Kicks off season with a 2-1 win over Stoneham
Published October 9, 2020
By JENNIFER GENTILE
MELROSE—Going into a sports season amid unprecedented challenges, Melrose girls varsity soccer coach Rob Mahoney had little idea of what to expect when they opened up against Stoneham last weekend. Guidelines and regulations risked turning the sport of soccer into a penalty-happy, haphazard contest.
But it was smooth sailing on Saturday, Oct. 3 when Melrose clinched a 2-1 win over Stoneham in a manageable and competitive game. Between the Red Raiders and the Spartans, the two teams proved that varsity soccer in a COVID world can be played in a familiar and competitive way.
Stoneham entered the game with a big target on their backs. Last year, they advanced to States but in the offseason lost two Div. 1 college-recruited players to graduation. They still had a solid unit who would pose a threat to Melrose, but were no match for Melrose senior Grace Donahue, who scored both of Melrose’s goals in the effort. Her first goal (off a rebound shot by Melrose’s Haley Keegan) gave Melrose a 1-0 lead going into halftime. Then she made it a 2-0 game when she scored from 25 yards out on a top-right, corner goal. Stoneham would score on an indirect kick with 10 minutes left in the game but it was all Melrose in the end, and they left the field with a 2-1 win. What’s better is that they get to do it all over again this Saturday at home at Fred Green Field at noon for round two against Stoneham.
“Stoneham is such a quality team so this was an important win for us,” said Melrose coach Rob Mahoney after the game. “And Grace [Donahue] has really come into her own this season.”
Overall, he credited the officials, coaches and players for banding together to produce a cohesive effort. “This was real soccer. Maybe some confusion at first but the officials were great at reminding the kids of the new guidelines. We adjusted well, got a handful of kids in for their first varsity minutes. It was an enjoyable game.”
At the goal, Melrose senior Jocelyn Skane had an excellent effort by shutting down Stoneham’s experienced shooters. “She had some real timely saves and was able to snuff out their attacks,” says her coach.
While Donahue provided the offensive work, defensively it was an overall solid effort as Melrose enjoyed a shutout for 3/4 of the game. Melrose’s Jenna Champagne and Katherine Carney made all the difference defensively, while some quality work also came from Lucy Hannon and Ali McGuire, who earned her first varsity minutes.
But their work against the Spartans isn’t done. They will play them again this Saturday at noon to iron out small details. Says Mahoney, “We left a few opportunities on the field. That’s stuff we can go over with film. Overall, it was so good to be out there, it’s truly the highlights of our days. The team is bonding and its a wonderful start.”
