Westford Academy Girls’ Soccer (WAGS) may have lost the upper hand in their game against Weston High School on Sept. 26, but they braved the elements and persevered through 90 minutes of near constant rain, finishing the game in a 3-1 loss and setting their season record to 3-4.
The Ghosts’ power and energy kept the Wildcats on their toes, but Weston’s speed and evasiveness allowed them to gain and maintain a lead as both teams struggled through the downpour.
Weston started the match with an immediate drive to WA’s net. Catching WAGS off guard, Weston was able to run ahead of WA and score a goal within the first five minutes. Already behind one point, the Ghosts woke up and began putting pressure on Weston with an aggressive offense, high passes, and headers.
Freshman midfielder Reese Nielsen was an early leader in offensive plays, weaving past her opponents and driving the ball to Weston’s net. Freshman striker Tienna McClelland also kept an aggressive hold on the ball. Just a few minutes after falling behind, WA was able to tie Weston with a score of 1-1 due to a far shot by McClelland.
WA’s energy visibly increased after the goal, with senior captain Ella Diruggiero maintaining a tight midfield offense, while senior Sarah Foley and sophomores Alexa Coward and Lyla Griffin kept the defensive line strong.
“I think the team passed well and took good shots,” Coward said.
Junior goalie Paige Markesich was initially very successful in catching and stopping the shots that Weston pushed through WA’s strong defense, but as the first half progressed, Weston was able to maneuver closer and closer to WA’s goal.
The Wildcats eventually managed to push in by staying close to the sidelines and found the gap to sneak in another goal, advancing their score to 2-1. When Weston advanced towards the goal again, just a few minutes later, the Ghosts ran up to meet them. However, with the goal left open, Weston was able to sink another shot, increasing their lead to 3-1 as the first half ended.
WA came into the second half with high energy, determined to catch up to Weston. Despite continued strong plays and defense at midfield from senior captain Erin Keefe and junior Gabrielle Pantoja, Weston kept WA a far distance from the goals.
As another downpour began, both teams refused to let up, stealing, intercepting, and defending their goals. Evenly matched, neither team was able to get past the other, but tiredness was setting in as their plays slowed down.
“We have to work on keeping the energy high and our heads up even when we go down a goal or two,” Coward said. “The rain was tough to play in but it was a pretty close game and the chance we could still come back was definitely keeping us all fighting.”
Nielsen, Diruggiero, and Coward kept WA going with persistent attacks to Weston’s drives, but both teams were repeatedly pushed into the sidelines, hindering any attempts at the goal. Foley and Pantoja also consistently stopped Weston’s plays from reaching the goal and executed successful throw-ins, but as the time wound down, the outcome seemed already decided.
Nevertheless, WA used their remaining energy and time to keep the ball away from their goal as the game ended with a score of 3-1 with Weston taking home the win.
WAGS will play their next match away against Groton-Dunstable Regional High School on Saturday, Sept. 28 at 12:00 pm.
