Cremin’s rebound lifts BLA to title
Latin Academy 1 East Boston 0
In a physical and tightly contested Boston City League girls’ soccer final, it was only fitting for Latin Academy’s winning goal to be scored on a scrappy rebound.
Senior Majella Cremin followed her own shot for the lone goal in the 22nd minute, lifting theDragons to their first City League title since 2019 with a 1-0 win over East Boston at Madison Park Saturday afternoon.
“It’s exactly what we’ve been looking for all year,” coach Kara Stafford said of Cremin’s goal. “We’re always trying to chase down other people’s shots, but she really wanted it. She took a great shot, and she just kept going.”
The Dragons (9-4-5) generated heavy offensive pressure from the outset against the Jets (14-4-2), including a pair of corner kicks and several shots. It paid off on Cremin’s strike.
From there, Latin Academy shifted into a defensive-minded approach. The Dragons’ back line shined, pressuring nearly every pass and forcing several turnovers. The Jets managed just one shot on net in the first half, and struggled to get the ball out of their own half.
“The communication that they’ve been working on was spectacular today, and we were able to figure things out,” Stafford said. “We adjusted when they started throwing multiple people on the same side at us, and we were able to keep them marked.”
Latin Academy’s dominance continued in the second half, until the Jets turned up the offensive pressure in the last 10 minutes. The Dragons held strong, fending off multiple corner kicks and scoring opportunities to seal the win.
“It feels really great,” said Cremin, who was named MVP. “I’m so thankful for my team that they’re able to do this for the last year.”
Latin Academy defeated East Boston in the regular season, 3-0, on Sept. 26, and the teams played to a 0-0 draw on Oct. 4. The Dragons have conceded just one goal to the Jets in the last two years — in a game Latin Academy won, 4-1, last season.
The Dragons will look to carry the momentum into the Division 3 state tournament.
“The girls should feel great and confident and trust each other and the kind of soccer we play,” Stafford said.