The boys soccer seniors have had a rough going this year. Two-year captain Nolan Murray has struggled to get on the field because of a chronic back and tailbone injury, and captain John Lochhead did not put up the early scoring numbers that his predeccessor in the midfield, Tim Sullivan, did. Captains Alex Sarkis has lead a defense that has played inconsistently, giving up four goals in four games yet registering five shutouts.
This trend was all but turned on its head on Tuesday.
In a game in which the boys desperately needed 2 points to advance their quest for a state tournament berth, the seniors stepped up big time. Murray started off the scoring about fifteen minutes in with a towering header over the Norwood defenders, a goal that unleashed an outpooring of applause and cheers from Walpole supporters. It was an emotional goal for the senior captain, as he has been unable to help the team through his play on the field very much this year, and he celebrated it with all of his coaches and teammates on the sidelines.
Walpole continued to dominate possession and play. “We [had] about a 32-8 possesion ratio; we had control of the ball for 32 minutes and Norwood only 8 in the first half,” said coach Lee Delaney. Lochhead then put the boys ahead 2-0 with a hard hit shot that took a big deflection off a Norwood defender, putting the goalie off. The goal was a fortunate bounce off of a well-hit shot, and in a season in which not much has gone the Rebels’ way, the adventitious deflection was greeted with more applause.
It was not long after halftime that the Rebels’ finished off the scoring with a close strike from striker Maurice Young off a cross from Lochhead. The game finished at 3-0, with junior Peter Hoegler recording his fifth league shutout this season, second against Norwood.
Lochhead was featured in all of the goals—assisting Murray and Young, and scoring the other—an impressive feat that he is acheived in both of the previous games. Two goals and five asssists in the last two games has vaulted Locheead into a contender for the Bay State All-Star team. Murray’s emotional contribution was a tribute to his determination and heart on the field, and being the most respected player in the Rebels lineup, his involvement in any game in the future will make the Rebels a hard team to beat. Sarkis played one of his best games of the year in leading the Rebels to the shutout, clearing every ball and helping junior Colin Murray shut down the star Norwood forward, Tyler Goncalves.
The Rebels only need one more point to acheive a state tournament berth in the last two games, against Braintree and Bishop Feehan. The boys’ season has been disappointing up to the last two games, as they were out of the running for the Herget title early. However, if the season-long trend of disappointment and tough luck has been bucked, the Rebels, with the seniors leading the charge, will be a tough out in the state tournament.
