Tewksbury Trio Leads Shawsheen Tech Girls Soccer Team To 7-0 Start

If it appears as though a certain trio of Shawsheen Tech girls soccer players have just a little bit better chemistry than most of the other players in the Commonwealth Athletic Conference, well, there's good reason for it.

Tewksbury residents Arianna Medeiros, Kristen Carroll and Erin Plunkett have been playing soccer together since they were nine or 10 years old , and the Rams record has certainly benefited from their familiarity with one another this fall. The Tewksbury trio has combined for 15 goals between them so far, as Shawsheen Tech has jumped out to a 7-0 record and taken sole possession of first place in the CAC.

"All three of them are just playing great soccer." Shawsheen coach Doug Michaud said. "They're a big part of this team."

Medeiros, a junior who plays both midfielder and forward, shares the team scoring lead with six goals and four assists so far. Plunkett, a senior striker, has five goals and three assists while Carroll, a junior, has four goals and one assist playing forward, mid, and even defense at times.

"Ari has really been sparking the offense," Michaud said. "She's a great player to have. I can put her anywhere really and she does a great job. She knows those positions and she knows what to do in those positions. She's just a smart player."

Plunkett, according to Michaud, is always around the net.

"Erin, you can't pull her away from the net," Michaud said. "She's just great up front. Erin and Ari together up front is just the best thing a coach could ask for."

Carroll, meanwhile, brings speed and versatility to the Rams.

"Kristen's great. She's got a lot of speed, she knows how to make a quick move around someone and just blast up the field," Michaud said. "She's just perfect for those outside positions. She's just a strong, strong outside player."

 With the Tewksbury trio leading the way, Shawsheen has outscored its first seven opponents by an incredible 45-2 margin.

"We've got a great group of seniors this year," Michaud said. "We've got nine seniors and eight have been on varsity for four years."

Success is nothing new to this group, either. Shawsheen has won six straight CAC championships since Michaud took over, and has been the MIAA state vocational champion for five straight years.

This year, however, Michaud's squad has its sights set on a deep run into the MIAA Division 3 state tournament. Last year, the Rams were upset by Ipswich in the first round of the state tournament.

"We had quite a few injured players leading up to that game, so we were disappointed to lose (in the first round)," Michaud said. "But we've basically got our whole starting line-up back this year, so it's a good place to be."

Michaud wouldn't go as far as predicting a state championship for the Rams, but he did admit that November could be an interesting month for Medeiros, Plunkett, Carroll and the rest of the Rams.

"I think we definitely have the potential to win the North Sectionals," he said. "After that, who knows. But it could be fun."