LYNN — The first game for both St. Mary’s (1-0) and Lynn Classical’s (0-1) girls soccer teams took place at Manning Field Tuesday evening in the city tournament. Despite some individual heroics, the Spartans began their season with a 4-0 win against the Rams.
The Spartans, who took the lead thanks to a penalty kick in the first half, started to control the ball and make plays in the second half.
The only issue: Lauren Wilson was between the sticks for Classical.
Wilson ended the game with 27 saves and, afterwards, St. Mary’s coach Jim Foley credited the shot-stopper for her performance.
“I give credit to their goalie Lauren Wilson,” Foley said. “She made some incredible saves.”
The dynamic duo of Brooke Moloney and Sophie Skabeikis scored two goals apiece for the Spartans. Bella Owumi was a creator on the field, providing two assists, while Kylie Kennison kept a shutout in goal.
“Once we got going in the second half, I think we started to break them down,” Foley said. “When we pass like we did, we’re a tough team to beat.”
The heat included, Foley was happy to start the season perfect.
“It’s good to start with a win. On a hot day, it’s good to get on the board,” Foley said. “To play as we did, especially in the second half, it’s good to set the tone.”
On the other side, Classical coach Jessica Gambale had nothing but positive words for how her girls played.
“I’m really proud of my girls. We went with more of a defensive formation because we knew how good St. Mary’s is,” Gambale said. “We held them to one goal – which was from a penalty kick – for the first 65 minutes. I’m very proud of how we played. The amount of heart my team has really showed.”
Despite the loss, Gambale believes playing teams like St. Mary’s can only benefit them, especially when they get into league play.
“It’s a great game to get us ready for the competitive GBL (Greater Boston League),” she said. “We have a couple of new girls on the team who really stepped up today. This is the first real game where we got to have all the pieces fit together. I’m really excited for the season after how today went.”
“Playing tough teams makes teams step up and play better,” Gambale said. “I love playing good teams like St. Mary’s because when you play tough teams, they make you step up and play your best soccer.”
