By Owen Ziegler
Community Contributor
On the night of October 22, the Westwood Wolverines boys varsity soccer team, with a record of 6-3-4, played against the Norwood Mustangs, with a record of 1-11-1. With the chances in their favor the Wolverines looked to be the sure favorites especially with the support from friends and family for senior night. Westwood already clinched a spot in the D2 MIAA playoffs, but the team wanted to prove victorious and honor the work of the seniors.
The game started extremely slowly for both teams, with a fierce defensive battle from both sides, Westwood was impenetrable, Senior defender Hugh Nicholson made sure of that. Although a great defensive matchup, fans were anxious for a goal, but they would have to wait. Westwood proved their superiority across the pitch as Senior captain Luke McCabe controlled possession of the ball throughout the game, leading passes, blocking shots, tackling dribblers, and drawing a yellow card against Norwood, all to prove himself as a captain. With about 10 minutes left in the half we saw our first real chance with Trevor Ferreira taking a fast-break shot on goal, but veered to the left. The end of the half gave the team a well needed break. Securing a tie of 0-0 to start the next ‘45.
Through the next half, the Wolverines proved their superiority on defense and offense. Backed by senior captain goalkeeper Alex Andrew, they kept Norwood’s offense to minimal attacks, turning each stop into offensive chances for players like Freshman George Stamatakos and Junior Sam Meng, each with multiple chances on goal, but unfortunately falling short each time. Stamatakos proved the doubters wrong with his relentless shooting, but he was unable to find the back of the net. Finally with 16 minutes left in the game the Freshman made a pass to #7 Junior Trevor Ferreira, 30 yards away he took a beautiful, arching shot, flying over the goalie to make the score 1-0, Westwood.
With that amazing shot, Norwood’s chances were tarnished. The final whistle blew, with Westwood taking the win on senior night, due to the excellent performance of the team and the support from their families. The team looks forward to the playoffs, hopeful to secure a championship trophy.
Earlier that night, the JV boys soccer team played Norwood, but it was a completely different story. Westwood destroyed, showcasing punishing offense and strong defense. With an end score of 5-0, a standout moment came from #22 Ryan Goldkamp. From about 20 yards away, he delivered a breathtaking chip shot soaring over the goalie dropping in the goal. A great game to prepare us for the varsity thriller.
The varsity team is set to play two more games before they enter the playoffs, on Friday Oct 25, 2024The Wolverines are favored against Hopkinton High school, with 4 wins, 8 losses and 3 draws. To close out the season the team played at home on Oct 29, 2024, in a tough matchup against the 13-3 Dedham Marauders.
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