Opening Day for Charlestown Youth Soccer

Girls Under-12 (Division 4B)

Charlestown 3, Billerica 0

By Jen Ruhle, Dave Jacoby and Karen Gentis

The “Townies” showed great spirit as well as enthusiasm on opening day and it sure didn’t look as if it was the first game of the season.  While the game started off pretty even, Charlestown continually improved their game which resulted in a one goal lead, scored by Jackie Gentis, to close out the first half.  The defense really kept the team in the game the first half, thanks to Haley McLaughlin and Kaley Kyle, who led the charge as goal keepers.  Strong defensive play by Julia Jacoby, Anna DeVore and Chloe Shea was seen as well.

The girls came out strong the second half and demonstrated some excellent passing sequences, skilled dribbling, and overall endurance of the field. Gentis scored her second goal on a technical shot, much to the disappointment of the Billerica line up.  Shea, Maeve Leahy, Kailey Kennedy-Slesar and Kalthuma Mohamed had several attacks on the net as well.  McLaughlin was tremendous on defense and midfield and Kennedy-Slesar was a whirling dervish throughout the game.

Gentis notched the hat trick (3 goals) with a beautiful assist by Ella Moyes, who had a great game on offense showing good ball handling skills.  Rookies Leahy and Hannah Williams, two great additions to the team, also made their presence felt on the field.

Girls Under-12 (Division 4C)

Charlestown 1, Burlington 1

By Shana Sylvester

In perfect weather conditions, the “Townies” started the spring soccer season off with a tie against Burlington.  Captains for the game were Maeve Fittz and Lauren Sweeney; Caitlyn McDermott started in goal for the Townies and played a terrific game with a number of great saves, including one where she saved a high shot by tipping the ball over the net.  Fittz, who carried the ball up the field from defense, scored the only Charlestown goal of the game during the second half.

Josie Hoyt and Ruby Dunlea spent time at both forward and midfield, where they really challenged Burlington for the ball and kept possession for their team.  Forwards Hannah Reed and Anneli Merivaara showed great ball skills dribbling past Burlington defenders on a number of occasions.  Isabelle Charbonnier, at forward and midfield, had a number of great breakaways that almost resulted in goals.  Defenders Caroline Adducci and Lucy Donovan consistently sent the ball upfield to put teammates in scoring position.  At center defense, Sweeney took control of the Charlestown side of the field, keeping the Burlington players away from the “Townie” goal.  The girls play their next game against Melrose at Charlestown High School on Saturday, April 16 at 1 p.m.

Boys Under-10 (Division 3D)

Charlestown 8, Hanscom 0

Picking up where they left off last Fall, the “Townies” overwhelmed Hanscom with a team-wide offensive onslaught.  Rookie forward Aaron Wadman wasted no time making his presence felt with two quick highlight-reel goals, and Daniel Sigmund (goal, 2 assists), John Gaudian (2 goals) and Aidan Shea (2 goals) capitalized on some nifty tic-tac-toe passing to put the game out of reach.  Midfielder Ryan Messer (goal), sweeper Conor Kelly (2 assists) and defender Quinlan Carroll (assist) maintained the offensive pressure while Jeremy Shea, who picked up the win, and Matthew Coviello each played a half of shutout goal.

Girls Uber-10-2

Charlestown 2, Hanscom 1

Victory! The Girls U10-2 team led by captains Alta Godfrey and Elizabeth Griffith played their first game of the season versus Hanscom at home on Saturday April 9, and with a tremendous effort by the entire team won with a score of 2 to 1. Maggie Gray was key with her remarkable throw-ins and corner kicks allowing for excellent field position, which she backed up with solid defensive play.  With her tenacity and speed Alta Godfrey scored the Shamrock’s first goal after receiving a pass from the quick and skillful feet of Lucie King. Katie Evans, goalie for the first half and offensive player in the second, showed her dominance in net seizing every ball with authority. New addition to the team, Elizabeth Griffith was a solid force on defense controlling the ball with skill. Playing with confidence Juliette Lowrey was a forceful defenseman keeping the opponents at bay the entire game. The team was solidly supported with the attentive and steadfast play of Clara Reed, along with the strong and commanding presence both as an offensive player in the first half and goalie in the second, of Claire Lakus. The game-winning goal, scored in the second half by Quinlan O’Brien, was the result of her aggressive play and effort. The team was impressive with their positive attitude, their persistence, and their increasing level of skillful play. Go Shamrock Shooters. *Honor Ball: Lucie King