West Boylston Girls Soccer Shine in their First Game of the Season

WEST BOYLSTON – The first-game nerves were high for the West Boylston High School girls’ soccer team. Although they were up two goals against league rival Clinton, they still had some jitters to work through. At halftime, senior captains Rhiann Dugan and Serephine Jodoin decided to speak up about the situation.

“We just need to compose ourselves,” Dugan told the team as they sat around her and Jodoin in a semicircle in front of the north end net. “Swing the ball from one side to the other. Talk! Play smart! I know they’re strong. We just have to play smart … So, everyone, get your rest right now and drink some water and be ready.”

Once she was finished, first-year head coach Scott Coderre was pleased by his senior leadership. “I like that,” he told his team as he stood next to his captains. “I like that we got some good coaching from our upperclassmen.”

Coderre then warned his team not to be satisfied with being up 2-0 at the half. He said, “2-0 is the toughest lead to have in any game. They score one and they’re back in it, 2-1. We cannot give up here.”

After an initial three-minute push from Clinton at the start of the third quarter, Coderre’s team finally responded as Dugan raced down the center of the pitch. She received the ball near the top of the box and drilled the ball past Clinton goal keeper Thayna Ferreira for the 3-0 lead. From that point on, it was all Lions.

Dugan explained at halftime, “I was just hoping we could calm down,” she said. “We came out a little flustered and I kind of think it was just the first game jitters. We just wanted to do everything right, but what we really needed to do was calm down and just play how we know how to play. I think that’s what we did which is why we were able to end up with those goals in that second half. We were able to swing the ball and do what we were able to do and we weren’t forcing anything and everything just came natural to us.”

Dugan said the goal she scored is a good example of what the Lions can accomplish by playing a good possession game, by moving the ball, and staying composed.

“I just think that goal that I had, that third goal really got us going because we did swing that ball around to get that goal in,” Dugan said. “We started on the left, brought it back to the middle and that’s what got us that goal there. And I think we realized by swinging the ball around like that, it does give us those easy goals instead of forcing it so much.”

Jodoin was pleased with the way her young teammates made the adjustment at the break and responded in the second half. “I think in the beginning we were just getting a feel for our first game and then after the second half, all our jitters were out,” she said. “We talked to them at halftime and told them what we need to work on and they executed it very well. I think we played so much better in the second half. The girls are amazing. They really respect us and I love that about them.”

The Lions dominated after the third goal and won the game, 5-0. Dugan finished with two goals and helped set up Jodoin’s second goal at about the 10-minute mark of the first half. “So basically, I think Rhiann went to shoot it and it went off a defender and I just put my head down and struck it with my laces and I said God I hope this goes in the corner.”

Following the game, Coderre had a lot of praise for his captains. “I think Rhiann Dugan did a great job of controlling the game. Her and Serephine Jodoin in the centerfield. I think they controlled the game. They talked to everybody. And they had a good response I thought.”

Coderre said the score did not reflect completely what was happening on the field. “I think after the second half, the girls calmed down a bit,” he said. “Clinton did have a lot of good possessions in the beginning. They’re a good team. They had a good formation. They played well, but I think when our girls settled in and used the entire field, they were able to pick up their game a little bit.”

Coderre said his backs and midfielders did a great job knowing where their marks were and understanding their proper positions to play.

The other outstanding performance was sophomore Maddie Pitro, who scored two goals in the game and constantly put pressure on the Clinton defenders. “Maddie was great. She scored two goals,” Dugan said. “We like to come at them with speed, it’s mainly just, we’re able to pass right around them which gives us those (scoring) opportunities.”

Sophomore goalkeeper Shannen Luksha also played well notching her first shutout of the year. “Maddie did a great job scoring for us and Shannen Luksha in goal … I think she did a great job of positioning and talking to her defenders,” Coderre said. Luksha made a couple key stops on two free kicks at the end of both halves. “Her positioning was a testament to making that save,” he said. “It may not have looked like she had to work as hard, but she had good positioning all game.”

It should be noted, despite giving up five goals, Clinton senior goalkeeper Thayna Ferreira was peppered throughout the game with a dozen shots. She also took command in the box to thwart four set pieces, three corners and a free kick.

In the end, it was West Boylston taking the victory, a win the Lions hoped to propel them to future success this season.

“We’re solid all around, defensively, offensively,” Coderre said. “We had a pretty solid season last year and we’re just hoping to get better each and every day … We’ve had good numbers this year. We’ve had a lot of girls come out. I’m very excited about the competitive nature of our practices.”

Coderre expects to be competitive throughout the year with a talented roster with experienced seniors like Dugan as a midfielder, Callie Cahn as a defender, and Jodoin patrolling both the midfield and forward positions. They are also joined by seniors Sarah Kilcoyne, Emma Nett, and Kara Wattu. “We will look for seniors to lead us with their experience and make a large impact for us this season both offensively and defensively,” Coderre said.

With Pitro at forward and Luksha in goal, these two talented players are helped by fellow sophomore Annya O’Rourke at forward and in the midfield.

The seniors are backed by nine juniors, including Julia Carr, Olivia Downer, Riley Eagan, Kaitlin Flaherty, Mia Guinto, Katie Kursonis, Riely MacMaster, Shayla Nicholson, and Jess Pano. The rest of the team’s depth consists of sophomores Helida Corra and Avery LaPan, freshmen Grace Shannon, and eighth graders Emily Pitro and Teagan Scally.

“I just want the girls to build as a team,” Coderre said. “To keep communicating together and learn their positions and learn the entire field, and just kind of keep growing as a team. Hopefully we can do that.”

West Boylston High School Girls’ Soccer

At a Glance

Nickname: Lions

Affiliation: Midland Wachusett Division E

Colors: Blue and White

Record: 8-7-3 (2019)

Home Field: West Boylston Middle/High School field

Coach: Scott Coderre (first year)

Assistants: Kelli McSweeney, Kevin Bjorklund

Captains: Rhiann Dugan, Serephine Jodoin

Upcoming Schedule

Sept. 21 – Narragansett at Narragansett High School – 3:30 pm