By Avonlea Cummings
Hometown Weekly Sports Reporter
The Walpole Timberwolves traveled to Catholic Memorial High for their fifth Bay State Conference competition of the season. Walpole fell to Catholic Memorial 9-12.
In the first quarter, Dillion Needham netted his first goal of the evening a minute and thirteen seconds into the game taking the lead 1-0. However, Catholic Memorial tied the game just a minute thirty after Needham’s first. Walpole’s Dillion Needham went on to score two more goals for the Timberwolves’ throughout the rest of the first quarter. Walpole closed the quarter on top 3-2, with Catholic Memorial trailing closely behind.
Headed into the second Catholic Memorial answered first on the scoreboard just 52 seconds into the quarter, tying the game at a null 3-3. Walpole’s Jack Cotter gained possession of the ball while Walpole was man-up on the field. Receiving the pass from Ryan Lania, Cotter ripped in another goal for Walpole gaining the lead once more 4-3. Catholic Memorial went on to score two more points before Timberwolves’ Dillion Needham drilled in two more goals for Walpole closing out the half with a narrow 6-5 lead.
Walpole started off the third quarter tallying in another point for the Timberwolves to secure a two-point 7-5 lead over Catholic Memorial. However, Catholic Memorial went on to score four straight goals against Walpole in the third. Then, Walpole’s Brayden Mattera netted Walpole’s second goal of the quarter with just over five minutes left to play. Though, Catholic Memorial polished off the quarter 8-10.
In the final quarter, with about six minutes left to go in the game, Walpole tallied another point, narrowing Catholic Memorial’s lead 9-10. The time clock dwindled and Catholic Memorial placed more goals on the scoreboard before the final whistle, finishing the evening’s competition 9-12 for Walpole.
Head coach Greg Shea was pleased with the effort coming from his team throughout the game, and shared a bit more on Walpole’s first half, but hopes the team can continue to maintain high energy throughout the entire four quarters. “We had a lot of good long possessions offensively, moving the ball around a lot, multiple touches, multiple changes of our offensive sets. I give all the credit to CM, their defense, their goalie, they made us work for everything. They did a great job. Our offensive guys did a great job in that first half,” reflected Shea.
The Timberwolves will host Weymouth High on Thursday, May 9 at 4 PM.
