SWAMPSCOTT —- They say all good things must come to an end and unfortunately for No. 8 Swampscott, its journey ended on Thursday night in a 3-0 loss to No. 9 Dover-Sherborn.
The first half was a back-and-forth game with both teams getting chances. Big Blue goalie Charlie Ulberg continued his fine postseason form producing eight first-half saves and 14 for the game.
Although both teams had opportunities to score, they went into halftime scoreless.
10 minutes into the second half Swampscott conceded a corner kick. The Raiders delivered the ball into the box and Dover-Sherborn was first to react, poking the ball past everyone to give the Raiders a 1-0 lead.
Moments later, Swampscott had a chance to equalize when the ball fell to Lucas Bereaud who shot just over the crossbar.
Dover-Sherborn doubled its lead through a penalty kick and then made it 3-0 with a strike from distance with 17 minutes left to seal the game.
Coming into the match, Swampscott hadn’t lost since a 5-0 defeat to Beverly on September 20.
“I don’t think we lost since our game against Beverly,” Big Blue coach Adam Bailey said. “This group has been solid for a long time. I give credit to Dover-Sherborn, they played a great game. They’re super athletic and they put pressure on you. They’re a tough team to deal with.”
Soccer is a game of fine margins and unfortunately, Swampscott couldn’t capitalize on its chances.
“We created a few opportunities, it just didn’t go our way tonight,” Bailey said. “That’s the game of soccer.”
Bailey praised the athletic Raiders defense for giving Swampscott a hard time.
“Dover-Sherborn backline played well. They made things tough on us,” Bailey said. “I give them a lot of credit.
Swampscott will lose eight seniors to graduation and Bailey praised the senior group.
“They mean a lot to this program,” Bailey said. “I started [coaching] here three years ago and a lot of those guys were sophomores so I’ve been with them for three years. It’s going to be tough losing them. They mean a lot to the program and I told them whatever opportunity they have to come back they’re more than welcome to train with us and continue to be a part of the program.”
When asked to reflect on the season, Bailey mentioned the team “maturing” and playing for one another.
“We’ve had a lot of guys who have matured a lot this season. We learned how to play as a team, support each other, and always stay positive,” Bailey said.
