Despite the game ending in a tie (0-0), the girls’ varsity soccer team played a consistent and hard-fought match against Westborough on Tuesday, Oct. 12. 

The team largely controlled the ball throughout the first half, volleying back and forth on Westborough’s side, attempting to score on multiple occasions. However, the many shots on goals were subsequently blocked, despite the excellent efforts from senior captain Caroline Kelly and senior Carlee Ballard. 

“We possessed the ball well and kept it away from the other team,” Kelly said. “We had a lot of opportunities to score, but we couldn’t finish on them.” 

At halftime, the focal point for the rest of the game was consistency; maintaining the same intensity for the following half was crucial for Algonquin.  

“We played a really good first half, so we just wanted to continue playing like that and keep our intensity up,” Kelly said. “We knew they were going to come out strong, so possessing the ball more throughout the game and not kicking it away was crucial to coming out with a win.” 

On many occasions, the team would be close to scoring but the ball would be quickly kicked away by Westborough’s back-line defense. 

“Westborough has a great center back [senior Kristin Wilichowski], so keeping it away from her was our main goal coming into the second half,” Kelly said. 

The team’s strength as a unit is apparent when they utilize the entire field, often complementing each other’s positions throughout the game. 

“When we play on the ground and pass around the field, teams have a difficult time defending us,” junior Mia Lochhead said. 

When the second half rolled around, each team seemed to counteract one another’s game plan just as well. Westborough’s closest shot on goal was denied as Algonquin players flooded the middle to protect their goalie, with notable help from seniors Lucy Rogers and Serena Mihalek.

While the team had many opportunities to score through multiple transition breaks and uninterrupted crosses by the team’s outside wings, the opposing team’s defense put up a solid fight, denying the attempts. In the end, both teams were limited to zero goals. 

The previous encounter between Westborough and Algonquin earlier this season ended in a 0-0 tie as well. 

“I hope we keep playing as we are,” Kelly said. “Our chemistry has continued to improve as each game has gone by. I think if this continues to happen, we will have success on the field.” 

Kelly also commended her teammates, mentioning excellent playing from junior Sadie Candela, who leads the team in scoring, and Lochhead, who combated the opposing offense well, serving as a core piece in keeping the other team to zero points. 

“Now that we’re going into the postseason, the goal is to win and go as far as we can both in the league tournament and state games,” Lochhead said. “My hope is for the team to continue to improve with each game, and I am super excited to see what happens.” 

The girl’s soccer team concluded their season with a final record of 8-4-2. Playoff games have yet to be determined.