Melrose beats Reading & Winchester to improve to 12-1
Published in the May 11, 2018 edition
By JENNIFER GENTILE
MELROSE—The Melrose Red Raider lacrosse team continues to remain the team to beat in the division after back-to-back wins over top-ranked teams to improve their season record to 12-1 and a flawless 8-0 in the Middlesex League. The Red Raiders faced two tests this week: Middlesex League rival Reading (8-5) and high-ranked Winchester (9-2) and prevailed in both, earning statement wins that all but cement their reputation as the team to beat in Div. 2 North.
It was a down-to-the-wire, nail-biter for Melrose when they picked up their 11th win of the season in an 11-10 victory over Reading during Senior Night last Friday evening at Fred Green Field.
Melrose faced the tandem act of Jack Geiger and Mike Tobin of Reading, two All-American players who combined for eight second-half points that slowly erased Melrose’s comfortable 7-2 lead at the half. But the Red Raiders fought back hard with a game-winning save at the net by Melrose goalie Matt Rocha, who fended off a tying goal with just ten seconds left in the game. He was aided by leading scorers, Jack Wells (3 goals, 2 assists) and Andy Calvert (3 goals, including the game-winner).
“It was definitely too close for comfort,” chuckles coach Matt James. “And we gave them room to operate, so it took everything we had to counterpunch. But you could tell how much we wanted that win—our poise was incredible. We left the field gassed, but the boys know there is nothing they can’t do now.”
Melrose took an early 5-1 lead thanks in part from goals by Jack Wells and Matt Dussault. Melrose showed exceptional defense from sophomore Chris Cusolito and senior Cam Rosie that kept Reading off the board for a good stretch. At the start of the second, the Red Raiders took a lead of 6-1 when Andy Calvert scored on an unassisted drive to the net. Mike Calvert and Chris Cusolito aided Rocha on defense and Cusolito charged through defenders with two minutes left in the half for a goal that made it 7-2 at the half.
But Reading came out fast and furious in the second half, giving Melrose goalie Rocha a run for his money in the opening seconds of the 3rd. Rocha fended off a flurry of shots before Jack Geiger hit his first of four goals with 5:50 in the quarter. His teammate Mike Tobin joined him and made it 7-4 just a minute later. Melrose took a much needed time out and returned with a goal by freshmen Brendan Fennell to make it 8-4. The two teams traded goals with less than two minutes in the quarter when Jack Wells found the net for Melrose and Grieger scored once more for the Rockets, who were kept at bay from the defense of Melrose’s Cusolito. By the end of the quarter, Melrose held on to a 9-5 lead.
A few minutes into the fourth, the Rockets made it a game by scoring back-to-back goals by Tobin and Geiger that made it a 9-7 contest. Tobin struck again at 8:29 in the fourth and Geiger tied things up, 9-9, with 6:05 left in the game. Melrose’s Brendan Fennell and Andy Calvert proved enormous for Melrose when they both found the net and made it an 11-9 game.
Melrose’s Rocha held down the fort with two impressive saves before Geiger struck again to make it an 11-10 game with just two minutes to go. Melrose lost a critical faceoff but saw Cusolito force a turnover that gave Melrose the opportunity to score. Melrose’s Jack Wells just missed at the net with 58 seconds left, and as they clung to their one-goal lead, they watched as Reading made a final offensive stand, a Geiger bullet towards the net that landed right into the net of Melrose’s Rocha, who saved the game for Melrose.
“Matt was awesome and he just had an incredible game overall,” says coach James.
Having left the field unscathed, Melrose traveled to Knowlton Stadium in Winchester on Tuesday, May 8 to take on the top-ranked Sachems (9-1), a historically tough team that Melrose beat in 2017. It was a true test for Div. 2 North supremacy with Melrose taking the honors in an impressive, 12-3 victory. Melrose was led in scoring by Mike Calvert (3 goals) and Brendan Fennell (3 goals).
The Red Raiders were first to score, taking a quick 2-0 lead after goals from Andrew Calvert and Christian Nyland. With just a few minutes left in the first quarter, the Sachems got on board to tie it up 2-2. Melrose took a lead of 5-2 in the second with goals from Gabe Nyland, Brendan Fennell and then Chris Cusolito made it a 6-2 game early in the third. Melrose defense clamped down from there, with Cusolito causing most of the Sachem damage and Matt Rocha coming up big with over ten saves at the net.
“We played significantly better today,” says coach James. “We did well on transition and we played with the kind of poise that allowed up to see opportunities and make them, especially on defense. And we had 8 different scorers, which is hard to do with a team like Winchester.”
He and the team were thrilled to have senior captain Mike Calvert back in the lineup. “He’s an incredible player and he made a great difference being in the lineup and scoring three big goals for us. It was all coming back to him.”
With a tough stretch of schedule behind them, Melrose’s next goal is wrapping up the Middlesex Freedom League, which they can do on Tuesday when they take on Wakefield at home at 4:00 p.m. at Fred Green Field. Beyond that, Melrose certainly has their sights on the Div. 2 crown. It will take besting teams like Reading and Winchester again in postseason, plus some unknowns that could include Billerica and North Reading. “We will be scouting this week and will get a better idea how this division folds out,” says James. “Until then, it’s one game at a time. We’re focused now on Wakefield.”