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Sports

Girls Soccer Kicks Off Thursday

The Scarlet Knights practice Thursday and scrimmage Saturday to get ready for the 2011 season.

Welcome to the first installment of our Scarlet Knights fall sports season preview. Today we look at the North Andover High School girls soccer team.

It was a one and done year for the Knights in the 2010 playoffs. The MIAA Division 1 North tournament saw the Knights ranked 17th out of 22 teams.

In the preliminary round of the tournament, the Knights bowed out in a harsh 2-0 denial against 16th ranked Newton North High School.

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The loss concluded a season in which the Knights went 7-6-5 in regular season play.

Last season, the Knights clinched a playoff berth on a night where they . A Masconomet loss resulted in the Knights clinching their spot in the tourney.

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Masco suffered a 1-0 loss at the hands of the Knights only two days later.

That was the last moment of glory for the 2010 edition of the Knights, as Newton South hosted and beat North Andover 2-0 on an early November Saturday afternoon.

On Thursday, the 2011 edition of the squad will have its first practice.

The team will hold five scrimmages this fall before the regular season gets underway. Here is a look at the team’s preseason schedule:

Date Time Opponent Venue Saturday, Aug. 27 8:30pm Wilmington High School High School Monday, Aug. 29 9am Wakefield High School Wakefield High School Tuesday, Aug. 30 10am Concord Carlisle High School North Andover High School Thursday, Sept. 1 10am Medford High School Medford High School Friday, Sept. 2 2pm Rye High School

The regular season gets underway when the Knights host Billerica at 3:45pm on Tuesday, Sept. 6.

Other key dates for the Knights include a Monday evening at Masco on Sept. 19.

The end of the season will be a true test for the Knights as Masco comes into town for a Thursday night game on Oct. 27. Then the regular season will conclude with a 6pm home game against Andover High School on Saturday, Oct. 29.

Tune in to Patch throughout the season for coverage of the Scarlet Knights girls soccer team and as always, your pictures and videos are welcome. Just send and email to jay@jayoza.org to contribute.

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