Through two games in the Division 2 tournament, the Marblehead Magicians are in the Round of 8 and looking to pull off another upset — this time against No. 2 Longmeadow on Thursday at 5 p.m.
In the first round against Walpole, the Magicians left it late, scoring within the final five minutes to force overtime before netting the winner in double overtime to advance.
In the Round of 16, Marblehead went on the road and delivered a defensive masterclass in a 1-0 win over No. 7 Oliver Ames.
When asked about the team’s performances through the first two games, head coach Lisa Wales said her team hasn’t broken despite facing adversity.
“One of the parents said to me after our game against Danvers that our team bends but doesn’t break, and I think that’s true,” Wales said. “I think we got a bit of luck in games, but I think you create your own luck with hard work and opportunity. Luck is when preparation meets opportunity. You need a little luck in any tournament, so we’ll take it.”
The Magicians don’t know how to quit — as they showed in the opening round, they’ll keep playing until the final whistle.
“There’s no quit in this team. You cannot count them out. This team has such resilience, and if you look at our team from an injury perspective, we’ve been through a lot. For example, we’re missing Sadie Halpern and Liv Carlson, who are hurt, to name two, and continuously we keep asking players to step up and they do,” Wales said. “I think that just shows this team’s perseverance, grit and depth. They’re a great group of girls and have great chemistry on and off the field.”
Now, Marblehead faces its toughest task yet — a road trip to Western Massachusetts for a matchup with No. 2 Longmeadow.
“We’ve been watching a lot of their film. We don’t have common opponents, obviously, but they’re a good team and are ranked second for a reason. Once you get into the playoffs, everyone starts 0-0,” Wales said. “They’re a physical team, and I think they play similar to Lynnfield. They’re going to be strong. They’ve got a few individuals who are pretty good. I think it’s going to be a terrific game.”
One of Marblehead’s biggest strengths is its defense, led by Sydney Ball, the Northeastern Conference MVP. Next to her is Ainsley McDonald, who has been a steady presence alongside Ball.
“I think Sydney is such a great leader for us. She’s intense and we look at her to make sure everybody’s doing their job,” Wales said. “I think Ainsley is so calm under pressure. She’s come back from that ACL injury and hasn’t missed a beat. She finds the seams, she sees the ball so well in the air, and she just reads the play well. She and Sydney complement each other really well.”
In addition to Ball and McDonald, Wales credited the rest of her defenders, who have all played a significant role in allowing just 13 goals all season.
“Camryn O’Brien has been doing a great job as an outside back. We switch Ashley Mortensen and Courtney Hitscherich, as they can both play holding midfielder or outside back. We tailor it to what we need based on our opponent and what we feel gives us the best chance to win,” Wales said. “Our defense is stingy. We have Hailey Gilmore in net, too, who came up big for us against Oliver Ames. She made two fantastic saves in the first half to keep us in the game.”
Wales’ message to the team is clear: keep believing.
“Your mindset’s incredibly important, and our mindset is we’re going to win this game. We have to play well, but you have to believe it to win it,” Wales said. “We’re also playing for our injured players. Sadie Halpern, Samara Dosch, Avery Gould and Liv Carlson are all out injured. We’re playing for them.”
