Warriors tie Winchester after a win and draw against Watertown and Burlington

Published in the October 6, 2015 edition.

By DAN MARGARITA

WAKEFIELD — The Wakefield Memorial High girls’ soccer team hosted Winchester last night at Walton Field and came away with a 3-3 tie but only after squandering a 3-1 lead.

Winchester’s offense surged late in the second half and several times came within inches of taking a lead.

“I think possibly (there was) a little bit of fatigue for us. So, we had a few players who are fresh off of injuries and I really needed them to play probably more than what they were ready for fitness-wise tonight. I tried to swing them in and out as much as possible but I think more than anything Winchester picked up the speed in the second and clearly at the end of the second half,” said Wakefield coach Jessica Marshall.

Winchester got the first goal of the game just a few minutes in when Shelley Blumsack scored to make it 1-0.

Wakefield came close to scoring with Kelsey Czarnota and Grace Hurley having shots go just wide right of the Winchester net.

Wakefield got some solid defense courtesy of Isa Cusack to keep the ball out of the box.

“She certainly was amazing, one of our senior captains. (She has) Just a great touch and a great read on the ball. She’s the oldest in the back line right now. She’s essentially alone. She’s playing back there with sophomores and she’s really embraced that leadership position even though she’s on the outside and not the middle, which is a little atypical,” praised the coach.

Late in the first half Wakefield had somewhat of a scrum in front of the Winchester net with a number of shots being stopped by Winchester goalie Sylvia Dowdell. Eventually a shot went in for a goal with even the Wakefield bench uncertain as to the score’s owner, crediting it to Allee Purcell, sending the teams into halftime tied 1-1.

Wakefield scored early in the second half when Hurley sent a shot into the low-left corner of the net for a goal to put Wakefield up 2-1.

Wakefield extended its lead to 3-1 when Hailey Lovell fed Jessica Vinciguerra with a pass that Vinciguerra buried for a goal to give Wakefield a 3-1 advantage.

Winchester began to turn the game around, however.

“We were really trying to manage keeping up with it and when you’re down 2-1, 3-1 anybody’s goal is all-out scoring so they changed a little bit and went a little bit heavier up top. So, we had some adjustment issues managing that, definitely,” noted Marshall.

Kate Ryan scored to make it 3-2 and then Winchester was awarded a penalty kick. Olivia Hofheinz lined up the kick and scored to tie the game at 3-3.

Winchester continued to press and nearly took the lead with shots that hit the crossbar and the post. Then Wakefield goalie Emma Hickey made a diving save to prevent what seemed a sure goal to keep the game tied.

“Emma’s a great goalie. She was on the team last year and goalie is a funny position because if you’re the back-up keeper, you’re probably not playing, which means you’re not getting experience, which was Emma last year. The reality was that Emma on any other team would’ve been a starting keeper. We just had a lot of natural talent in the person that we had last year. Emma’s emerging right now with an understanding of what exactly she’s capable of doing. Sometimes she second-guesses herself but she’s doing that second guessing less as we move through the season,” Marshall said.

The coach also wanted to single out the play of Mia Joyce, who “had a great touch and go, which is why she’s going to a Division II school next year.”

Wakefield had its own scoring chances but was unable to convert and as it preserved the 3-3 tie.

The win followed a 3-1 victory over Watertown and a 2-2 tie at Burlington last Thursday and Saturday on the road at Moxley Field in Watertown and Varsity Field in Burlington. Wakefield is now 2-6-2 overall after 10 games and 2-5-2 in the Middlesex League Freedom division.

Wakefield, which is unbeaten in its last four contests, faces Belmont tomorrow afternoon at 3:45 p.m. at Harris Field.

—–

At Walton Field

Winchester…………1  2 — 3

WAKEFIELD……….1  2 — 3

—–

First Half — Win, Blumsack (un.) 3:00. Wak, Purcell (un. ) 33:00.

Second Half — Wak, Hurley (un.) 8:00. Wak, Vinciguerra (Lovell) 24:00. Win, Ryan (Carazza) 28:00. Win, Hofheinz (Penalty Kick) 33:00.

Saves — Wak, Hickey (11). Win, Dowdell (6).