Westford Academy’s Boys’ Soccer endured a tough 2-0 loss against the Billerica Indians on Saturday, Oct. 23 on Trustees Field.

The brisk air of an 11 a.m. game can knock anyone off their feet alone, but that wasn’t the only thing that hurt the Ghosts on Saturday. With five starters benched due to off-the-field problems, Westford came out with an almost completely different lineup for their last home game of the season.

The first half started with defense dictating most of the game, making it hard to even get the ball past the mid-field. Even with two new back defensemen, junior Justin Jones (#24) and junior Roman Munichiello (#4) in the starting lineup, both teams were fighting to score.

The battle finally came to an end when Billerica struck the first blow late in the half. After great pressure around the goal, Billerica’s left striker sniped one through the net and WA went down 1-0.

Going into halftime, it seemed both teams regrouped and discussed how to dissect the opposing defense to get some points on the board. Indians’ senior goalie Marco Cugno was vocal throughout the game, telling teammates where to be and how to play in certain situations. With his saves, he kept hope slim for the Ghosts.

For the second half, fans could sense the tension between these teams building. Slide tackle after another, both teams were relentless on defense. Pressure even rose to the point of an altercation resulting in a yellow card for Billerica.

Seniors Jon Colley (#13) and Ryan Dipietro (#7) saw multiple plays on the net but could never connect. However, no easy points were allowed by Billerica senior defenders Elias Flaounas (#6) and Colten Jacques (#7).

Just when Westford thought they could come back late in the second, a wild bounce got tipped and went over newly starting senior goalie Tom Kohen’s (#20) head, crushing hope for any comeback. As the goal went in, the feeling of disappointment spread across the field as multiple players hit their knees.

With this loss, WA drops out of the playoff bracket as of now. They have three road games left to make a push back into contention, with the last two having the full roster competing. This week, Friday the 29th, WA looks to bounce back in the DCL playoffs versus Newton South.