After press time:
Melrose falls to Belmont 2-0 (Sept. 2)
Melrose defeats Wakefield 2-1 (Sept. 4)
THE MELROSE High girls’ soccer team is gearing up for another successful season. Last year they advanced in playoffs and hope to match that effort this fall. (photo by Raj Das, edphotos.com)
By STEPHEN MARTELLUCCI
MELROSE—The Olivia Downey era has begun for the Melrose High girls’ soccer team, as they welcome the former MHS player and alum as the new head coach this year. She inherits a team that finished at 9-9-2 as they lost, 3-0, at Masconomet (eventual state winners) in the MIAA Division 2 Round of 32 game last season.
In the Middlesex League, Melrose finished in second place behind Wilmington in the Freedom Division.as they were 8-7-1 in the league overall and a strong 7-2-1 in the Freedom Division. Seven seniors from this team graduated including Middlesex League All-stars Jill Frawley, Cadence L’Heureux and Paige Crovo but Melrose had over ten veterans return when camp opened up back on Aug. 18.
The two captains this fall are senior midfielder Sophie McElligott and senior center-back Abby Taylor. Both girls were members of the Middlesex League All-Star team last year.
Along with the captains, Melrose returns seven other seniors. Those seven veterans are Ella Callahan (striker), Emma Drago (center-midfielder), Kiera Brophy (wing-back), Aisling Donegan (wing-back) Lila Fauci (wing-back), Addie Healy (wing-back), and Kayla Good (wing-back).
Kate Stratford (goalkeeper), Anna Mathews (center- midfielder), Claire MacDonald (defenseman), Katie Leeman (defenseman), and Lilah Croach (goalkeeper), are the juniors back. Another junior coming back is center-midfielder Zoe Tubinis, who missed all of last year with an ACL injury.
The lone tenth-grader back is striker Ella Beshel.
Downey, who was an assistant coach under Rob Mahoney for the past three years, has kept her team busy during the pre-season as they had two scrimmages taking on Waltham and Billerica last week. “I’m hoping that we head into the season with a lot of confidence,” said Downey, who is a Melrose High Athletic Hall of Famer. Melrose is slated to play an 18-game regular-season schedule. They will play the Freedom division schools twice and the Liberty Division teams once. They will also play a pair of non-league games against Marshfield and Peabody.
Melrose opened the 2025 campaign on Sept. 2 at Belmont and hosted Wakefield on Sept. 4 (results not available as of press time).
On Sept. 8, Melrose welcomes Reading at 4:15 pm at Pine Banks. Two days later, they visit Burlington with that game also starting at 4:15.