On Thursday, Oct. 23, the girls varsity soccer team defeated Waltham 2-0 on their senior night, the last game for the seniors players on their home turf. According to senior captain Annie Melander, it was an emotional night.
“It’s definitely a super bittersweet moment,” Melander said. “I love playing with these girls, and I have been playing with them since I was super little, but it’s also so amazing to see how much everyone’s grown.”
Before the game, the seniors on both teams were recognized, standing in a line. When a name was announced, that person ran across the turf, where they received flowers and took family photos.
First half:
The first half was scoreless, ending 0-0. Melander, playing outside back, had solid defense, stopping the ball from getting past her multiple times. The whole team played very consistently with their passing.
Second half:
In the second half, Wayland broke the tie, when junior Sazie Wrentmore scored a goal with 25 minutes left. About 10 minutes later, junior Ida Czauderna scored the second and final goal of the game. Wayland took the win, with a final score of 2-0.
“During [the goal], I honestly was kind of blacked out,” Wrentmore said. “Afterwards, I was really relieved. I was trying to stay really focused because we needed a couple more goals to solidify a win.”
After a victory against Waltham, Wayland heads into the final game of their season, with a record of 3-10-1.
“We had a bit of a rough start to the season,” head coach Edmund DeHoratius said. “The last three weeks or so, the whole team has really come along.”
Following the game, Wrentmore talked about how she and the team as a whole has grown over the course of the season.
“We’ve improved a lot more with our communication and our trust in each other,” Wrentmore said. “For me personally, I feel like I’ve just gotten a lot stronger, I’m building my endurance a lot more.”
Additionally, Melander commented on how she’s grown to love the sport even more over the course of her high school career.
“I was captain of the freshman team, and I think that really brought me more love for the sport,” Melander said. “Slowly, during summers, I started putting more dedication and time in, and now I love it, I love being here.”
