By Ryan Lanigan, Editor-in-Chief
WEYMOUTH, Mass – Some teams are skilled and others are a little bit lucky.
Weymouth was both Monday night, crutched by a kind bounce to help sneak by a talented Oliver Ames team, 1-0, and handing the Tigers their first loss of the season.
Both teams are considered top teams in the state, with Weymouth inside most Top 5 rankings.
After a scoreless first half, Weymouth scored the game’s lone goal and eventual game winner in the 50th minute.
After a long clearance from the Wildcats, OA goalie David MacKinnon tried to clear the ball back the other way. Wildcat senior captain Mike Lynch jumped and was able to block it down, and had an open net to slide the ball into.
Oliver Ames' pleaded for a handball call from the official but to no avail.
"It was a lucky bounce for them and an unlucky bounce for us," Oliver Ames head coach John Barata said. "That's how games are won an lost. Weymouth's a good team, well coached. Bill's [McEachern] done a really good job with them."
Both teams had one solid scoring chance each in the first half that happened back-to-back.
First, OA almost went up in the 24th minute off a cross that midfielder Lucas Araujo finished with his head, but the ball went inches over the bar.
On Weymouth's ensuing counter attack, senior Kenan Cerkez played a beautiful through ball from 30 yards out. As Lynch ran onto it, MacKinnon was able to charge out and make the sliding save with his legs at the top of the area.
“I thought it was a great game,” Barata said. “They all have technical abilities. That’s something we’re working on at OA to have our players be refined technically. Overall, I think we did we pretty well and we were able to hold with them and play.”
WEYMOUTH, Mass – Some teams are skilled and others are a little bit lucky.
Weymouth was both Monday night, crutched by a kind bounce to help sneak by a talented Oliver Ames team, 1-0, and handing the Tigers their first loss of the season.
Both teams are considered top teams in the state, with Weymouth inside most Top 5 rankings.
After a scoreless first half, Weymouth scored the game’s lone goal and eventual game winner in the 50th minute.
After a long clearance from the Wildcats, OA goalie David MacKinnon tried to clear the ball back the other way. Wildcat senior captain Mike Lynch jumped and was able to block it down, and had an open net to slide the ball into.
Oliver Ames' pleaded for a handball call from the official but to no avail.
"It was a lucky bounce for them and an unlucky bounce for us," Oliver Ames head coach John Barata said. "That's how games are won an lost. Weymouth's a good team, well coached. Bill's [McEachern] done a really good job with them."
Both teams had one solid scoring chance each in the first half that happened back-to-back.
First, OA almost went up in the 24th minute off a cross that midfielder Lucas Araujo finished with his head, but the ball went inches over the bar.
On Weymouth's ensuing counter attack, senior Kenan Cerkez played a beautiful through ball from 30 yards out. As Lynch ran onto it, MacKinnon was able to charge out and make the sliding save with his legs at the top of the area.
“I thought it was a great game,” Barata said. “They all have technical abilities. That’s something we’re working on at OA to have our players be refined technically. Overall, I think we did we pretty well and we were able to hold with them and play.”
Ryan Lanigan/Photo
The Tigers were unable to earn too many scoring chances in the second half, thanks in part to Weymouth’s compact defense.
“They cleared the ball well,” Barata added. “They denied us any balls going forward and down the middle. We’ll have to work on going down the side and playing a little more on the flanks.”
Oliver Ames used David Stapleton in the back for the first time this season according to Barata. He called Stapleton their offensive leader.
Barata said that Oliver Ames is in a “healthy” situation and seemed proud of his team’s effort.
"We proved that we can play, too."
Next up for the Tigers is Taunton, who is currently in first place of the Kelley-Rex.
“We’re not going to overlook Taunton at all,” Barata continued. “It’s going to be a very important game for us just to get back on our feet. Right now, they want to kick us while we’re down. Now we have to bounce back quickly.”
