried to make a good cross for one of them, and Anna was able to get a shot off with Syd finishing it.”

Keselman had her first career playoff assist with 16:52 remaining when she set up Leschly’s goal with a long cross from the midfield.

Following Churwin’s impressive diving save, Brockton earned a corner kick and took advantage of its opportunity. Alyssa DiSilva Riballo received the corner kick and passed it to Hannah Vega, who slammed it to the upper right-hand side of the net.

No one should fault Churwin because not even Hope Solo could have stopped it.

With the outcome no longer in doubt, Churwin’s heir apparent, sophomore Chloe Price was in the net in the second half and made a few impressive saves.

Miller robbed Leschly in the second half, but the captain earned a corner kick. Hammond, who was credited with an assist, took the corner, which Leschly headed home to complete the hat trick.

“Makena’s ball was picture-perfect, and it didn’t need much to be re-directed on the net,” Leschly said. “I just went up for it and tried to place it bottom left. As a team, we have also been practicing our corners a lot, so it felt great to score a header off one of them in the first round.”

Leschly added her fourth goal shortly thereafter when she attacked the net. Although Miller made the initial save, the persistent Warrior captain stayed with the play and slammed home the rebound.

“We really have focused all season on following all shots on the net, and that paid off in our first [playoff] game,” Leschly said.

Seniors Nora Scheu and Ashley Churwin also contributed to the offense all game as well as junior Jada Kimbro and sophomore Paige Hammond. Freshman Neve Keselman, who made her varsity debut, was on the field with her older sister and played well defensively.

Makenna Hammond set up Freese, who was originally stopped by Miller, but Freese kicked in the rebound to make it 9-1 and complete the hat trick. Kimbro closed out the scoring in stoppage time with a goal from Amalie Lindgren-Palm.

“We played our game and at our level. I was proud of the team’s ability to remain focused and diligent despite the high score,” Makena Hammond said. “Continued focus in practice and on the field during games. Every game could be our last, so we really leave everything on the field each time we play.”

Peters said the key to continued success is, “Confidence and belief. If we’re confident and believe in each other, there’s no stopping us.”

Although the Warriors had a great beginning, they're not resting on their laurels.

“I am not very happy. It was an incredibly strong way to start the tournament but now we have to look forward to the next game,” Tchernychev said. “I think that as the games get progressively harder our levels of focus need to increase to match the intensity of the game at hand.”