MEDFORD — The Lynn Classical girls soccer team played a solid defensive game from start to finish Saturday, only needing one goal to push past Greater Boston League foe Medford in a 1-0 win on the road at Hormel Stadium. The Rams battled through a scoreless first half before notching the eventual winning goal about midway through the second half.
“It was really an incredible team performance for us and I was really proud of what the girls showed out there,” said Classical coach Mike Schena. “We switched some things around and the girls picked it right up, stuck with it and pulled out a win. I’m big on setting up the foundation in practice, and I’m very fortunate to have such great, smart players who can absorb this information and then put it into practice during games.”
The lone goal for the Rams was scored by Delaney Dana, while Mary Collins notched the assist in the win. Ava Thurman played well on the wing and Olivia Waterman played well in the midfield, while Jess Page, Ava Correnti, Molly Mannion and Kitty Mannion all played well defensively.
The win was also a special one for Schena, who is a Medford native and who scored his first ever goal at the Mustangs’ Hormel Stadium.
“It’s always great to come back here, and it’s incredibly special to come away with a win at a place that’s so special to me,” said Schena. “There’s nothing like it.”
The Rams came out strong and played well in the first half, but Schena noticed that they simply weren’t capitalizing on their scoring opportunities. Once halftime rolled around, he put a few adjustments into place.
“The idea for us was just to continue adding pressure and just keep pushing forward,” said Schena. “Obviously we didn’t score on any of those chances in the first half, but we did some really good things. We maintained control and stayed disciplined, and eventually we were able to break out and score.”
The adjustments worked, as Classical continued to put pressure on Medford in the second half. That pressure eventually turned into a goal, as Collins slipped a pass to Dana for the eventual game winner.
Classical (2-1-1) returns to action Monday afternoon (4) when it hosts Chelsea at Manning Field.
“A win like this really solidifies not only the girls’ confidence in themselves and the team, but also our place in this new league,” said Schena. “For us to come out and battle to a tie with a good Revere team and then beat a good Medford team (Saturday), that’s a confidence booster. We’re hoping we can keep that momentum going into the final stretch of the season and then the tournament.”
