By CHRISTINA GAGNE
WAKEFIELD — In the heart of a nor’easter on Oct. 13, the Wakefield High boys’ soccer team delivered its most complete performance of the season, overcoming both the weather and a tough Melrose squad to earn a 3-1 victory in a key Middlesex League matchup.
From the opening whistle, the Warriors asserted control, dominating possession and dictating the tempo of the match. Their early pressure in the attacking third led to multiple chances, including a shot from Mhamed Boukataya and a deflection by Eddie Meneguello. The sustained pressure earned Wakefield several corner kicks, and although they were unable to convert at first, the breakthrough came soon after.
On their fourth corner, taken from the right by Boukataya, senior Danny Kidder rose above the defense and met the ball with a clinical header that sailed into the back of the net, giving Wakefield a 1-0 lead.
Senior captain Matt Keefe continued to energize the Warriors’ attack, launching several powerful shots — two narrowly clearing the crossbar and another curling just wide. Keefe nearly added a second goal on a breakaway, but the Melrose keeper came off his line with a well-timed stop.
Wakefield’s midfield maintained tight control throughout the half, winning key battles and distributing the ball effectively. The defense, anchored by Aden Stevenson and senior captains Aidan Bligh and Nik Dhingra, remained organized and disciplined, limiting Melrose to only a couple of shots on target, both comfortably saved by goalie, Kai Mercer.
Shortly before the halftime whistle, the Warriors doubled their lead in familiar fashion. This time it was Aodan Hagan delivering a corner from the left side, and once again, Kidder climbed above the crowd to nod in his second goal of the match.
“Loved the gritty, hard-fought win we earned today,” said Kidder. “Huge credit to all my teammates and coaches for pushing through early-season adversity. Our goal now is to finish strong, make a deep playoff run, and shake things up in our favorite time of the year: November soccer.”
Wakefield continued to create chances after the break, with Hagan, Guy Revah, and Alex De Morais orchestrating the attack through sharp passing and intelligent movement. Ryan Millward came close to scoring off a header from yet another corner, but the Red Hawks’ goalkeeper made a strong save.
Despite the worsening weather conditions in the second half, the Warriors never took their foot off the gas. Whenever the Red Hawks tried to mount an attack, a Warrior would be right there to nullify it. One of the standout moments came when Bligh made a courageous defensive header to clear a dangerous ball, and Mercer continued to come up big between the posts.
Midway through the second half, Wakefield added insurance. De Morais launched a long ball forward, and Boukataya settled it cleanly before unleashing a beautiful strike past the keeper to put the Warriors up 3-0.
Melrose managed to slip a ball past Mercer to cut the lead to 3-1 but the Warriors stayed composed and saw out the match with solid game management and disciplined defending.
Coach Matt Angelo praised his team’s resilience and growth.
“That was the best we’ve played all season — even with the elements,” said Angelo. “We’ve had tough luck with injuries and sickness and haven’t had a full squad yet. We’ve been searching for a complete 80-minute performance, and we finally got that. This group is battle-tested. We’ve had guys step into new roles all year, and this win is a huge statement to start the second half of the season.”
The win helped Wakefield climb a few spots in the rankings to No. 38.
Since that victory, the Warriors lost a close matchup with Div. 1 Lexington 1-0 on the road and defeated Stoneham 4-1 yesterday. A full story will appear at a later date.
Wakefield (6-5-2) hosts Watertown (7-1-7) for Senior Night tomorrow, 7 p.m. at Landrigan Field.