LYNN — The Lynn Classical Rams were underdogs entering their matchup against the Medford Mustangs, but at times, looked like the better team in their heartbreaking 1-0 loss at Manning Field on Tuesday night.
Although disappointed his side couldn’t pull off the upset, Classical coach Eric Moreno saw true development from his young squad.
“I’ve definitely seen a lot of growth because they remained close during that game. Tonight, I think they had their best game… so, maybe, we’re getting better. We’ll see.”
Perhaps Classical’s best performance of the season was led by its backline, which continued to make plays against the storming Medford attack to keep the Rams in the game.
Rams’ goalkeeper Santos Emmanuel Alvarez clocked 10 saves – some on 1-on-1 opportunities and contested crosses.
With just seconds left in the first half, Medford broke through the Classical defensive line, but Alvarez made a diving stop to keep things scoreless going into the second half.
That said, Alvarez was far from being the only player making important defensive stops down the stretch.
Diego Jesus Maldonado Barrios took two goals away from the Mustangs, as his sliding, last-second challenge broke up a Medford breakaway.
Rams’ captain Jose Andres Rosales Vargas also made plays from the back, adding another goal-line clearance to keep Medford off the board in the first half.
Moreno said his team “limited the mistakes down the middle of the field,” which added to its strong defensive outing.
Unfortunately for the Rams, they failed to keep their shutout alive. Medford broke free and got past Alvarez, taking a 1-0 lead with 25 minutes left in the game.
The Rams’ offense had a plethora of opportunities to tie – and, even win – the game with three clean breakaways in the second half, but none were finished.
With less than five minutes remaining, Classical had a golden opportunity to hold onto a tie, but yet another impressive save from Medford’s keeper left the Rams scoreless.
Coach Moreno looks to see more from the goal-scoring chances his team created.
“We had probably three breakaways [and if] we converted maybe one or two of them… it’s a different game,” he said. “That’s where you see the youth.”
Moreno double-downed on the growth of his young players, saying they are “progressing every game,” even against tough opponents.
“[Medford is] a tough team. You know, when you’re hanging in and you have a chance to win those games, that’s where you want to be as a program,” Moreno said.
Youth aside, he’s looking forward to seeing how his team pans out against some of the state’s top programs.
“I’m excited to finish the season. We have Somerville Thursday. They’re ranked 10th in DI, so we play top teams and we have to be ready to step up every time.”
