Tigers roll past Shea
Tolman wins Division III city showdown
PAWTUCKET – Tolman High had just completed a 6-1 conquest of Division III archrival Shea at the McKinnon-Alves Complex on Wednesday afternoon, but coach A.J. LaScola didn’t seem all that satisfied.
He had good reason: Sure, his Tigers raised their league mark to 5-3-0 (6-3-0 overall), and looked pretty good doing it, though he naturally didn’t want to focus on the positives aspects. Instead, he chose to detail those aspects his squad needs to improve upon, namely a minimum of nine offsides calls against it.
“We had a ton of those,” LaScola noted after the tilt. “We wanted to get the ball and score so badly, we lost sight of where we were on the field. We’ve got to be more mindful of where we are.
“We’ve had some good games, no doubt, but I don’t think we’re quite there yet,” he added. “We can play better. We have three (league) games left, and we need to play the hardest we can for a full 80 minutes to win all three; that will put us in the best possible position to make the playoffs.
“We’re looking to win out to maximize our chances of attaining the best seed we can.”
With a laugh, he continued, “Don’t say anything to the girls. I don’t want them doing the math.”
Fact is, with the latest triumph, the Tigers now maintain 15 points, and LaScola surmised that a surefire postseason bid would come with 19. He nevertheless isn’t taking anything for granted.
“We’ve had some good games, no doubt, but I don’t think we’re quite there yet.” – Tolman coach A.J. LaScola
On this day, sophomore Haleigh Correia and junior Marcela Velez both recorded two goals, while sophomore Lauren Ethier notched the other. As for the third of the afternoon, SHS junior Admiria Garcia accidentally knocked in an own goal, though senior Emily Veader received credit for it; for that, Veader landed a tally and an assist.
Tolman nearly secured the shutout with outstanding defensive play, among the stalwarts senior quad-captains Bridget McLean and Hannah Caliri, not to mention sophomores Olivia Badwa, Mickenzie Aldridge and Alexandria Lorenzo.
As for the Raiders (1-6-1 overall, 1-5-1 league), head coach Malinda Williams just looked for a more steady grasp of fundamentals from her club, and stated she saw it.
“Compared to our first game of the season, which we lost (to Tolman), 8-0, in the Injury Fund, we’ve definitely improved,” she said. “I feel like if we hadn’t subbed for our (starting) goalie (sophomore Julianna Carcamo), the number of goals would be lower. I told the girls that this game was all about development.
“We’re pretty young and inexperienced, but – in the first half – they were passing well, they were communicating, looking around to find the open girl, and we weren’t doing that before,” she continued. “We’ve developed in those areas – passing, talking and making runs at the goal. We’re developing as a team, on and off the field.”
Her defense had kept the Tigers more or less in the midfield until Veader sent a through pass into a streaking Correia down the middle with eight minutes elapsed in the opening half. She outraced freshman Yasmine Santos on the breakaway to notch her first.
About two minutes later, it appeared as if Correia would score again when she dribbled downfield and smoked a low screamer at starting keeper Carcamo, though the latter made a terrific crouching stop by the left post.
Carcamo wasn’t as lucky in the 13th minute. Correa fired a 22-yard try from the right at the cage, and Carcamo made the initial stop. However, Ethier pounced on the rebound and flicked it inside the left post for the 2-0 cushion, and that’s how the foes entered intermission.
The score should have remained that way early in the second session, but that’s when Veader roped a shot from inside the right segment of the box, and it caromed off Garcia attempting to clear it. That goal came only 4:38 after the half’s opening touch.
Williams opted to replace Carcamo (nine saves) with the frosh Sanchez, but her first head-to-head combat didn’t bode well for Shea. With 56:35 gone, Correia found herself in the right place at the right time, pitching in a loose ball in front to make it 4-0.
Approximately 1:35 after, the Raiders manufactured one of its finest opportunities of the afternoon. Senior Nadia Tchuda hustled in following a superb through feed and got off a shot before being hit well inside the box. Sophomore netminder Nicole Carman made the save, but officials awarded Shea a penalty kick.
Senior Kassandra DoRosario rapped a liner at the cage, but right at Carman, who cradled the stop and kept the shutout alive.
With six minutes left in regulation, Lorenzo rifled a try off the crossbar, yet Velez chipped home the rebound, and – 2:45 later – Velez added her second with an unassisted, point-blank grounder through a scrum in front.
The Raiders finally got on the board with only 20 ticks left. That’s when both Tchuda and Carcamo dribbled in, and – with Carman hobbling out to slice the angle – the ball bounced off the back of the net.
Even Williams didn’t know who deserved credit for the score, but gave it to Tchuda with an assist to Carcamo.