After press time:
Melrose defeats Stoneham 1-0 (Sept. 23)
Melrose falls to Wilmington 1-0 (Sept. 19)
By STEPHEN MARTELLUCCI
MELROSE—On Tuesday afternoon, the Melrose High girls’ soccer team picked up a league win when they edged guest Burlington, 2-1, at Pine Banks. This follows another impressive league win over Wakefield last week, to keep Melrose 2-0 in the Freedom League. Overall Melrose remains a solid solid 3-3 and 3-2 in the Middlesex League.
Against the Red Devils, Melrose scored first in the ninth minute as Sophia DiCalogero got fouled in the box and Abby Taylor scored on the penalty kick.
The Red Devils tied the game in the final minute of the first half off a corner kick.
The hero for Melrose turned out to be Melrose freshman Ella Beshel, who scored her first-career goal in the 71st minute assisted by Claire MacDonald.
“She picked a right time to score her first goal,” said Melrose head coach Rob Mahoney. “This game was the best we have played so far because we were patient with the ball.”
Melrose goalkeeper Lilah Croach made her varsity debut and the sophomore made six saves. Regular goalie Kate Stratford got injured in practice on Monday so Mahoney called Croach up from the junior varsity team.
It was a nice bounce-back win Melrose after they were shutout, 3-0, by visiting Mansfield at Fred Green Field on Sunday afternoon. “They were in the (Division 2) state final last year,” pointed out Mahoney, about the non-league Hornets. “We scheduled them as a measuring stick game and they should go deep again in the tournament. I put them on the same level as Winchester.”
The Hornets scored all three of their goals in the first half as they dominated the territorial play. Stratford was very busy in net as she made 12 saves to go to 2-3 in net.
On Sept. 11, Melrose nipped Wakefield, 2-1 on the road.
Melrose led this one, 2-0, at the half.
Melrose’s Sophie McElligott scored in the eighth minute with Emma Drago assisting. “She made that goal shooting with her left foot,” pointed out Mahoney, as she is a right-footed kicker. “It was a creative shot.”
In the 15th minute Ella Callahan made it 2-0, assisted by Cadence L’Heureux. The Warriors came with 16 minutes remaining in the game but Melrose was able to hold on the rest of the way. Stratford made four saves in net.
“We won that game ugly,” admitted Mahoney. “I did love how we started.”
The next two games for the team will be under the lights.
On Sept. 23 Melrose visits Stoneham at 6:15 pm.
They then welcome Watertown at Fred Green Field on Sept. 25 with that game starting at 8 pm after the Melrose boys’ varsity contest.