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MANSFIELD - The Hornets of Mansfield just never held possession long enough to build an attack, were never allowed much space in the attacking third of Alumni Field over 80 minutes of play.

Long balls, short balls, over the top, crosses from the corners were all in short supply for the Mansfield High boys' soccer team, unceremoniously banished from the MIAA Division 1-South Sectional Tournament Tuesday.

Marshfield High scored pairs of goals in each half, including the match-winner in the 40th minute of the first half to shock the Hornets 4-1 in a quarterfinal round match.

"They were aggressive and physical and we didn't have an answer," sighed Mansfield mentor George Giannoloudis, whose No. 3 seeded Hornets (13-3-3) had merely a half-dozen true shots on goal and four corner kicks overall - not enough to beat a side as strong as the No. 6 seeded Rams (14-2-6).

Robbie Canning, Marshfield's senior striker, put the Rams ahead in the sixth minute of the match - six minutes before the leading scorer suffered a likely season-ending knee injury - and then Brian McCauley made a run down the left wing and scored from a short side angle shot with scant seconds left until intermission for a 2-1 advantage. Marshfield pumped in a pair of goals within a 10-minute span early in the first half - Andrew Berardi rocketing a shot off the left wing and off the crossbar in the 48th minute, then Anthony Zarella scoring on a loose ball rebound in the 18th minute. By that time, much of the passion that had made Mansfield so successful this season (a 16-match unbeaten skein) had expired, its normally productive and prolific attack subdued.

"They had a great game plan," added Giannoloudis, "they took us out of our game."

Specifically, with a sturdy four-man backline in front of rugged senior goalkeeper Brent Bell, with a fearless midfielder in senior Cam Macfarlane and with senior midfielder Ryan Fischer utilizing his blazing speed on the flanks, the Hornets were unable to consistently put pressure on Marshfield.

Senior striker and captain Ryan Chambers scored the lone goal for Mansfield, that in the 38th minute, taking a through ball from Giscard Sarkis, making a superb run down the left flank and then uncorking a blazing 25-yard drive to the far upper right corner of the Ram net.

Otherwise, "we clogged up the midfield," said Marshfield coach Scott Sorenson, the Rams' speed on the outside neutralizing Mansfield's runs on the flanks and into the corners. "We spread our forwards out to force them down the field."

Matters might have been different had Daniel Murphy's header (off of a cross from Chambers on the left side in the 20th minute) found its mark for Mansfield and Marshfield's McCauley not scored from an almost impossible angle for the match-winner.

"Maybe it's 2-1 us or it's 1-1 at the half and things might have been different," said Giannoloudis, "but overall, we got beat by a better team."

Mansfield midfielder Peter Starke had a drive deflected just wide left at 14; Chambers had a pair of corner kicks in the first 15 minutes, a right-footed drive on a slippery surface at 31, another to the far right post at 35; Nathan Maxwell got a flick of a header on a Chris Harney long ball at 30; and Murphy ran onto a loose ball without getting a shot at Bell at 32.

During the second half, the Hornets had merely two solid shots - a 40-yard, right-footed drive by Starke at 71 and a bullet of a shot by midfielder and captain Jeff Ivas at 72.

"We haven't had many breakdowns defensively, that's something we pride ourselves on. But, they scored four goals on four shots - we broke down four or five times and it cost us." Canning finished off an indirect kick from midfield, running onto the loose ball on the left side to beat Mansfield goalie Rob MacDonald for Marshfield's go-ahead goal. Berardi's tally, the third for the Rams, banged off the bar and down across the goalline before MacDonald or any of the Hornet defenders could react. Then Zarella took a through ball, MacDonald ventured out of the net to challenge, making the initial stop, but the Marshfield junior continued going forward and poked the ball into the net.

"Our scouting report, against any team, is to play physical," added Sorenson. "If you can win the 50-50 balls, it influences what the other team can do. Our kids compete with their bodies and win with their minds."