2010 Game Summaries
2010 Game Summaries
by: Coach Forgione
May4th 2010 vs. Alington Catholic
The Raiders of Watertown matched up against Arlington Catholic to finish up a 3-game homestand before heading back on the road. Thanks to some incredible teamwork and individual efforts, the home team posted their fourth straight win, and was only a few minutes away from their second shutout of the season.
The first Watertown goal came early in the first quarter, when some aggressive pressure from the riding team caused a turnover behind the Arlington Catholic goal. Freshman attacker Matt Johnson (2 G, 2 A, 4 GBs) jumped the A/C goaltender and scooped the ball off the ground. The visiting defense was too spread out to recover, and Johnson found sophomore Mike Baccari cutting towards the goal. Baccari (1 G, 1 A, 8 GBs) barely broke a sweat scoring the first goal in an empty-net. Another great play from Johnson put the Raiders up by two a minute later. Matt set up his defender behind the cage and dodged from X. With the step on the defender, Arlington Catholic was forced to slide to stop the ball. The slide left freshman middie Joey Farrar open on the high crease. Feeling the luxury of being uncovered, Farrar (1, 1 A, 4 GBs, 2/4 face-offs) finished low on the opposing goalie to double the Raider lead.
With time winding down in the first quarter, Watertown was given an Extra-Man Opportunity on an Arlington Catholic penalty. Crisp ball movement and accurate passes quickly drew the five A/C defenders out of position and left attackman Mike Busconi a path to the goal from the right wing. Busconi (3 G, 1 A, 5 GBs) made his move and drew pressure from the opposing netminder. Mike handled the pressure well and dished to his line-mate Dino Flori on the backside for another empty-net goal.
The Raiders took their 3-0 lead into the second quarter, where they were able to add to more goals before the half. The first came from a nice Joey Farrar invert play, when he took his defender behind the cage to work a dodge. Farrar's speed was too much for his man, and the opposing defense was again forced to slide, leaving Johnson open in the low crease. Farrar made the pass, and Matt thanked him by spotting the low finish past the overwhelmed goaltender. The second goal (fifth of the game) came in a much less common fashion. During another EMO for the Raiders, Arlington Catholic managed the clear the ball into the Watertown defensive zone. The home defense stripped the ball-carrier and good teamwork allowed sophomore close defener PJ Phinney to win the groundball. Phinney (1 A, 2 GBs) broke upfield with the ball and carried it all the way into the offensive zone. With a deft touch, PJ passed to attackman Matt Johnson on the low right wing. Johnson received the pass and curled to the center of the field for a better shooting angle, where he rewarded Phinney's efforts with a low finish, tallying his second goal of the game and PJ's first point of the season.
Although PJ was the only defender to tally a point, it was a combined team effort the blanked the Arlington Catholic squad for most of the game. Connor Demore, Ben Sampson (2 GBs), Eric Hagopian (1 GB), and Derek Wright didn't give the visiting team any room to breath in their end. While the defensive midfield group of Jack Brackett (1 GB), Aaron Parseghian (1 GB), Corey Fitzgerald, and Eric Dupuis (1 GB) joined in on the party and frustrated the opposition. Of the few scoring chances Arlington Catholic earned, they found the goal well-protected by sophomore goalie Justin Pelletier (7 saves on 8 shots), who kept the clean-sheet until the last minutes of the game. That defensive unit was also responsible for successfully clearing the ball 15 times out of 22 attempts. Even more impressive, in a demonstration of grit and toughness, the man down squad killed 4 consecutive minutes of penalties in the second quarter, part of which they were forced to play with only with 4 defenders.
Leading 5-0 heading into the second half, Watertown was looking to blow the game wide open and put any idea of a comeback out of reach. However, the visiting team stepped up and held the Raiders without a goal until late in the third quarter. In another EMO, face-off wizard Danny Loprete (2 A, 7 GBs, 5/8 face-offs) won a groundball on the wing and drew some pressure from the defense. With the A/C defense already undermanned, the pressure left Mike Busconi open on the backside for the finish.
Watertown added 3 more goals in fourth quarter to close out the game. Early in the period, sophomore attackman Dino Flori got the ball near midfield and drove into the offensive zone. Flori (1 G, 1 ,A 4 GBs) managed to get the defense to rotate and saw Busconi calling for the ball near the goal. The late rotation allowed Mike to secure his second goal of the game as he blew one past the Arlington Catholic goalie from a few yards out. About a minute later, the Raiders were in the midst of another EMO and were attempting to clear the ball from their defensive zone after a turnover. With some great ball movement from Farrar and Loprete, they quickly attacked the man-down defense of A/C. In the unsettled situation, Busconi was again left uncovered on the right wing and snuck the ball in between the goalie and the goal post to put the Raiders up 8-0.
It was a few minutes later that Arlington Catholic finally managed to get on the scoreboard when they were awarded their own EMO, and made good work of the opportunity. However, it was the home team that closed out the scoring several minutes later when Baccari fed sophomore middie Kevin Rooney (1 G, 2 GBs) about 12 yards from the goal. Rooney stepped in for the shot and fired a bouncer that found the back of the net.
In impressive fashion, Watertown swept the homestand, and kept their home record perfect at 4-0 on the season.
May 3rd 2010 vs. Reading
Watertown looked to avenge an early season 7-2 loss against Reading with the home game rematch at Hosmer. Less than a month after their first meeting, the Raiders flipped the script on the visiting team. While Reading was able to keep it close in the first half, it was the home team that blew the game wide open in the third quarter and ran away with a 10-4 victory.
It didn't take long for Watertown to get on the board as they were able to convert a successful ride into the first point of the game. Reading was trying to clear early in the first when sophomore face-off wizard Danny Loprete (1 G, 11 GBs, 9/12 face-offs) picked off a pass deep in the Reading zone. Loprete had a clear path to the goal and took advantage of the 1-on-none to put the Raiders up by 1. The second goal from Watertown also came from the transition game, except this time it was from a Raider clear. Freshman middie Joey Farrar (2 A, 5 GBs) got the ball near midfield and broke into the Reading defensive zone. The pressure from Farrar drew the defense out of position and left attackman Matt Johnson wide open near the crease. Johnson (3 G, 2 A, 9 GBs) received the feed from Farrar and beat the netminder to double the Watertown lead.
With a comfortable 2-0 lead to start the second quarter, it was another great play by Johnson that put the Raiders up by three. Johnson got the ball at X and took his defender for a run back and forth along the backside of the crease. After gaining a step on his man, he headed top-side and drew a slide from the Reading defense. The slide left sophomore tri-captain Mike Busconi open low on the right wing. Johnson dished to Busconi (4 G, 1 A, 3 GBs) who finished 5-hole to put the Raiders up by a 4-spot. Reading finally struck back with a goal of their own on a fast break to make it 4-1 halfway through the second quarter.
But, it didn't take long for the home team to put the lead back at 4 goals thanks to a heads-up play by Farrar. In an unsettled situation, Farrar received a pass after a Dino Flori groundball. Farrar got the pass near the top of the box and stepped in as if to take the shot. However, instead of taking the 15 yard shot, he fed Busconi who was standing on the back-side of the crease for the high-percentage shot and finish. That play exemplified the offensive philosophy the team works so hard on every day at practice: move the ball and take the better shot. Reading came back with an unsettled goal of their own late in the quarter and put the halftime score at 4-2.
With Reading still in striking range, the Raiders turned up the heat on both sides of the field and sparked a vicious 5-0 run in the third quarter. In another successful Watertown ride, Johnson jumped the Reading goalie behind the goal and scooped the groundball. The Reading defense was too spread out and could not recover in time, leaving Alex McAdam open near the crease. Johnson kept his head up in the unsettled situation and passed to McAdam (1 G, 1 GB). The six-foot Reading goalie charged Alex for a clear-out body check, but the freshman middie kept his cool, and posted the fifth Watertown goal of the game (his first of the season).
The sixth goal came off a dodge from sophomore attackman Dino Flori. From his customary spot on the left wing, Flori (1 G, 1 A, 5 GBs) beat his defender and took advantage of the late slide from the Reading defense to put the Raiders up by 4 points. Flori had a hand in the next goal as well when his dodge again drew a slide from the defense. This time, the slide was not late but it left Matt Johnson open on the crease. In (what has become) regular fashion, Flori fed Johnson on the doorstep for the easy slam-dunk goal, extending the Raiders lead to 5 goals at 7-2.
From the subsequent face-off win by tri-captain Jack Brackett (1 GB, 3/6 face-offs), Eric Dupuis scooped the groundball and sprinted into the offensive zone. Dupuis (4 GBs) passed to Mike Busconi, who found some space and made the extra pass to linemate Matt Johnson. Using the dip-and-dunk fake, Johnson beat the goalie to complete the hat-trick and put the Raiders up by 6. Busconi closed out the 5-0 run with 10 seconds to go in the third frame. The sophomore tri-captain was left open on the high crease when his man slid to stop another Dino Flori dodge, and he made quick work of the feed with a well-placed bounce shot.
Although it was the offense that exploded during the third quarter, it was remarkable play on the defensive end that stifled the potent Reading offense. Ben Sampson (2 GBs), Eric Hagopian, Derek Wright (1 GB), PJ Phinney (2 GBs), and Connor Demore did a great job shutting down the opposing attackmen. While Dupuis, Brackett, Corey Fitzgerald, and James Dunoyer handled the Reading offensive midfielders. Sophomore goalie Justin Pelletier pitched in with 6 saves from 10 shots on goal to limit any offensive opportunities by the visiting squad.
Mike Busconi added his fourth goal of the game early in the final period. He received a Danny Loprete pass off a nifty back-door cut and sniped the low corner on the off-stick side to extend the lead to an insurmountable 8 goals. Reading answered with two late goals to cut the score to 10-4, but the Raider defense shut the door on any comeback and secured their third consecutive victory.
April 28th 2010 vs. Woburn
Watertown looked to close out a season sweep of the Tanners from Woburn at home on Hosmer. Woburn put up another great fight, bit the resilient Raiders pulled off a tight 7-6 victory thanks to a hat-trick from freshman middie Joey Farrar.
Watertown started with a quick two goals in the first minute, thanks to two fast breaks sparked by Danny Loprete face-offs. Twice in a row, Loprete (2 A, 9 GBs) was able to push the ball forward on the face-off and start the 4 on 3 break from midfield. In the first break, Loprete found freshman attacker Matt Johnson (2 G, 1 A, 1 GB) in the skip-lane for the slam dunk. On the second break, Loprete dished to sophomore tri-captain Mike Busconi for the time and space shot. From 10 yards out, Busconi (1 G, 1 GB) buried it past the Woburn netmimder to put the Raiders up 2-0. The Tanners answered with a goal of their own a few minutes later. But, a Kevin Rooney goal put the home team lead back at two goals. Woburn came back with a goal late in the first and both the teams took the 3-2 score into the first break.
The Raiders got the two goal cushion back early in the second quarter. Midfielder Joey Farrar made good work of a Dino Flori (1 A, 1 GB) feed and notched his first goal of the season. However, Woburn regrouped and took advantage of a transition to put the score at 4-3. After that, the Raider defense locked things down for the rest of the quarter and took their one goal lead into halftime thanks to Ben Sampson (1 GB), Eric Hagopian, and Connor Demore, who shut down the Woburn attackers. Meanwhile, sophomore keeper Justin Pelletier (9 saves on 15 shots) turned away several great chances from the Tanners.
The second half started with a Woburn goal to tie it up at 4 a piece. That goal was followed by 8 minutes of back and forth action before Woburn broke the stalemate to take their first lead of the game, 5-4. That lead didn't last long as Farrar scorched the net off the subsequent face-off. Face-off wizard Danny Loprete, who was nearly perfect on the day (again), won the battle and found Farrar open over the top. Joey beat the first Woburn defender and took the right-handed shot on the run to knot the game at 5 heading into the final frame.
Watertown scored twice early in the fourth to make it 7-5 thanks to some great plays by freshman Matt Johnson. On the first goal, Matt made a move and found an open Joey Farrar for the hat trick, his third consecutive goal. On the second goal (what would prove to be the game-winner), Johnson scooped a groundball deep in the Woburn zone and drove to the goal. He made a quick move to draw the goalie out of position and finished to make it 7-5 Watertown.
Feeling the pressure to score, Woburn threw everything they had at the Watertown defense. They broke through halfway through the quarter, cutting the Raider lead to one point. But, that was where the comeback stopped, as Pelletier stopped the last three shots he faced, all close-in shots, to secure the 7-6 victory, and lock up the season sweep of the Tanners.
April 27th 2010 vs. Melrose
The Raiders started the second half of their season on a cold, rainy day against Melrose. Although the conditions were not optimal, the results couldn't have been better. Both the offense and defense were firing on all cylinders en route to an amazing 11-0 victory.
Things started quickly when sophomore attacker Dino Flori (7 G, 1 GB) took advantage of some soft Melrose defense and used a Kevin Rooney (1 G, 1 A, 2 GBs) feed to notch his first of 7 goals in the game. Flori was able to score again later in the first, but not before Matt Johnson (2 G, 2 A, 3 GBs) contributed a goal from a Danny Loprete (2 A, 10 GBs, 10/12 face-offs) assist. Watertown took the 3-0 lead into the second quarter, anchored by sophomore goalie Justin Pelletier who stopped all four of the shots he faced. Pelletier would go on to finish with 7 saves on 7 shots and recorded the very rare shutout.
Flori flashed the magic twice in the second quarter, with assists from tri-captain Mike Busconi (1 G, 5 A, 7 GBs) and attackman Matt Johnson. What stood out was the play from the defense, as they were able to limit the offensive possessions for Melrose. Close defenders Eric Hagopian (2 GBs), Ben Sampson (3 GBs), and Connor Demore frustrated the Melrose attack all game. While the Watertown defensive midfield, led by Jack Brackett (1 GB, 1/1 face-offs), Aaron Parsegian (3 GBs), and Eric Dupuis (4 GBs), made it nearly impossible for Melrose to clear the ball.
With a comfortable 5-0 lead to start the second half, Mike Busconi started the scoring off of a great pass from linemate Matt Johnson. Flori closed the scoring in the third quarter when he received another feed from Busconi and put the Raiders up 7-0 heading into the home stretch.
The rout was on in the final period, and the away squad buckled down on defense to help Pelletier secure the shutout. It was easy to control the tempo and pace with face-off wizard Danny Loprete winning 10 of his 12 draws and scooping a team high 10 GBs. Flori scored the first two goals of the final period with assists from Busconi and Loprete, before Rooney tallied the final point to secure the Raiders 11-0 victory, and lift the season record to .500.
April 22nd 2010 vs. Lexington
Watertown finished up their Spring Vacation games with a match-up at Lexington on the turf. The Raiders were able to hang with the long-time program for much of the game before two late Lexington goals put things out of reach.
Lexington was the first team on the board, but the scrappy Raider squad was able to answer when they were awarded an Extra-Man Opportunity mid-way through the first quarter. With the man advantage, the Raiders were able to swing the ball around the perimeter looking for an opening. They found their chance when the ball got to Dino Flori (4 A, 3 GB) low on the left wing. Lexington was slow with their defensive rotation, and Flori was able to find freshman attacker Matt Johnson uncovered on the crease. Johnson (2 G, 3 GB) caught the feed and tied the game at 1-1. Both defenses were playing hard and took that score into the second quarter.
Lexington took advantage of an early fast break to take a 2-1 lead. But, Watertown was able to answer with one of their own shortly after. Freshman middie Joey Farrar got possession and drove into the offensive box. His pressure was strong enough to draw a Lexington defender. Flori was left open near the crease, and Joey made a nice pass to his teammate. Flori caught the pass and sensed the pressure from the two-slide. He quickly found Johnson, who was wide open on the backside, for the high percentage shot. Matt was able to beat the Lexington keeper with a little dip-and-dunk fake to even things up at 2 a piece. Lexington was able to answer late in the quarter on a man-up play to take a slim 3-2 lead into the half.
Lexington doubled their lead early in the second half, but the Raiders were able to tie it up thanks to two third quarter Extra Man Opportunities. In the first EMO, from his spot on the wing Flori threaded a pass to sophomore middie Mike Busconi (1 G, 4 GBs) through the Lexington defense. Busconi had the time and space and fired a 10-yard bounce-shot by the stick side of the goalie to cut the deficit to 1. The second EMO came with time winding down in the third. The Raiders knotted up the game at 4 a piece when Flori again got the ball in his customary spot low on the left wing. Dino tallied his fourth assist of the game when he found junior attackman Billy Stohlman (1 G, 2 GBs) on the crease. Stohlman didn't have much space, so he deftly quick-sticked the ball, allowing the Raiders to take the 4-4 tie into the final quarter.
After Lexington regained their lead halfway through the final quarter, the Watertown defense had to take a few chances to get the ball back. The risks didn't pay off as the experienced Lexington crew notched an insurance goal with less than two minutes to go.
Although the final result wasn't as hoped, sophomore Justin Pelletier played incredibly in his first start in goal, stopping 12 of 18 shots on goal and helped orchestrate 11 clears on 19 attempts. Pelletier was supported by defenders PJ Phinney (4 GBs), Ben Sampson (2 GBs), Derek Wright, Connor Demore (1 GB), and Eric Hagopian.
Freshman face-off wizard Danny Loprete helped control possession by winning 8 of his 10 draws and scooping 4 groundballs
April 20th 2010 vs. Woburn
The Raiders played their second Spring Vacation game on the turf in Woburn, a preseason rematch. Coming off a big win the day before at Dracut, the Watertown squad kept things rolling with a tight 6-5 victory.
After giving up two unsettled goals, Watertown answered with a great hustle play from sophomore middie Mike Busconi (1 G, 1 A, 3 GBs). The tri-captain won a groundball in the Woburn defensive zone, and used the opportunity to drive to the goal forcing a slide from the defense. The slide left freshman attacker Matt Johnson (3 G, 1 A, 2 GBs) alone on the crease and Busconi found him for the high percentage shot and finish, cutting the Woburn lead to one goal.
The Watertown fans were barely done cheering for the first goal when Mike Baccari (1 G, 4 GBs) evened the score seconds later at 2-2. The sophomore midfielder scooped a groundball from the subsequent Danny Loprete (1 A, 6 GBs) face-off and sprinted into the offensive zone. Baccari showed his speed, running by two Woburn close defenders, before finishing with a smartly placed bounce shot. The Raiders took the lead a minute later when Justin Pelletier (1 G, 1 GB) took advantage of an unsettled situation in the offensive zone. Pelletier came up with possession from a tough groundball battle and felt his defender was out of position. The sophomore attackman drove from the right wing, gained the top-side, and got a step on his man. The Woburn defense was late with the slide and Pelletier sniped the low corner on the near post to put the Raiders up 3-2.
Watertown added another goal late in the first quarter to cap their 4-0 run. In a bit of a role reversal from the game's first goal, Johnson gained possession from a groundball and drove from the wing. This time, sophomore Mike Busconi was the one who received the feed to the crease, and beat the Woburn goalie on the doorstep to take a 4-2 lead into the second quarter.
Woburn tallied two quick goals to start the second quarter before the defensive unit of PJ Phinney (3 GBs), Ben Sampson (1 GB), and Eric Hagopian regrouped and shut down the offensive threats. Aaron Parseghian kept Watertown alive in his first half of work making 4 saves on 8 shots.
Johnson's second goal allowed Watertown to reestablish the lead against the scrappy Woburn squad. The freshman received a Danny Loprete pass in the top right corner. The other Raiders did a good job occupying their defenders as he drove across the middle of the zone. Matt got his hands free about 5 yards from the crease and ripped a right-handed high bouncer inside the far post to make it 5-4. Both defenses hunkered down and took that score into halftime.
The defensive stalemate continued into the second half when both teams were blanked in the third quarter. Jack Brackett (2 GBs) and Eric Dupuis (4 GBs) slowed down the Woburn middies, while Derek Wright and Connor Demore held their attackers in check. In the second half, Pelletier changed to goalkeeper as opposed to his usual role as goal-scorer. Pelletier frustrated Woburn shooters during his time in net, stopping all three shots he faced in the third, and totaled 6 saves on 7 shots.
Woburn managed to break the stand-off early in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 5-5. It wasn't until the final two minutes that Watertown was able to retake the lead. Connor Demore started a dead-ball clear deep in the defensive zone. Freshman middie Joey Farrar (1 A, 4 GBs) got free near midfield and called for the ball. Demore dropped a 40-yard pass over the Woburn riding team and hit Farrar in stride to spark the break. In the transition, Johnson shook his defender and got open on the crease. Farrar saw the play develop and found Johnson for the slam-dunk game-winner. The play was a true testament to how hard the team works every day to improve and become more cohesive. Johnson's third goal of the day secured not just his second hat trick of the season but the second consecutive win for the Raiders.
Danny Loprete shared his wizardry duties this week with Farrar and sophomore tri-captain Jack Brackett. The trio managed to win 12 draws and helped control the tempo for most of the game.
The Raiders have one day to recover before heading back on the road for their final Spring Vacation game at Lexington.
April 19th 2010 vs. Dracut
Watertown started off their busy Spring Vacation with a game against the Midshipmen of Dracut. Coming off a weeks worth of practices since the loss against Andover, the Raiders stepped up the intensity and posted a huge 7-4 road victory.
The attack came to life and was able to wear down the Dracut defense, scoring 6 Raider goals in the second half. Dino Flori was able to start things off in the first. Flori received a great feed from Justin Pelletier and showed his appreciation with a great lefty bounce shot that finished just under the crossbar. It was the first of his four goals in the game.
The Raiders were able to take the lone goal into the half, leading the Middies 1-0, thanks to stellar goalkeeping by Aaron Parseghian. He stopped all 5 shots he faced in the first two frames, and finished with 7 saves on 11 shots. Strong play from midfielder Jack Brackett and close defender Ben Sampson limited the offensive possessions of the Dracut squad.
Flori was able to start things off in the second half with a Man-up opportunity early in the third quarter. He scooped up a loose ball and took advantage of the Dracut man-down defense, finishing with a carbon-copy from his first goal, a lefty top-shelf bouncer. Enhancing the Watertown lead to 2-0.
Dracut was able to answer with 2 goals in quick succession before the Raiders were awarded another Man-up opportunity late in the third. Sensing that the Midshipmen were playing too soft on defense, Flori took a pass from midfielder Mike Baccari, and drove to the goal. The Dracut defense was too late with the slide, and Flori scored with a well-placed shot off the goalie's hip. His hat-trick put the Raiders up 3-2 going into the fourth quarter.
Flori's fourth goal early in the fourth quarter jump-started the Raiders 4-2 run in the final frame. Freshman midfielder Joey Farrar dodged his man and drew a slide from the Dracut defense. The rotation left Flori open on the left wing where he was able to step to the goal and again work the bounce shot into the top-shelf.
Dracut was able to answer with a goal of there own, to cut the Watertown lead to 4-3. But, Matt Johnson put the cushion back at two goals when he received a feed from Pelletier and buried it past the Midshipmen goaltender. Pelletier added a goal of his own a few minutes later after he scooped a groundball deep in the Dracut zone, putting the score at 6-3. Pelletier then scored his fourth point (1G, 3A) of the game when he made a great pass to midfielder Shelby Gilbeau. Gilbeau made good use of his opportunity and put the ball low to score the Raiders' final goal.
A late goal by the Dracut boys put the score at 7-4, but the Watertown defensive unit of PJ Phinney, Eric Hagopian, Derek Wright, and Connor Demore held off the threatening Midshipmen.
Face-off wizard Danny Loprete kept things running smoothly for the offense by winning 7 of his 10 draws. He again led the GB charge by scooping up 8 of a season-high 56 Raider GB's. Pelletier picked up 8 GB's also, while his line mates Johnson (7) and Flori (6) helped maintain possession for much of the game. Joey Farrar added 6 GB's with Mike Busconi and sophomore defender Ben Sampson tallying 5 each. Dupuis, Hagopian, and Baccari each added 4.
April 12th 2010 vs. Andover
The fourth game of the season matched up the Raiders against a powerful Andover squad. Watertown was able to keep it close for most of the day, but two late goals by Andover put things out of reach for the first year program.
Andover jumped out to a quick 2-0 start as Watertown contended with a couple of uneven situations. We were able to answer the call in our own first quarter Extra-Man opportunity. Our man-up offense was able to move the ball around the perimeter in order to spread out the 5 Andover defenders. The offense passed across the top of the box and looked to feed Matt Johnson low on the right wing. Johnson nearly lost his footing, but was able to regain his balance just long enough to feed a wide open Dino Flori standing at the back side of the goal. Flori finished before the Andover goalie had any chance to react, chalking his first goal of the season and cutting the score to 2-1.
Andover opened the second quarter scoring with two fast break goals. The Raiders were able to regroup and saw PJ Phinney, Ben Sampson, and Eric "Gopes" Hagopian slow down the transition game. Aaron Parseghian, who finished with 8 saves on 16 shots, continued to keep things close with some fine goaltending.
Andover was able to again start the scoring in the third quarter. Our second goal came from a great hustle play by attackman Justin "Juddy" Pelletier. Face-Off Wizard Danny Loprete was jumped by a strong double team and lost the ball near the restraining line. Pelletier scooped the ground ball and looked up to see he had gotten inside the Andover defense. Taking a few more steps to get a better shooting angle, the part-time goalie shot off-stick and snapped the ball inside the far pipe to make the game 5-2.
The Raiders were first to light the lamp in the final period with a great play from the slippery Matt Johnson, who was able to add a fourth quarter goal to his first quarter assist. The freshman attacker drove from X around the right side of the crease and forced his defender to over commit to the top side. Sensing the mistake, Johnson rolled back to the inside with the stick in his left hand. The well-executed "question mark dodge", as it’s called, gave the quick attackman a few steps on his defender. Feeling the space, Johnson smartly put the stick back in his right hand to finish low on the Andover goalie and cut the score to 5-3. Johnson had a good shot at his second hat-trick of the season, but was robbed twice (once by the pipe, once by the goalie) on some great chances.
Some missed assignments and unsettled play led to two late Andover goals, putting the game out of reach to secure Watertown's third loss of the season.
Although, the W/L results are a little lacking, the progress made by the players as individuals, as well as a team, is remarkable. Efficient transition and crisp passing from the midfield led to 15 successful Raider clears on 19 attempts. Good teamwork and determination led to 35 Raider GB's led by 10 from Danny Loprete. The wizard was again magical at the face-off X, winning 8 of 13 draws. Johnson pitched in with 4 GB's of his own while Flori, Pelletier, Joey Farrar, and Mike "Scones" Busconi each grabbed 3.
With four days to practice until the next game, look for the Raider squad to come out looking mean and playing tough against Dracut this Saturday.
April 10th 2010 vs. Reading
Game 3 was a hard-fought battle on the turf in Reading. The Raiders were able to stay in striking range for much of the game. Defense was dominant on both sides, with Reading taking a 3-2 lead into the 4th, but the Reading squad was able to pull away late in the game to take the win by a total of 7-2.
The two Watertown goals came at a great time to answer a 3-0 run by Reading crew to start the game. The first goal came off a set play designed during a time out by Coach Burns. The play called for Busconi to start with the ball at the top left of the box, with 4 Raiders stacked together at the top right. At the whistle, he was to drive towards the goal and find one of the four cutting attackers. The play was executed flawlessly as Busconi hit Pelletier high on the crease. Upon receiving the pass, Pelletier knew just what to do and finished low on the 6-foot Wilmington keeper. The whole play took less than 5 seconds.
The second goal came in the third quarter to cut the Reading lead to 1, and was the result of another set play, this time from the Watertown Man-Up Offense that went 1-for-3 in the game. With the man-advantage Dino Flori got the ball and pushed to the goal-line from behind the net. His pressure was strong enough to draw a Reading defender out of position, at which point Flori rolled back and passed across the back of the crease to Matt Johnson. Johnson, turned and headed up field to look for face-off wizard, Danny Loprete. Loprete had plenty of time and space for the shot as he received a great screen from Pelletier, who managed to pick his man and obstruct the view of the phenomenal Reading goalie. Danny made quick work of his opportunity to make it 3-2. That was the last goal from the Raiders as the Reading goalie was able to tally 11 saves from 13 shots on goal, gobbling up many of the Watertown scoring chances.
The Raiders transition and special teams sparkled again. Thanks to hustle plays from defensive middies Brackett, Hamad, Dupuis, McManus, and Dunoyer, the Reading squad was unable to clear the ball for much of the game. Conversely, Watertown seemed to have no trouble moving against the Reading ride, as Aaraon Parseghian, PJ Phinney, Ben Sampson, and Eric "Gopes" Hagopian were able to beat the pressure and get the ball to the offense. Parseghian again played very well making 5 saves on 8 shots heading into the 4th. As fatigue set in late in the game, defenses got spread out and Reading was able to take advantage of several close shots and Man-Up chances, tallying 4 of their last 6. The Junior tri-captain finished with 7 saves on 14 shots in only his 3rd start in net.
Stand-out of the game was from the play of Danny Loprete, who was nearly perfect at the face-off X, going 9 for 10. He continues his astonishing season at the X, where he has developed a win percentage eclipsing 80%, an absolutely unheard of statistic in lacrosse today. Along with all those draws come great opportunities for groundballs, where Loprete was able to add 14 to his season total. The attack lent a hand in the GB battle with Flori (6), Johnson (5), and Pelletier (3). Joey Farrar (4) and Mike Baccari (4) picked up a few of their own to top of the GB domination with Watertown securing 48 to Reading's 33.
April 8th 2010 vs. Wilmington
Our first goal exemplified our offensive philosophy of unselfish ball movement and crisp passing. Danny Loprete drove from the restraining line and drew the double team from the Wilmington defense. He looked up to hit an uncovered Joey Farrar with a short pass. Joey unselfishly looked for his teammate Mike Busconi down low on the crease for the high percentage shot and easy goal.
Second goal came from a broken Watertown clear which showed our tenacity going after groundballs on both sides of the field. The ball was loose near the midfield line when it was goosed over to the Raider attack, where Dino Flori took on two Wilmington defenders to allow Matt Johnson to easily scoop the ball and head up field. Johnson drove to his strong hand and let it rip with an incredibly well placed shot on the run beating the goalie to the far pipe.
Third goal came from an unsettled situation where we caught the Wilmington defense over extended, leaving a 3 v 2 close to the goal. Danny Loprette received a pass outside the box, recognized the mismatch and immediately drove to the goal in order to draw the first Wilmington defender. He found Matt Johnson low on the wing, who quick-sticked it across the face of the goal to Bill Stohlman standing on the crease for the slam dunk.
Fourth goal was a simple drive from Danny Loprete who was able to take advantage of the short stick defender. He dodged by the Wilmington player and the late slide allowed Danny to get his hands free and take a left-handed shot on the run to put Watertown up 4-0.
Wilmington was able to make things interesting after scoring with a fast restart. A small defensive breakdown allowed a Wilmington middie to drive and score making it 4-1.
Fifth goal came from another effective Watertown transition. Ben Sampson began the clear deep in our defensive end. Sampson ran by the first Wilmington player and smartly looked upfield to one of our middies. Joey Farrar came up with the groundball and continued our break upfield. With the numbers advantage, Farrar drew the first Wilmington player. The slide by the defense left Matt Johnson wide open on the doorstep for the high percentage shot and finish.
The sixth goal, by far the prettiest of the game, again came from our exceptional offensive preparation and everyone knowing their assignments. From a broken Wilmington clear, Joey Farrar was able to come up with a groundball and move it into the box. Wilmington players were still recovering back on defense when Farrar found Loprete standing at the top of the box. Danny quickly moved the ball down low on the wing to Flori who immediately drew a slide from the Wilmington goalie. Unfazed by the pressure, Flori found Johnson who was cutting toward the goal through the middle. Johnson showed good awareness by tip-toeing the crease before finishing in the empty net.
The second Wilmington goal came from an unsettled fast break situation when the streaking middie found an uncovered attackman near the goal.
Aaron Parseghian anchored the defense and frustrated Wilmington shooters all day, allowing only one goal in each half of play. Along with the rest of the defense, Watertown was also able to orchestrate a number of clears. The man down defense of Ben Sampson, Eric Hagopian, Jack Brackett, Derek Wright, and Eric Dupuis kept the Wilmington Extra-Man Offense (EM0) scoreless. Abe Hamad and Brackett were able to shut down the Wilmington offense for much of the game, not allowing Wilmington middies to make any progress in their offensive side of the field.
Danny Loprete was phenomenal at face-offs, leading the Raiders to a nearly perfect day at the X.
April 5th, 2010 vs. Waltham
The WHS boy’s lacrosse team started the season on Monday April 5th with a 4-1 loss at Waltham. The Raiders were led by newly elected tri-captains Aaron Parseghian, Jack Brackett, and Michael Busconi. Parseghian got the starting nod in goal and stopped 5 of 8 shots in a wide open 1st half. Sophomore Justin Pelletier played the second half and stopped all but one of the shots he faced. More than half of the Raider squad was making their debuts in the sport, but they still displayed tremendous discipline and skill. Freshman Joey Farrar and sophomore Ben Sampson both played strong defensively. Freshman Daniel Loprete was outstanding in the face-off X winning 7 of the 9 draws. Up front, sophomores Kevin Rooney & Dino Flori, along with junior Billy Stolman clearly gained confidence as each quarter played out. The Raiders got on the board in the 3rd quarter when freshman Matt Johnson found the back of the net to cut the Hawk lead to 3-1. The home team added a late goal for the 4-1 final score. Freshman Connor Demore, sophomores PJ Phinney and Eric Hagopian, and Junior Abe Hamad played well defensively against the more experienced Waltham team. Next up for the Raiders is their home debut against Wilmington on Thursday April 8th.