LYNN — Lynn Classical’s girls soccer team faced a strong conference opponent Tuesday in Somerville, a team that finished 11-4-3 last season. And at the end of Tuesday’s matchup at Manning Field, it was all Somerville in a 7-0 final.
Somerville scored five goals in the first half and made the most of its opportunities. Classical coach Jessica Gambale praised the opposition.
“They’re a great team. We had a tough game last week, but the girls played a lot better today – the score doesn’t necessarily reflect that,” Gambale said. “A lot of things that we’ve been working on were better today. Somerville executed on its opportunities and put them away. We worked for that whole game and we’re all working hard.”
Despite the heavy defeat, Gambale found positives she hopes her players take with them.
“It’s just nice to see them working hard the entire game. We get down, but we’re still working together. We’re still a team, and games like these are getting us ready for other games this season. It’s getting us ready for the (state) tournament, where we’ll see difficult competition,” she said. “We’re not always going to be winning or be up, but we need to stick it through and play as a team.”
Two players who stood out were defenders Tatiana De Leon and McKenna Duncan.
“Tatiana: We’re really happy to have her back this season. She’s a huge asset on the defensive line. I don’t know what we would do without her,” Gambale said. “McKenna drops back on defense when we need her to.”
Mia Duncan had the best chance for the Lady Rams, as a long-range effort from 28 yards out required a save to keep Classical off the board.
The Lady Rams look to bounce back Thursday when they travel to Malden for a 4:15 p.m. showdown. Gambale knows it will be a competitive matchup, and hopes her team can find a good day of practice beforehand.
“Work on the stuff we didn’t do well and work on it during practice tomorrow. Hopefully, we will then execute on Thursday against Malden,” Gambale said. “I think we can win, but we’ve got to be working together and working hard.”
