Chelmsford Settles for Tie

The Chelmsford High School varsity boys' soccer team tied Tewksbury Memorial High School, 1-1, Tuesday afternoon after a nail-biting 80 minutes of play.

Chelmsford head coach Mike Parato said he wasn't overly thrilled with the 1-1 tie, but pointed to factors in the outcome.

"On the road in the daytime we'll take the 1-1 tie," Parato said. "We feel like we are a better team, but they play tough and are a tough group."

Tewksbury head coach Steven Levine was happy overall with his squad's effort, but would like to see his forwards slow down and exhibit a bit more composure.

"We are happy with the way our kids played so to see them compete against a team like (Chelmsford), I am really proud of their effort," Levine said. "The people we depend on to score goals have to slow down and stop trying to do too much. Once our goal scorers start scoring we're going to be okay."

The Redmen were able to strike first, after Paul Redmond crossed the ball to Neil Dave 27 minutes into the first half. Dave was able to capitalize on the ball as it flew across the front of the net, giving the Redmen the 1-0 lead and the advantage.

The Redmen were able to hold onto their lead until the first 40 minutes expired, and both teams came out aggressive in the second half. The Lions registered multiple shots on goal, keeping Tewksbury's goalkeeper Alex Bouthot constantly on his toes.

Redmen Captain John Digiorgio and the rest of the defensive line were able to keep the lions at bay at first, but their luck ran out in the 65th minute. Chelmsford's Sean O'Shaugnessy headed the ball into the back of the net and tied the score 1-1 with just 14 minutes left to play in the game, dramatically shifting the momentum in Chelmford's favor.

"It was a fluke goal, and that happens," Levine said. "You're playing well and all of a sudden something like that happens and there's not much you can do."

Chelmsford's Joe Ofosu was a force for the Lions, managing to break away several times with little time on the clock. He wasn't able to sneak the ball past Bouthot, however, leaving both sides with the 1-1 tie at the end of the outing.

"We played well, we all challenged the ball well but bounces didn't go our way. I'm pretty happy with the 1-1 tie," DiGiorgio said.

Other players who had a notable showing included Chelmsford's Jake Higson and Connor Kurcon. Tewksbury strikers Pat Bernardo and Sean Taylor also had a memorable outing.

Chelmsford's senior captain Dom Zaher also created multiple scoring opportunities for the Lions, showing poise and patience on the field.

Next up the Lions will take on Dracut Thursday at 3:30 p.m. at home, and Parato isn't underestimating Dracut's ability.

"It should be a tough game for us, it usually is," Parato said. "Dracut is an athletic team and are always very physical so we're expecting a tough match."