By DAN PAWLOWSKI
WATERTOWN — The Wakefield High boys’ soccer team traveled to Watertown on Wednesday in a matchup between the top two teams in the Middlesex League’s Freedom Division.
A thrilling, back-and-forth matchup fittingly ended in a 2-2 tie after two goals in the final eight minutes.
Wakefield (2-2-3) scored with 7:59 left on an impressive individual effort by Eddy Meneguello. Watertown’s keeper never had possession of a loose ball while the senior Warrior stuck with it through multiple defenders to finish for a 2-1 lead.
After a long discussion between the referees confirmed the tally, the home Raiders ultimately found an equalizer in stoppage time on a corner kick.
Watertown got on the board first in this one thank to an impressive finish on a free kick from about 25 yards out.
With the help of some rainy soccer weather, the two teams grappled in a classic battle for possession throughout the first half that ended 1-0 Raiders.
Wakefield wasted no time in getting level in the second half. Junior Alex De Morais scored less than two minutes on a laser from outside the 18 into the low, left corner.
That set the state for another mostly even half with minimal chances for both teams as the defenses stepped, Wakefield’s led by seniors Aden Stevenson, Aidan Bligh, Nik Dhingra and Danny Kidder.
Sophomore Kai Mercer made a nice save on another long shot free kick before the two teams fully wore each other out.
Meneguello’s goal was anything but standard. He outworked four different Raiders to turn a routine chase from a striker into danger. Watertown’s goalie tried to pick up the ball in the box but only got a fingertip on it before Meneguello poked it free and knocked it in for a 2-1 lead.
The referees stuck with their call of goal through disagreements aplenty at Victory Field and Wakefield led 2-1 with 7:59 to go.
The Warriors appeared well on their way to a win as they continued to cause problems for the Raider defense in the next five minutes with fresh forwards subbed in by head coach Matt Angelo to cause headaches for Watertown.
The home team eventually worked it out of their zone and pushed up with everything they had, earning multiple corners in a row. It was on their 8th corner kick of the half that the home team converted on a header to tie it. Wakefield needed to defend two more corners before it was over, ultimately holding on for the point.
A rematch between the two will certainly be circled as Watertown comes to Landrigan Field for a night game on Oct. 22 at 7 p.m.
The Warriors will take on Burlington tomorrow morning, 10 a.m. at Concord-Carlisle High School for the 19th annual Lois Wells Memorial Kicks For Cancer event which will feature 19 games on multiple fields throughput the day.