After a long offseason and, frankly, a very competitive preseason, Marblehead’s boys soccer team took the field for its first regular season showdown of the fall. On a newly-renovated Piper Field, the Magicians kickstarted their season with a 2-0 Labor Day win against Andover.
Once the whistle was blown, Marblehead immediately jumped on the attack and within 37 seconds, found itself ahead by a goal. It came from a cross by Ilan Drucker and was finished by striker Miles Fontela-Tuttle (1-0).
“We talked to the guys about how we needed to come out strong – from offense to our defense and to our goalie. We wanted to be firing on all cylinders right from the start,” said coach Elmer Magaña. “In the previous year, it took us a while to get into the game. We practiced a lot about starting fast and we did it today.”
One player who enjoyed the fast start was starting goalkeeper and senior captain Rory Zampese.
“The biggest thing I liked was the energy we brought. In some of the scrimmages, we came out kind of soft in the start,” Zampese said. “The fact that we started off with an early goal set the standard for the entire game.”
The Magicians didn’t take their foot off the gas, either, controlling possession and creating numerous chances. Marblehead hit the post twice after the goal, and it could’ve been a lot more.
When asked what he told his guys at halftime, Magaña said he remained upbeat.
“The message was positive. We kept on creating opportunities to score, but the ball just wasn’t going in. Their goalie kept making good saves and we hit the post a few times,” he said. “We just told the guys to keep up the pressure and keep creating those quality plays to score.”
Come the second half, Marblehead kept up its pressure. Within the first minute of the second half, Fontela-Tuttle got his head on a corner. The ball looked like it was going in, but Andover’s goalie pulled off a fantastic save to keep the score 1-0.
But, the Magicians eventually found that insurance goal thanks to David Magen. He dribbled his way into the penalty box before an Andover defender brought him down, leaving the referee no choice but to call a foul and point to the spot seven minutes into the second half.
Magen was chosen to take the penalty and calmly slotted it to the goalie’s left to make it 2-0.
“He fights for every ball. Even the balls that you think he’s not going to be able to get to, he gets to. He puts pressure on the defenders in every move he makes. We love his intensity,” Magaña said.
After the two-goal cushion, Magaña made some substitutions. From there, Andover found a small groove. Luckily for Marblehead, Zampese was motivated to keep his shutout and made four terrific second-half saves.
“We had to start making substitutions because it was a very intense game. We tried to make key substitutions in order to keep the intensity going. They took advantage of those moments of our substitutions, but our subs were able to help and did not give up a goal,” Magaña said.
Magaña said Zampese earned his spot between the pipes as soon as he arrived with the program.
“He’s been solid since he came to the program four years ago. He came as a freshman and won the starting spot and took us to the playoffs in the first year to the second round. As a sophomore and junior, he led us to the playoffs,” Magaña said. “He’s a senior captain and a great leader. He’s able to inspire all the guys with his words and skills. He makes some sick saves, too, which inspires everyone.”
Zampese takes pride in his shot-stopping abilities, too.
“It’s really important because it stops the momentum of the other team. That’s the position of the goalie. If you make a mistake, then it can completely shift the momentum of the game,” Zampese said. “You have to stay focused and locked in.”
Marblehead was back in action on Wednesday at 4 p.m. against Masconomet (too late to print).