Wellesley finds its footing in 10-0 run
The ball hooked rapidly toward the left sideline and Wellesley sophomore Ellery Gerhart sprinted to the spot. An outside midfielder, Gerhart corralled the difficult pass, touching it down to her foot and finding an outlet in the middle of the field. The entire Wellesley bench, standing for the whole match, erupted with chants of her name as the touch did not allow Newton North to regain control late in a 4-2 Bay State Conference triumph for the Raiders.
It was not a singular moment. Senior captain Isabelle deFontaine, a stalwart outside back, fired home a goal from 48 yards that took a vibrant bounce off the rainsoaked turf. The whistle for halftime screeched and deFontaine was encircled with teammates jumping up and down.
Riding a 10-game win streak, the Raiders have much to celebrate. It was not always this rosy; after a 2-3 start, the Raiders came together behind closed doors for a players-only conversation. Organized by senior captains deFontaine, Gaia Jacobs, Caleigh Renzella, and McKay Pratt, the group realized their potential and needed to put their foot down.
“Our third loss, when we started off losing our games, it made us so angry and so hungry to win,” said Pratt, a stalwart central midfielder. “We had one talk as a team and we came together after that. It really helped us as a team. People started listening to each other and I think that was a really good moment for our team because everyone listened, shared their thoughts, and came together and it’s shown with us having success going forward.”
The team took time to align itself, but a strong leadership enabled the Raiders (12-3-0), ranked 10th in this week’s Globe Top 20, to make a substantial leap and capture the inaugural Krauss Cup.
“We looked up to those captains [from years’ past] and we’ve taken all of their leadership skills and transferred them to the team now,” said Jacobs. “Being the leaders of the team, we motivate each other a lot.”
The Raiders’ back end trio of Renzella, deFontaine, and Jacobs tackle well, possess great speed, and communicate well with each other. The result? 14 goals allowed in 15 games. Jacobs remains one of the most underrated central defenders in the region; she can instinctively read the play and make the correct decisions.
“Those three are just so in sync all the time,” said Wellesley coach Steve Bailen. “A huge contribution to these 12 wins is that backline. I have all the confidence in the world in that backline. They know what to do and when to do it. They’re athletic, strong on the ball, and all possess a great leg to get the ball up the field.”
Many of the players run spring track for a squad that has has won the Division 2 state championship four of the last five years. Annie Comella, a fleet-footed junior forward who won three events at the state championships, can take the top off of the opposition.
“The work that we put in during the track season really shows on the soccer field,” said Comella. “We take all of our workouts and work during that season and put that into the fall season. It’s really comforting to know that we have strong players that will get to the balls that we send in.”
Gerhart, sophomore midfielder Delaney Dyer, Jacobs, and Comella are just a few of the track standouts. The Raiders push the pace, looking to advance quickly to apply pressure on the opposing defense. A nuanced attack features midfielders sophomore Emily Burnham, a sparkplug that plays with tenacity, talented junior Peyton Keyes, a skilled distributor that can create for herself, and Pratt can play north and south but also string together passes intricately.
The coaching staff plays to the strengths of their players: the Raiders aren’t afraid of turning the game into a calculated track meet.
“[Wellesley track and field coach] John Griffith is a big asset to Wellesley high soccer because he teaches the girls how to run, how to breathe,” said assistant coach PT Donato. “Unbeknownst to any of us, he makes us a better team. We don’t work in collaboration, but he does such a good job and has such a good track program that it goes a long way.”
Corner kicks
■ After a challenging start to the season, dropping their first two games to top-ranked Cape & Islands rivals Martha’s Vineyard and Nauset, St. John Paul II found its footing with the help of the Cheney sisters.
Attacking midfielder Ella Cheney, the only senior this year, holds the school record for career goals (71), and is approaching her 200th career point.
Her younger sister, Addison, an eighth grader, is making quite an impact, with 28 goals after Tuesday’s 2-1 win over Monomoy (104-1).
“The chance for [Addison] to be able to come out for our team and play on the same field as Ella was a big deal for her and a big deal for Ella, and they work so well together on the field,” said coach Larry Palmer. “Ella is exceptional at finding just a little bit of space to get a through ball to Addy, whether it’s on the ground or in the air. She just kind of knows where Addy’s going to be and how fast she can get there, and they have this uncanny way of linking up.”
Sophomore forward Reagan Dillon, poised to be the main target for Ella’s setups, has unselfishly allowed Addison to play a key role. And she reached her 100th career point with a goal Tuesday.
“Reagan has been extremely gracious and extremely mature in the way that she has yielded touches to Addy. She still goes about her business in a very professional and very hard-working way,” Palmer said. “The ability to have two of those targets, plus Ella scoring from all over the place as well, has given us a really exciting dynamic, and it’s really hard for other teams to defend especially if they don’t know what’s coming.”
■ With a 2-0 win over North Andover, Central Catholic secured its first Merrimack Valley Conference title since 2017. With Lauren Sanchez in goal, the Raiders (10-2-1) have yielded just nine total goals.