Beverly Finds Groove, Tops Rival Marblehead

By Michael Abelson MARBLEHEAD - At the end of the day, the best defense is a good offense. That strategy worked well for Beverly, who put together a strong, second-half run to pull away from NEC rival Marblehead for an 11-7 victory at yesterday Piper Field. The Panthers (4-1) had seven goal scorers in all, led by a hat trick from Sam Abate and two goals apiece from Chris Vallette and Clinton Cabral. Jordan Rawding and Marblehead's (3-3) Manning Sears traded goals to open the second half, leaving Beverly staring at a slim, 6-5 edge. Then, the offense went to work as a goal by Vallette kick-started a 5-0 Panthers run that extended into the final frame. Both Hunter Spencer and Pe