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By Michael Flanagan
Hometown Weekly Sports Editor
The Walpole High School varsity boys soccer team played its final regular season home contest of the year on Thursday evening against arch rival Norwood. Despite some less-than-ideal and wet conditions, the Rebels (9-5-2) came away with a 1-0 win to finish the season 7-4-2 in Bay State Conference play.
The 1-0 final score really doesn’t do justice to just how dominant the Rebels were against the Mustangs (2-13-3), outshooting Norwood 9-0 in the first half. No matter what Walpole did throughout the first half, Norwood keeper Valter Santiago stood tall and batted the ball away, making a series of highlight-reel saves on a net-mouth scramble after a free kick less than 10 minutes into the contest to keep the Rebels off the board.
Alexander MacLean (23) boots the ball down field for Walpole midway through the first half.
Midway through the first half, however, Walpole finally drew first blood with a little over 19 minutes to play before halftime when a handball was called on Norwood inside the box. Aidan Murray took the awarded penalty kick for Walpole and stashed it home by firing the ball past Santiago into the bottom right corner of the net for a 1-0 Walpole lead.
The Rebels took their one-goal edge into halftime and continued to dominate the time of possession throughout the second half. Walpole’s bid for a little bit of late insurance was denied by Santiago when the stout Norwood keeper made a sprawling save with 18 minutes to play on a beautiful ball by Zachary Schultz.
Aidan Murray (10), who scored the lone goal for the Rebels, moves the ball up the field late in the first half of Walpole’s 1-0 win over Norwood on Thursday night.
However, despite having their offense held mainly in check by one of the conference’s top goalkeepers, the Rebels thwarted any sort of legitimate scoring opportunity for the Mustangs during the late minutes of the game and came away with the 1-0 win.
Walpole will now gear up for what will hopefully be a long run in the South Sectional Playoffs beginning later this week.
For funny and incisive sports analysis, follow Mike Flanagan on his personal Twitter at @fLAno0, or read his blog at www.flannylive.wordpress.com.
