By Avonlea Cummings
Hometown Weekly Sports Reporter
On a brisk November night, the Medfield boys' soccer team ventured to Dedham High for a Sweet 16 postseason match. Spectators, bundled with hot chocolate to stave off the chill, fervently cheered as the Warriors valiantly contested the Marauders. Despite a spirited effort, Medfield succumbed to Dedham with a final score of 2-0.
Do not be misled by the score; the Medfield Warriors delivered an exceptional performance, persistently pursuing scoring opportunities. Maintaining possession for the majority of the match, the Medfield boys executed swift passes, creating open avenues for capitalizing on numerous scoring chances. The intense on-field action kept spectators on the edge of their seats throughout the game.
The initial half of the evening ended with both teams departing the field without notching a score, prompting strategic discussions on how to breach their opponent's defenses.
In the second half, Dedham seized two scoring opportunities, breaking Medfield's possession stronghold. Undeterred, the Warriors, aware of the ample time left, showcased their impressive skill set, challenging the Dedham players. The Marauders displayed visible frustration in response to the formidable skill and tenacity exhibited by the Medfield team. Despite two Dedham players receiving cards, Medfield persisted in their offensive efforts, undeterred by their opponents. As the scoreboard ticked away, it became a race against time, with Medfield falling short of capitalizing on their impressive shots and skills.
Post-match, the Medfield boys exchanged cordial handshakes with Dedham before embarking on a team run across the field, acknowledging their fans' standing ovation in celebration of the Warriors concluding their 2023 season.
Head Coach Jason Heim reflected on both the strengths displayed by Medfield and the challenges encountered during the match.
“What went well is that we won the possession game, we definitely had some really nice give and go's, and we were controlling the ball when we had possession. We knew what they had, we knew how they defended, we knew we had to get through that. We knew they had two very talented players who could control the ball… they definitely capitalized on some mistakes that we made and we know that from previous years playing them, and I think we didn’t get a chance to capitalize enough on the mistakes they made tonight,” said Heim.
Medfield will be graduating 11 seniors: Luke Lisciandra, Nathan DePaola, Olin Day, Jacob Koterba, Mason Lau, Daniel Terpinas, Haydon Hillenmeyer, Aidan Brunelli, Nathan Adolph, Shuqran Mayanja, and Gabe Gois. Coach Heim shared insight on how the seniors have been this season to the team.
“I mean every year at Medfield we get a good group of seniors that we graduate, and a lot of them play. When they start the first game we are a bit like rookies if you will, a lot of them are on the team but we always try to figure out the speed and pace of the game, the progress that they have made from the beginning to the end of the season, every coach has said this is a completely different team from the beginning of the season. I think the most important thing is that this (soccer) is fun. The seniors bring a light-hearted happy energy, we play to have fun, they know when they need to be serious and when we have to get down to business but they come to practicing wanting to be here, they want to have fun, and they enjoy their time out there that’s contagious and it spreads to other players. In the grand scheme of things, they want to have fun and that’s what I love about this group of seniors,” said Heim.
