THE MYSL Commissioner’s Cup winning Melrose U-12-1 team: top row l-r Coach Jeff Donahue, Grace Donohue, Maddie Turner, Kate Story, Deirdre Flanagan, Emily Crovo, Andrea Mortimer, Coach Tina Champagne, Bottom row l-r Courtney Casey, Alyssa Champagne, Ella DeCecca, Jenna Champagne, Ella Fleming, and Shelley Donahue. (courtesy photo)
MELROSE — As the heavy rains ended in Woburn on Sunday, June 21 the Melrose Girls’ U-12-1 team won the MYSL Commissioner’s Cup. It was a close, hard-played game against a very tough Reading team. Grace Donohue scored early in the first half for Melrose and the score remained one to zero in heart-pounding back and forth action until Reading was able to sneak in a goal with 20 seconds left at the end of the second half.
Two tumultuous 10 minute overtime periods with near-goals for each team were then played but at their conclusion the score was still tied at one. Each team then got set to alternate taking five penalty kicks each for the tie breaker. Reading went first but Melrose prevailed three to one in PKs. The tie breaker was stopped after the fourth Reading kick and it became a mathematical certainty that Melrose had won. Melrose goalie Emily Crovo displayed nerves of steel, amazingly stopping three out of four well-placed Reading penalty kicks.
The Melrose girls will represent the Middlesex League in next weekend’s Massachusetts Tournament of Champions in Lancaster with two games on Friday and one on Saturday with more to follow on Sunday if they prevail.
Published in the June 26, 2015 edition
