Warwick strikers are two of a kind

William Geoghegan
Posted 10/2/14

Soccer, the argument goes, is boring because there aren’t enough goals. You’ve heard it before. It’s an old, tired refrain. It seems to lose steam with every World Cup.

And in Warwick this …

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Warwick strikers are two of a kind

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Soccer, the argument goes, is boring because there aren’t enough goals. You’ve heard it before. It’s an old, tired refrain. It seems to lose steam with every World Cup.

And in Warwick this fall, it’s also entirely inaccurate.

Come to the Bend Street Soccer Complex tonight at 6 p.m., and you’ll see why. Hannah McNulty and Katelyn Vieira will show you. The Toll Gate sophomore and the Pilgrim senior are locked in a game of “anything you can do, I can do better,” that should leave goalkeepers around the state taking sick days when the Titans and Patriots come to town.

As of Tuesday’s action, McNulty led the state in goals with 20. Vieira ranked second with 18. There are 24 teams in the state that have not scored 18 goals.

It’s the year of the striker in Warwick soccer.

“They’re both just lighting it up,” said Pilgrim head coach Tom Flanders.

When their teams meet tonight for the first time this season, it’ll be a battle for first place in Division II-Central, plus the renewal of a rivalry, since the teams haven’t been in the same league since 2005.

And there will be a few goals.

It’s a safe bet.

Vieira, the elder of the two, has been a goal-scoring machine throughout her time with the Pilgrim varsity squad. A two-time Warwick Beacon Athlete of the Year, she’s the kind of natural finisher that turns good teams into great teams.

Pilgrim has become a Division II powerhouse the last few years. Credit goes to a ton of players, but Vieira’s finishing touch has been a crucial part of the team’s consecutive runs to the D-II semifinals.

“She’s been phenomenal,” Flanders said.

McNulty burst onto the scene as a freshman last year, leading the team in goals and serving notice that big things were ahead. This season, she’s shattered even the loftiest expectations and has helped Toll Gate go 6-2-2 in its first year in Division II.

“Honestly, in all the years that I’ve coached, I’ve never had a girl put up numbers like this before,” said Toll Gate coach Lonna Razza. “It could be a different division, whatever it is, but I’m not going to take it away from her. She’s still got to get around three, four people to even get a shot off. She’s up there.”

McNulty and Vieira succeed with different styles. McNulty is taller and more powerful, Vieira smaller and quicker. But when they get to the same point – an inch of daylight inside the box – they don’t miss.

“They’re gifted,” Flanders said. “Both of them just have that knack for putting the ball in the net. They’re extremely talented players.”

With their ability and track record, both figured to be among the state’s best scorers, and they both got off to hot starts. But nothing could signal what’s happened lately.

Vieira scored five goals against North Smithfield on Monday. Then she scored five goals against Scituate on Wednesday. Then she tacked on two for good measure against Mount St. Charles on Friday. Five games, three days, 12 goals.

“Just absolutely insane,” Flanders said. “If it was a dream, I didn’t want to wake her up. She was composed, she was hitting her targets. Whatever she wanted to do, she did it.”

The same night Vieira lit up Scituate, McNulty scored five goals of her own against Mount St. Charles. She added two goals and an assist on Tuesday against East Providence.

McNulty now owns five multi-goal games. The five-goal game last week was her second of the year. Her total sits at 20.

“Twenty goals, we didn’t even score 10 last year as a team,” Razza said. “It’s fun to watch. And good for her.”

Tonight, they finally get a chance to square off in the first of two meetings between Pilgrim and Toll Gate. They’ll be at opposite ends of the field, waiting for their chance and most likely capitalizing on it.

Their teammates will have their hands full.

“I’ve got a couple changes in mind to try to quiet down Katelyn Vieira a little bit,” Razza said.

It’s the same on the other side.

“We can’t lose track of McNulty,” Flanders said.

Both Pilgrim and Toll Gate have solid defensive units and goalies who have played well. Maybe they’ll shut things down. Maybe their other stars will catch fire.

Or maybe not.

Hannah McNulty and Katelyn Vieira will be doing their thing.

It won’t be boring.

William Geoghegan is the sports editor at the Warwick Beacon. he can be reached at 732-3100 and williamg@rhodybeat.com . Find him on Twitter @RhodyWill.

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