Special to the Patriot-Bridge
The Lady Townies (LT), known for their winning ways, were the perennial favorite entering the Commissioners Cup Tournament. Having played in the previous four championship matches, it was widely believed that they would again advance to the finals. However, their semifinal opponent, Medford FC, was following a different script that almost proved true as the Lady Townies were pushed to the brink of extinction.
Though tensions were already high prior to the start, an unexpected pregame warning given by the referee to the Charlestown Coaching staff and players instantly shifted the players’ focus.
According to Coach Serpa, “the warning was unnecessary; it instantly shifted our players focus and mind set, right before the start of the match. I think both teams were pretty amped up in the opening frame but the continued warnings by the referee against our players only proved to frustrate them and distract them from playing our system of play.”
Shortly after the opening whistle, the Lady Townies struck first with a blistering shot just 12 seconds into the 1st half, posting a 1-0 lead. While all seamed well in LT Nation, it was brief as Medford quickly scored the equalizer; from there it was “game on”. The relentless pressure by Medford proved to stifle the Lady Townies ability to move the ball. According to Coach Dags, “as our players became frustrated the discipline necessary to do their job eroded and our style broke down.” Coach Jen added; the constant rhetoric by the referee had our girls more focused on the officiating then playing our game.”
Despite the situation, the Lady Townies continued to grind and netted their second goal at the 23rd minute mark. That lead was short lived as Medford scored the equalizer in the 30th minute and took a 2-2 score into the half time break.
At the start of the second half the Lady Townies looked to be in control but Medford’s tenacity proved to frustrate Charlestown. Despite Coach Serpa’s plea for the players to stretch the field the Lady Townies continued to pinch-in making it easier for Medford to shut them down and control the match. With the game still tied with 9 minutes remaining Coach Serpa changed his line up making adjustments to the midfield which proved to switch the momentum. Despite the Lady Townies dominance in the final minutes of the second half they were unable to shut the door on Medford yet they seem to have found the formular. In overtime the Lady Townies dominated the match scoring twice for a 4-2 victory in overtime.
The Commissioners Cup Finals bit The Lady Townies against Tewksbury FC. While the finals did not prove to be as nerve racking as the semi’s, it still proved to be thrilling as the Lady Townies posted a dominating 3-1 victory to clinch their 4th title in 5 appearances in the Championship Finals.
Head Coach David Serpa commented; “the girls have shown tremendous resiliency. It’s been wonderful to watch them mature as players and teammates, while improving skills and gaining a true understanding of what it means to be a part of a team.”