The Vineyard girls soccer team fell to Tewksbury 2-0 Saturday at home in the second round of the Division Three playoffs.
The Vineyard girls soccer team fell to Tewksbury 2-0 Saturday at home in the second round of the Division Three playoffs.
Vineyard faithful turn out to cheer on team.
Vineyard faithful turn out to cheer on team.
In a hard-fought battle, the Vineyarders could not break through their opponent’s relentless pressure on the ball and steadfast defense. Tewksbury went step for step with MV’s best and capitalized on their offensive opportunities to ultimately secure the victory.
The first half ended in a 0-0 tie, with time of possession favoring Tewksbury. They wore down MV’s defense while Vineyard goalkeeper Lucy Doyle made two impressive saves to keep things scoreless.
The Vineyarders had a few quick chances on the offensive end, but beyond that were unable to establish themselves on the attack. Tewksbury did a good job clogging up passing lanes, deflecting the ball off the Vineyarders, and keeping Purple’s attack just half a touch short.
Coach Matt Malowski.
Coach Matt Malowski.
It felt like a game that was going to come down to a lucky or unlucky bounce, and that’s exactly how the scoring opened up.
With 37 minutes left in the second half, a Tewksbury midfielder launched a long cross to the left side of the Vineyard net. The pass bounced off the body of a Tewksbury forward and awkwardly rolled in for a score. Then, a minute later, they essentially ran the same play, but this time the Tewksbury player booted the ball past Doyle for a two-goal lead.
The Vineyarders played with a lot of pride, giving everything they had until the final whistle. Coach Matt Malowski said that was a hallmark of what made this Vineyard team who they are.
One of the things he and his assistant coach, Cana Chaves, ask of the girls is “What are you going to add to this team?” And, “no one has bought into that concept like these girls have this year,” Coach Malowski said. “They all consistently play for each other and play for pride. They enjoyed each other, and they had fun. As a coach, you couldn’t ask for a better group of athletes,” he continued.
Girls end the season 15-5-1.
Girls end the season 15-5-1.
You also couldn’t ask for a tougher group. These girls played through blisters that put Curt Schilling’s bloody sock to shame. “They were bleeding through their cleats and still wouldn’t come out. That’s just how they are, they’re warriors,” Coach Malowski said.
Despite the loss, this was still an exceptional season for the girls. Including the playoffs, they finished 15-5-1 and captured the league title for the first time in more than 20 years. The seniors will be missed, but the underclassmen and the experience they gained this year make the future of this team still extremely bright.
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