CHARLES GAGNE helped control the middle of the field, winning every 50/50 ball, especially in the second half when the Warriors outscored the Hawks 3-0 in their 5-2 first round victory. (Dan Pawlowski Photo)
Set to host Somerset Berkely in Sweet 16 tomorrow night
By DAN PAWLOWSKI
WAKEFIELD — The Wakefield High boys’ soccer team wrote down a list of goals at the beginning of the season. They’ve checked off multiple already, the highlight being a Middlesex League Freedom Division title after finishing the regular season with a record of 13-3-2.
But there was one that always loomed a little larger: win a state tournament game.
It’s a goal the Warriors haven’t accomplished since the 2019 season when they made a run to the D2 North Quarterfinal. Wakefield came up short 2-1 in 2021 on the road against Nauset and 2-1 at home against Marlborough last year.
The 5th-ranked Warriors gave up 2 goals again on Monday night at Landrigan Field in a first round matchup against No. 28 Milford, but they countered with 5 of their own, outscoring the Hawks 3-0 in the second half to emphatically accomplish their peskiest goal and provide the Wakefield soccer faithful with the program’s first home state tournament win in 23 years.
“This was one of our goals, not just to win the league and make the tournament but get a win and get that monkey off our back,” said head coach Matt Angelo. “We’ve definitely checked off a lot of goals this year and I would attribute that to the senior leaders on this team. It’s some of the best leadership that I’ve been a part of. The little things are taken care of, the motivation and the drive has always been there.
“It wasn’t easy, we faced adversity tonight and we just showed how mentally tough we are and I couldn’t be more proud of them.”
Milford leveled the game on two different occasions, first to tie it 1-1 then at 2-2 going into halftime.
Wakefield responded by exploding for 3 more in the second half while the defense locked in as they cruised to a 5-2 victory.
Senior captain Marc Laverdiere and sophomore Jack Millward led the attack as both finished with 2 goals and an assist. Senior captain Reid Festel added a goal in the second half.
Laverdiere converted both of Wakefield’s first half goals, the first coming just three minutes in as he buried a rebound after a nice bid by Millward, getting the fans at Landrigan going early.
Milford responded with 25 minutes left in the half off a corner kick but the Warriors stuck with it, taking the lead again right after Angelo called a timeout with 12 minutes left. Millward played a perfect through ball to Laverdiere on the play, a one-touch finish topping off an impressive sequence.
However, just four minutes later, Milford converted on a set piece again, this time on a free kick from the 40, a looping header flicked towards the net somehow settling into the bottom left corner.
Senior goalie Andrew Valley made a couple of nice stops to keep it level towards the end of the half, including an impressive tip over the bar on a direct free kick.
After 40, the Warriors felt like they were the better team, but a 2-2 tie meant they would either fear the pressure of another state loss, or settle in and attack the goal, both literal and metaphorical.
“Coach gave us a good talk as he always does at the half,” said Festel.
“We stayed calm and didn’t panic,” said senior captain Darragh Casey. “We knew we had control of the game and we just finished strong.”
The Warriors almost immediately started the second half with Millward’s first tally on a deflection after a perfect ball played in from the left wing by senior Elias Anjim.
They never looked back.
Festel finished a scrum in front about five minutes later and the defense and midfielders locked in from there, refusing to let the momentum shift again.
“We made three major adjustments – they weren’t anything crazy just some things we’ve been preaching all year but they made those adjustments flawlessly,” said Angelo of the halftime changes. “It’s tough to take a lead and get caught up twice but they made the adjustments under that stress.”
Millward’s 2nd accounted for the final goal, a smart chip over the keeper after a nice sequence in which sophomore defender Matt Keefe won a few balls and played it up. Laverdiere got the assist.
Wakefield’s back line, including senior captain Brian Purcell, senior Frankie Leone, Keefe and sophomore Aidan Bligh shut down any potential second half chances.
“We were a little more disciplined on defense in the second half,” said Laverdiere. “We were clearing balls away where they should be and then we were a strong threat in the offensive third.”
Laverdiere, Millward and Casey caused problems for the Milford defense all night. It’s a matchup that Angelo and his assistants Zac Dascoli, Cam Messina, Tony Chankhour and Marc LeBlanc identified in the scouting report and really liked coming in. The attackers executed that gameplan to perfection.
But Angelo was even more impressed with the midfield, specifically Festel and junior Charles Gagne as they helped control play with their defense and toughness.
“On the back line, the defensive adjustment was flawless and the two guys who have been rocks for us this year, Charles and Reid in the middle of the field won every single ball,” said Angelo. “We need to play physical and they established that tonight.”
Along the way, Wakefield’s soccer community made plenty of noise as their Warriors accomplished something that they’ve been dreaming of for quite a while.
“Getting that win at home felt good especially with last year’s result,” said Festel. “It was good to come back and finally get a win in front of our fans here.”
“After losing two games in the first round, it definitely felt good coming out and winning in front everyone,” agreed Casey.
The Warriors got some extra motivation for their state tourney run by watching tape of the 1997 state champion team, widely considered the best squad in program history.
“I think it opened their eyes as to how much support we have from the community and hopefully we can get the same crowd if not bigger for the next one,” said Angelo. “It’s great to see that support for the team, these boys have worked so hard this year.”
That next one is tomorrow, Thursday at 5 p.m. back at Landrigan against No. 12 Somerset Berkley, a 15-1-3 team who beat No. 21 East Longmeadow 3-1 in the first round. If the Warriors can pull off another win, they’d get to host the Div. 2 state quarterfinals against No. 29 Agawam who upset No. 4 Nashoba in OT then No. 13 Marlborough in penalty kicks in the Sweet 16.
“We want to keep the same energy going, be the more aggressive team work hard and be in control,” said Festel when asked what it would take to win in the Round of 16.
Of course, in the tournament, gameplans often go awry. Especially in soccer where momentum and confidence often create an even playing field regardless of location or seed, the Warriors know they have to combine their top 5 talent with patented Wakefield soccer grit and snarl.
“It has to be whose next?” said Purcell when asked about the team’s mentality the rest of the way. “Wakefield’s coming.”