By JENNIFER GENTILE
WALPOLE—The Melrose High boy’s lacrosse team fell in the opening round of the MIAA Div. 2 playoffs to a tough #8 seed Walpole, 16-5, on May 31 to see their winning season come to an end.
Despite a very solid and even matched first quarter, the Timberwolves (16-3) pulled away in the second and didn’t look back in that half, easily penetrating Melrose defense.
Scoring for No. 25 seed Melrose (9-9) was Nick Hitchman who led with two goals and one goal each from Finn Alpers and Colby Higgins.
“Walpole is a strong team, we knew going in if we could get ball control on offense we could hang with them,” said Melrose head coach Jeff Heater after the game.
“However, they did a great job riding and didn’t throw the ball away on their own.”
Coming in as a #8 seed, Walpole was predictably strong. They benefitted from offense from Brayden Mattera (4 goals) and a solid defense led by goalie Tim Fraser.
“We made several unforced turnovers that kept the ball away from our offense, and playing 35 min of defense wears on you over the course of a game, and Walpole capitalized on our mistakes,” says coach Heater.
The Timberwolves were first on the board early with a Mattera goal but Melrose’s Finn Alpers tied it up at 1-1 just seven minutes into the game. That score would hold until the end of the first, but Walpole recharged in the second and went on a scoring spree behind goals from Mattera, Mike Connors and Sam Miles. Melrose’s Nick Hitchman found the net to keep it a manageable 5-2 game but Jack Webb would increase that lead for Walpole, who took a 8-2 lead after the half. Hitchman and Colby Higgins would find the net in the third and fourth but Walpole’s defense was too tricky for Melrose and they added their own goals behind the work of Jack Potter and Dillon Needham. The final 16-4 score sent Walpole to advance to battle Billerica (who they fell to) and ended Melrose’s season. “I would say this has been an overall fun season, but not without its challenges,” says coach Heater. “When I look back, I can say that building relationships with each player is as important as the X and O’s. We are together almost every day and that can wear on anyone, so making sure you’re having conversations and working together goes a long way with keeping vibes up and making sure you continue to improve as a team.”
Highlights include a milestone season for senior captain Nick Hitchman, who led the team in scoring with over 50 goals this season and surpassed 100 career goals at MHS. He is among a group of strong seniors this team will certainly miss. Graduating this year are Hitchman, captain Quinn Haggerty, Anders Giuliano, Luke DiMilla, goalie Noah Fay, captain Quinn Fogarty, Sean Maher and Rocco Knaunelis.
“I can’t say enough good things about this group of seniors. I’ve been fortunate to have coached almost all of them since they were in our youth program,” says the coach. “We have been through a lot together and I’m very proud of the body of work they have put together over the years. They’re a dedicated group of guys who love playing lacrosse together and it became infectious among overs on the squad. They have really helped set us up for success in the future.”
Maintaining the expectation of future playoff seasons will be a strict priority no doubt for coach Heater, who’d like to see off season work done to prepare for 2026.
“The boys have been tasked with working on their stick skills, and shot accuracy with both their strong and weak hands,” he says. “While also making sure we are putting time in the weight room to be able to handle the bumps and bruises that come from a competitive season.”
And they do have plenty of returners coming back next, several in starting positions, including high scoring sophomores like Sam Moore and Finn Alpers.
“We were able to call up 7 JV players for the tournament that allowed us a look into what we will have next year,” says the coach. “Each one of them fit in nicely with the current squad and I expect to be very competitive next season. Our Attack and Defense will be returning 2 out of the 3 starters at each position. Our midfield group will be the biggest shake up, but we also have 5 current varsity players that are coming back next year.”