The Franklin Panthers advanced to the Division 1 title match with a 2-0 semifinal win over Concord-Carlisle Tuesday night, a result that sent the program to its first championship berth since 2012. Franklin came into the matchup with an 11-5-2 record and the No. 6 seed, while Concord-Carlisle entered as the No. 10 seed at 9-4-5.
Cassidy Carmignani opened the scoring in the first half with a looping corner kick that found the net and gave the Panthers the lead. From then on, the match was a defensive showcase, as both sides limited clear scoring chances and defended aggressively to keep the contest in single-goal range.
Late in the second half, Anna Carosi provided breathing room with a large insurance goal, cushioning Franklin’s advantage and allowing the Panthers to close out the result. The win set up a title meeting with No. 4 Natick, a team riding a 15-1 postseason goal differential and coming off a 5-0 semifinal result over Belmont.
Franklin took the final at Doyle Field in Leominster Saturday at 10 a.m., carrying momentum from strong defensive work and timely finishing into the program’s biggest match in more than a decade.
