Girls’ soccer fell to Wellesley 0-3 in a hard-fought battle in the Elite Eight round of the state tournament, Tuesday, Nov. 12 at Wellesley’s Darcy field.
The two teams had faced off twice in the regular season, with Wellesley winning both events. According to head coach Brian Leighton, the familiarity of the teams made the competition even more intense.
“They know us very well. We know them very well. They’re the team that gives us the most trouble the entire year. They’ve beaten us by the most. They play us the hardest,” Leighton added, “I think they’re the best team we’ve played all year.”
Wellesley, 14-3-1 in the regular season, was ranked second in the state coming into the MIAA playoff tournament, while the Tigers and their 9-7-2 regular season record awarded them the tenth-ranked spot.
In the postseason, the Tigers broke records. According to senior Vivi Kritzer, a captain along with seniors Eden Cha and Alissa Kraus, this year, by reaching the Elite Eight round, the team had progressed the farthest in the playoffs since the 2010 team 14 years ago.
“This season has been a heck of a story,” Leighton said.
Wellesley took control of the ball early. They made their first contribution to the scoreboard within two minutes of the game’s commencement from a masterfully angled corner kick.
“We just unfortunately gave up a quick goal,” said Leighton. “And now we’re coming from behind on a very good team very early. So that was a challenge.”
A majority of the first half was spent on North’s side of the field, with many Wellesley shots on goal struck down with precision by Kraus, North’s goalie.
With ten minutes left in the half, Wellesley was awarded a free kick in front of the goal, where it could maneuver around North for another goal, securing a 2-0 lead against the Tigers going into halftime.
According to Kraus, the second half of the game was a turning point for the team. They came into the half aggressive and “very strong”, she added.
Later in the half, their dominance took a turn when the team’s aggressive mindset granted them consecutive yellow cards from the referee. Soon after, a far-away lob resulted in the Raider’s third and final goal of the night.
Despite the heartbreaking defeat, the team remains very close, according to Kraus.
“I couldn’t have asked for anything more out of these girls,” Kraus added, “It was a great season. They’ve given me everything.”
