What’s the real value of a long winning streak?
Nothing tangible, really, if it doesn’t end with a title.
For the Central Catholic girls soccer team, which opened the season with a remarkable 14-0 run before facing back-to-back losses, the narrative is far from over. After rebounding with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Acton-Boxborough last Wednesday, the team is channeling lessons gleaned from their snapped streak into renewed determination as the postseason approaches. Their journey continues, shaped by both this season’s triumphs as well as its setbacks.
The first loss came against Bishop Feehan – a top-ranked team in Massachusetts – and it seemed to reset the Raiders.
“I think in all our minds, if we saw them again, we’d be more excited and hyped to play,” senior captain and center midfielder Addison Brosnihan said. “It kind of lights a fire under you to go back out there and beat them. It was a wake up call, that we can play with anybody.”
Head coach Jami Hayden, who is in her fifth year at the helm, said there is no ceiling on her team, which reached the round of 16 in the state tournament last year. That said, she notes that she felt special about the current crop of seniors four years ago when they started as freshman.
“I said to them that this group is going to do great things, and it’s really been building,” Hayden said. “We have a nice balance of experience, talent, and chemistry from them playing together for so long. So there is no ceiling. I don’t want to say it out loud, but a state title is on their minds, and they’ve been building toward that.”
The Raiders have bucked the stereotype that soccer is a low-scoring game. Many of their box scores this season would translate to the NHL if the team names were swapped. The Raiders have scored 67 goals while conceding just 17, giving them one of the best goal differentials in the state.
Senior captain Sarah Tressler, who is committed to Brown, is leading the way in the attack. She had 27 goals and nine assists heading into Monday’s matchup with Newburyport.
“She is an exceptional player, definitely a big part of our success,” Hayden said. “She impacts the whole team, has an incredible soccer IQ, and her work rate and competitiveness are endless. She makes all 22 girls around her more competitive and makes them work harder. She’s a fun player to watch – and coach.”
Tressler said she’s valued the way her teammates – particularly the seniors – have stepped up as leaders.
At the end of each season, the Raiders hold elections for next year’s captains and require all candidates to make a speech to the entire team. At the end of last season, most seniors addressed their teammates. Tressler and Brosnihan both said that was a prelude of what was to come.
“Overall, the team has really come together and bought in this year,” Tressler said. “That’s helped me be able to also be successful individually, because I have such great teammates around me. The coaches also hold us to a high standard, and in games it pays off and we’re able to put the ball in the back of the net.
“Me personally, I have a lot of goals, but we’ve also had a lot of people score, especially in big games. It’s a testament to this team’s strength, and to teamwork overall.”
Other scoring contributors include Brosnihan, who has seven goals and six assists, as well as junior midfielder Abigail Bilodeau, who has nine goals and five assists prior to the Newburyport game.
“Everyone in 11 out there contributing, back to front,” Hayden said. “The middle of our field for us is strong. We build from there. If we’re having a good game and in control of the middle, we’re putting the ball in the back of the net.”
So, how far can the Raiders go?
“This team has so much grit, we can take it as far as we want to go,” said Brosnihan, who is committed to Assumption. “I think we can go very far. It’s our last year (as seniors), so we want to leave it all out on the field.”
Milestone win
Oliver Ames boys soccer head coach John Barata reached a major milestone on Oct. 14, earning his 250th career win with a 2-0 victory over Foxboro.
Barata, who has led the Tigers since 2009, has built a powerhouse program over his 18 seasons. With him at the helm, Oliver Ames has claimed four state championship, six South Sectional titles and thirteen Hockomock League crowns, cementing Barata’s legacy as one of the region’s most successful coaches.
Oliver Ames is currently first in the Hockomock at 16-0-2 and is expected to be a major player in this year’s Division 2 state tournament.
