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By Michael Flanagan
Hometown Weekly Sports Editor
With the summer coming to a close, soccer hotbeds such as Needham and Dover-Sherborn are readying for the upcoming season. It goes without saying that keeping your skills sharp and staying conditioned are extremely important aspects in soccer, and both the Needham and DS girls have certainly done so with offseason training and practicing on their own time.
However, the one true way to get ready for the long upcoming season is game action, and Thursday’s preseason match between the two schools allowed both sides to get a feel for what is to come this fall.
The expectations for the soccer team on both the girls and boys sides in Needham are always extremely high. 2017 is no different. A year after earning the No. 6 seed in the Division I South Sectionals, taking a 3-2 win over Weymouth in the first round, and suffering a quarterfinal defeat to Braintree, the lady-Rockets are out for some revenge this season.
Leading Needham into battle in 2017 will be their three captains in senior midfielder Izzy Barnett, senior defender Rose Evans, and junior striker Hannah Smith. Both Smith and Barnett were the centerpieces of Needham’s offense during Thursday’s scrimmage, constantly shouting out play calls and commanding the field with authority through their slick ball movement and blazing speed.
Another key piece to the Needham offense this season could be sophomore Tatum McShane, who served as a versatile wing in Thursday’s scrimmage. Throughout the first half, McShane drew significant playing time and made several excellent crosses while rushing up the field at full speed. Any soccer guru will tell you that having a strong, fast, and powerful player out on the wing is often the difference-maker, given the speed of today’s game. Kids are getting faster, stronger, and more skilled every year, and the outcomes of soccer matches at the high school level often come down to who does the little things better, such as winning possessions in the midfield or saving balls from going out on the sidelines through crosses to teammates. McShane proved capable of all of that on Thursday.
Unfortunately, Evans was unable to suit up on Thursday. However, the Rocket defensive backfield was still able to hold its own against a strong and powerful group of Raiders. With Evans returning to the mix, this group of Needham defenders has the chance to be extremely dominant, thanks to their depth, experience, and leadership. With all of that said, the Rockets should have another very successful year in the Bay State Conference in 2017.
For funny and incisive sports analysis, follow Mike Flanagan on his personal Twitter at @fLAno0, or read his blog at www.flannylive.wordpress.com.
