WA Boys’ Soccer emerged as the winners of their home match against Billerica Memorial High School on Saturday, Sept. 20, stomping out their opponents in a late 2-0 win and leveling their season record to 2-2-1 after a tense 80 minutes of gameplay.
The fiery game began with a charged first half marked by nearly successful goals and a constant struggle for possession, while a desperate second half found the Ghosts in a newly focused mindset that allowed them to score the only two goals of the face-off.
Right out of the gate, Billerica pushed WA onto defense with several advances towards the net. However, each shot made in the first few minutes of the game found its way into senior captain and goalie Jack Bussey’s gloves.
With help from the Ghosts’ defense, Bussey managed to push the battle for possession into the midfield. The ball traded possessions at centerfield for the majority of the first half, but multiple attempted runs were made at each goal.
Senior captain Michael Mahony took the lead in dribbling the ball from the midfield to Billerica’s net as the first half progressed, but the increasingly fast pace of the game limited the accuracy of his shots.
Along with the density of players at midfield, any ball handling on either team’s end inevitably led to a penalty due to the escalating energy and aggression near each goal. Contact was unceasing, and every player was covered by another with multiple attempts to intercept the ball at every pass.
Billerica also managed to direct several shots at WA’s goal, but a combination of tight defense and inaccuracy on Billerica’s end allowed the score to stall at an unmoving 0-0. As the first half neared its end, the Ghosts’ focus remained on making it through the densely packed midfield.
“In those times, we try to stay positive and keep pushing through the hard times. [We] look for opportunities to play our game and focus on what we do best,” senior Marvin Kuch said.
Directing passes through the throngs of players, senior Alex Miller and junior Joel Forcier kept the ball moving towards Billerica’s defense with effective communication and smooth passes across the field, even as interceptions and throw-ins congested the gameplay.
“We had a lot of [progress] on our 50-50 balls: winning [the possession], contesting that first [possession], but more importantly [contesting] that second one as well,” head coach Jeff Lamy said. “We had a tough game against Waltham last week, and [gaining possession] was something we weren’t great at, so we had a whole week of practice on it, and I thought the boys did a great job, and it showed in the game today.”
The tension briefly broke at halftime, but began to rise again immediately after the start of the second half, with the score still at 0-0.
Crucially, Billerica moved slightly slower to gain full control of the ball, allowing junior Collin Holman to sneak in a smooth shot to the net and earn the first point of the game.
With one point on the board, the desperation to score only increased on both sides as WA attempted to extend their lead and Billerica fought to tie the game. Senior Srikar Navuduri and Kuch pushed forward on the offensive end, refusing to give Billerica any opportunity to score.
A slight dip in energy was exchanged for a bump in aggression as the pressure of the midfield pushed any drives to the sidelines or out-of-bounds.
Both teams remained determined to gain a stable upper hand, and neither was willing to bend to the steadily increasing pace of the game. To slow down their opponent’s momentum, senior Matthew Van Houtte and freshman Russell Coward held the Ghosts’ defense tight while Billerica repeatedly fought to get through to the net.
While Van Houtte controlled the centerfield, Coward managed to drive the ball to the sidelines, forcing WA throw-ins and disrupting Billerica’s plays. In addition to the high pressure plays, headers, a slide tackle, and crushing blows to cleats also forced the referee into overdrive as several injuries and collisions were called in the second half.
Amid the chaos, Kuch managed to slip away with the ball and aim a clear strike to the upper right corner of the net. The crowd held their breath as the ball curved slightly through an opening and sailed into the goal, bringing the score to 2-0.
“Honestly, I was just trying to play the time because it was in the last 10 minutes, so I was trying to run to the corner, and then I saw the opportunity and just took it,” Kuch said.
The extension to WA’s lead boosted their energy one last time as they focused on keeping Billerica on their toes and away from the net. Although the Ghosts continued to make offensive plays, they prioritized the protection of their lead later in the second half.
On the other hand, Billerica channeled all their energy into attacks on the goal. Bussey’s unyielding efforts around the net prevented several Billerica shots from challenging the score, but the last five minutes of the game were still filled with anticipation.
The last buzzer finally sounded, and the players let out a collective breath as the 2-0 score was cemented and WA claimed their victory.
The Ghosts’ next match will be at Concord-Carlisle High School on Saturday, Sept. 27 at 7:00 p.m. This game will also be the site of the annual Kicks for Cancer event, where players will raise funding and awareness for cancer research while participating in a 32-team playoff.
“[I hope that] we continue this momentum into our next game,” Lamy said. “We got our Kicks for Cancer game next week, so having a good game today hopefully leads us into a good week of practice.”
