WATERTOWN — The Wakefield High girls’ soccer team is turning the corner from the most difficult portion of its schedule, a stretch heavy on road games and top-tier opponents. The Warriors entered the week at 1–5 and emerged with a hard-fought 1–1 draw at Bishop Fenwick on Saturday and a composed 2–0 victory at Watertown last night, improving to 2–5–1 and keeping their division title and playoff hopes alive.
Against Fenwick, head coach Nico Manganiello rolled out a new 3-5-2 formation: three defenders, five midfielders, and two forwards. A three-person back line demands toughness and coordination, and the trio of senior captain Molly Anderson, Ella Medeiros and Laurel Renzi showed they were up to it, winning aerials, blocking shots, and tracking runners throughout.
The system also puts a premium on a high work rate on the wings. Juniors Keira O’Brien and Jillian Arcari covered the full length of the field, helping create a stout defensive block and springing forward to generate chances.
That work paid dividends In the 20th minute, when O’Brien earned a free kick outside of the Fenwick penalty area. Ella Ferrell nearly put Wakefield ahead on the direct free kick from 30 yards, which beat the keeper but rattled the crossbar.
In central midfield, Ferrell, senior captain Stella Carlino, freshman Phoebe Belknap, and junior Stella DeAngelis battled to win 50–50s and found creative ways to unlock Fenwick’s back line, giving forwards Teaghan Johnson and Nora Fitzgerald playmaking opportunities in the final third. The midfield work paid off in the 30th minute when DeAngelis chased down a long ball from Ferrell, and won a contested header that put Fitzgerald in behind the defense. Fitzgerald slid the ball into the net low to the keeper’s right, putting Wakefield up 1-0.
Fenwick equalized midway through the second half on a scramble from a corner. Both teams created late chances, with the hosts nearly stealing it on a point-blank header in the 76th minute, only for freshman goalkeeper Catherine Goodwin to produce an electrifying, match-saving stop, preserving the 1-1 tie.
Wakefield controlled most of the first half on a rainy afternoon in Watertown last night. The Raiders sat in and looked to counter with long balls, nearly breaking through on a one-on-one midway through the first half before Goodwin sprang off her line, sacrificed her body, and won the ball off her opponent’s foot, sending her toppling to the ground. That save seemed to energize the Wakefield team, and its best looks of the half came after that. With five minutes left, Fitzgerald sent Johnson in on a partial breakaway, resulting in a shot that flashed just past the far post. Moments later, just before halftime, Belknap split the defense with a precise pass to Jillian Arcari, whose left-footed drive from 15 yards went just over the bar.
Wakefield carried that momentum after the break and finally broke through when Nora Fitzgerald netted her fourth of the season. The move built through the midfield when Carlino found Johnson at the top of the 18, Johnson squared to an oncoming Fitzgerald, and she finished first time with a driven shot to the keeper’s right.
The Warriors kept the pressure on, earning multiple corners off driving runs by Johnson and O’Brien, with Lily Caplin also providing quality minutes up top and combining well with the midfield.
The Warriors got their second goal about five minutes later. On a well-struck Ella Ferrell corner to the six-yard box, a hard-charging Teaghan Johnson powered home her third goal of the year to make it 2–0. From there, Goodwin and the back line of Anderson, Medeiros, and Renzi held firm and handled the remaining threats. Hannah Caplin stepped in for an injured Renzi midway through the second half, delivering strong defensive play and calm distribution that helped Wakefield close the match with some of its best possession of the season.
The Warriors will look to continue their form tomorrow, 4:15 p.m. at home against Wilmington, a matchup that could loom large in the Middlesex League’s Freedom Division standings and presents a prime chance for the Warriors to boost their MIAA tournament resume.
