Raiders draw even with Newton North in season opener

On Tuesday, September 15, the girls varsity soccer team took on Newton North in their season opener, ending with a final score of 0-0. 

The even score is misleading, however, as the Raiders controlled the ball for the majority of the game. Wellesley dominated possession and shot attempts, with twelve shots on goal compared to the Tigers’ one.

The game started out fast with the ball changing possession multiple times between the two teams.The contest began to settle down as Wellesley emerged as the team with control of the game. Midfielders Presley Kelley ’29 and Kinsley Stevens ’27 controlled the midfield and set an aggressive tone for how the game was going to be played. Relentless pressure from right winger Kaitlyn Bohlin ’29 and striker Hannah Thornton ’27 kept Newton North on their heels. Wellesley’s control of the ball led to five shots on goal in the first half while holding the Tigers North to zero.

At the end of forty minutes, it was deadlocked between the two sides. However, Wellesley was knocking on the door, and it seemed inevitable that they would break through at some point. The girls once again came out aggressively, managing another seven shots on goal in the final 40 minutes compared to Newton North’s one, giving them a final ratio of 12:1 shots on goal for the night. However, none of those opportunities proved to be the deciding factor as Newton North’s back line held strong, ending the match in a 0-0 result.

Despite the tie, there were some positive takeaways from Tuesday’s game as Wellesley showed strong hustle and aggression throughout the match. 

“The work rate was tremendous,” coach Wainwright said. “And obviously I think we played some good offensive opportunities.” 

Captains Sabrina Gabriel ’27 and Grace Sullivan ’28 stood out on the back line, while Alexa Hoff ’27 and Kaitlyn Bohlin ’29 were praised by Wainwright for productive nights. The Raiders had an excellent performance in goal, with goalkeeper Nova Charney ’28 pitching a shutout with exceptional presence between the posts.

The team and Head Coach Dave Wainwright were disappointed by their inability to score, however, as they believed they should have capitalized on some of their chances. 

“We played some good offensive opportunities, but we just couldn't find the back of the frame,” Wainwright said. “And not finishing was frustrating for us, because we thought we'd created some opportunities.” 

Nonetheless, the remainder of this season is still highly anticipated for Wellesley after the team made a run to the round of 16 in the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) tournament last year, and won the Division I state championship the year before. The majority of the round of 16 roster, as they graduated very few players. Notably, this includes senior captains Hannah Thornton ’27 and Kinsley Stevens ’27, who are committed to play Division I soccer at Davidson College and Butler University respectively. 

To prepare for the season, the team played two teams from Syracuse, New York — Albertus Magnus High School and Cicero-North Syracuse High School —-  and scrimmaged other local teams to prepare for the season opener. Wainwright described the scrimmages as a “phenomenal experience” for the girls to get ready for game number one.

The girls will look for their first win Thursday night at 6:30 PM as they take on rival Needham under the lights at Darcey Field.