Boys’ Soccer wins 3-1 vs Chelmsford
September 25, 2016
This Saturday, September 24, at 7:00 P.M. WA Boys’ Varsity Soccer triumphed over Chelmsford High 3-1. This was also an honorary game for the late Matt Roberge, a member of the JV team who passed away from leukemia this August.
After the singing of the national anthem, there was a minute of silence. Then the team released 21 balloons — the number Roberge wore for WA. All the athletes, Westford and Chelmsford alike, wore orange armbands honoring Roberge.
The stands were nearly full, and several fans circled the field in an attempt to ward off the cold.
For the first few minutes of the game, both teams were evenly matched. Chelmsford pressed forward for a brief offensive run but was ultimately pressed back into the center of the field. No team gained the upper hand as both teams were pushed forward and back.
Twenty-two minutes into the first half, WA rushed down the field and after a brief scuffle near the goal, sophomore Nick Awada netted the first goal. Shouts of “Awada!” could be heard from the stands as the onlookers erupted in applause.
Shortly afterwards, Chelmsford shot a penalty, but the ball was blocked by sophomore goalie Alex Wood. WA then called a time out and the coach held a brief discussion with the team before they headed back to the field.
Wood came to the fore once again when he scored the second goal of the game off a WA penalty shot. After the goal, Chelmsford took possession of the ball but sophomore Michael Zacharchuk took control of the ball and turned it back to Westford’s side. However, Chelmsford came out with the upper hand and drove down the field but ultimately missed their shot on goal.
A series of neat passes on WA’s part kept them in control as the first half continued. The back-and forth between the two teams went on until the end of the first half, which ended on a good note for Westford Academy with a 2-0 lead.
After the ten-minute break for half-time, both teams reentered the field.
Chelmsford started the second half strong with their first goal, scored eight minutes into the second half. WA was not to be outdone, though, and fought to keep the pressure on Chelmsford as the evening wore on.
In a goal attempt and the block that followed, Chelmsford’s goalkeeper was injured and left the field.
Seventeen minutes into the second half, WA broke through Chelmsford’s defense, followed by cheers from the WA fans. The shot was blocked however, and possession went to Chelmsford, who also failed to capitalize on their scoring chance.
Junior Derek Jones was knocked down around halfway through the quarter. Although he left the field, he was not seriously injured and returned after a brief rest.
With 11 minutes left in the game, WA was given another penalty shot but missed.
With only a few minutes left in the game, both teams were getting tense – Westford Academy struggled to maintain their lead, while Chelmsford struggled to close the gap. WA made another break for the goal, and although the ball was kicked away by the defense, sophomore Graeme Logan intercepted it and shot for the goal.
The shot was blocked by Chelmsford’s defense and Logan was visibly upset, although his teammates shouted encouragement. He had a chance to redeem himself when he scored the final goal of the game only minutes before the final buzzer, bringing the final score to 3-1 Westford.
Coach Tony DiLeo was not elated with the team’s performance, but felt that they had played decently. He noted that the one of the boys’ previous games had gone very well, and he hoped to emulate that in future games.
“[We need] more discipline,” he said, but also added, “I give the kids credit. They scored some nice goals.”
The next home game is on October 1, where boys will play North Andover at 6:00 P.M.
