12 returning players will keep Melrose competitive
THE MELROSE HIGH girls’ soccer team returns after their most successful season to date when they clinched the Middlesex Freedom League and advanced to state quarterfinals. (photo by Raj Das edphotos.com)
By STEPHEN MARTELLUCCI
MELROSE—Last season was a historic one for the Melrose High girls’ varsity soccer team, as they had their best season and record to date with a playoff march that led them to the MIAA Division 2 quarterfinal round before falling 1-0 to Nashoba to end their season at 16-3-2, just shy of a sectional trophy.
In the Middlesex League, they captured their first-ever ML Freedom division title as they went 12-2-2 overall in the league.
Ten seniors graduated from that team but seventh-year head coach Rob Mahoney has welcomed back 12 veterans when fall camp opened on Aug. 19. The team has three senior captains, Chloe Mahoney (striker), Paige Crovo (midfielder) and Jill Frawley (defenseman). Frawley was a ML Freedom division All-Star last year.
The three other seniors back are Alex Leeman (defenseman), Sophia DiCalogero (midfielder) and Cadence L’Heureux (midfielder).
Ella Callahan (striker), Abby Taylor (defenseman), Emma Drago (midfielder) and Sophie McElligott (midfielder) are the four juniors back.
McElligott made the ML Freedom division All-Star team for the second year in a row and was also an eastern Mass. First Team All-Star as she had 14 goals a two assists last year.
The two returning sophomores are Kate Stratford (goalkeeper) and Claire MacDonald (midfielder).
Stratford went 5-0 in net to start the year last fall before the graduated Ava Tormo came back from injury.
“We had 60 girls come out, which is the most we have had since I have been head coach,” said coach Mahoney. “We are hoping to build off our season last year, although our team will be different with the loss of those seniors.”
Mahoney, who teaches at the Melrose Veterans Middle School, is confident that his squad will steadily improve as the season goes along. Melrose will play an 18-game regular season as they will play the Freedom teams twice and the Liberty division schools once.
They will also play two non-league games as they will host Mansfield and visit Peabody near the end of the season.
Melrose opened the 2024 campaign this week taking on Belmont at home and fell 1-0 (additional results not available at press time). They were set to travel to Reading on Thursday. On Sept. 9, they host Winchester at 6:30 p.m. at Fred Green Field. Melrose then travels to Wakefield on Sept. 11 with that game starting at 4:15 pm.
