MALDEN — The Lynn Classical girls soccer team (1-2-1) earned its first win with a dominating 1-0 road performance against Malden High School on Thursday.
Normally, if a team dominates the other, the score would look more convincing, but the Rams controlled possession. They just lacked the finishing touch.
Right from the start, Classical dictated the pace of the game. Despite getting into Malden’s defensive third frequently, the Rams struggled to break down their opposition, something Classical coach Jessica Gambale admitted.
“Malden did a good job of locking in on defense. There was a lot of boxing out and their defensive zone made it hard for us to finish,” said Gambale, a Swampscott native. “I’m impressed with their goalie – she made some nice saves.”
With 11 minutes remaining in the first half, Classical finally found its breakthrough. Tatiana Lazo received the ball in the midfield, carried it into the final third, and played a through ball to Gianna Parker who rifled a shot into the net to give Classical a 1-0 lead.
“The goal was great. It was a nice solid shot right into the back of the net,” Gambale said. “Stuff we have been working on in practice came to fruition in the game, which is always good to see.”
When asked what kind of player Lazo is, Gambale was quick to praise her midfield maestro.
“Tatiana Lazo is a player you know is always going to give you 100 percent,” Gambale said. “Her foot skills are remarkable. She’s got great field vision and will play anywhere you want her to play. She’s the type of girl you always want to coach. Today, she really stepped up and looked like a leader out there.”
The Rams took a 1-0 lead at the break and continued to control in the second half.
“Our passing looked great and controlling possession was awesome. I wish we could have added a few more to the back of the net,” Gambale said. “We had some other close opportunities that we couldn’t just put away. We had some corner-kick opportunities, too. We just need to finish.”
The Rams’ first-choice goalie, Lauren Wilson, was unable to play due to an arm injury, so Mea Papazoglou started in goal. Papazoglou finished the game with four saves, but spent time upfield afterwards.
“Mea Papazoglou played in goal for the first 60 minutes and then it was Kaydee Rouse who finished the game for us,” Gambale said. “We wanted some fresh legs out in the field to try and put a goal away and Mea is a great striker on our team. We wanted to see if she could have scored for us. I think if we had a few more minutes, she would have scored.”
With less than five minutes remaining, Malden got two free kicks in Classical’s defensive third. Both kicks were dealt with immediately by the Rams’ defense to hold on to a much-deserved win.
“I was getting a little nervous there. They were getting close and they were getting some [direct] kicks in our defensive end,” Gambale said. “It made us nervous, but it made us have to step up on defense. It shows us that we can’t just be winning by one goal. You have to get a few goals so we can avoid being put into scary situations.”
Classical’s next game is Friday when the Rams travel to Chelsea at 4:15 p.m.
