By Avonlea Cummings
Hometown Weekly Sports Reporter
The atmosphere turned chilly as the sun dipped below the horizon over the Westwood High turf, setting the stage for an exciting clash between the Dover-Sherborn boys' soccer team and their hosts, the Westwood Wolverines. As the temperature dropped, the crowd huddled together, rallying behind the Raiders as they squared off against formidable opponents. Despite putting up a valiant fight, the Raiders fell short, ultimately succumbing to a 2-0 defeat.
The first half kicked off with the shrill sound of the whistle reverberating throughout the stadium, prompting the boys to sprint across the field. Facing staunch opposition, the Raiders refused to yield to the relentless pressure from the Wolverines. Nevertheless, the Wolverines managed to breach Dover-Sherborn's defense, securing a 1-0 lead on the scoreboard.
Entering the second half, the Raiders stormed back onto the field with renewed energy and determination, creating numerous scoring opportunities that had the crowd on the edge of their seats. Among the standout players was Sam Dos Santos, whose scoring chances seemed promising but were thwarted by the crossbar of the goal and the exceptional skills of the opposing goalie.
Head coach Joe Gruseck expressed his admiration for the players' unwavering efforts throughout the evening.
“I think Sam Dos Santos played great tonight, that was probably one of his best games. He deserved two or three goals tonight, but the keeper was in the right place, and one of his shots hit the crossbar. Despite that he really stuck out the most tonight,” said Gruseck.
As the final whistle signaled the conclusion of the evening's match, the boys gathered to exchange handshakes, marking the end of the game with D-S trailing 2-0. Right after stepping off the field, the boys were already contemplating ways to enhance their performance and raise their expectations for the remainder of the season. Head coach Gruseck recognized that this match would serve as a learning experience, one to be acknowledged and then set aside, allowing the team to focus on improvement moving forward.
“I think all season long so far, we have had a lot of intensity, these guys have played together, and they have been on the same page. To the level we are capable of playing, we came up a bit short tonight, we don’t like to lose, but this will be a lesson for us. Our ultimate goal is to go deep into the playoffs as we can,” said Gruseck.
The boys are to host Medfield High on Thursday, October 12th at 4 p.m.
