The Wellesley High School girls’s soccer team defeated Bishop Feehan by a 3-1 score on Saturday afternoon to capture its first state title in 20 years.
The #2 ranked Raiders lost just three games during the season, two of them to Natick, which got knocked off in the semi-finals. Natick last season won the Division 1 title under the leadership of Dave Wainwright, who this year led Wellesley to the championship.
Though of course it was Wellesley’s players and support system who deserve most of the credit for their championship season, which included four straight wins during the postseason tournament, which culminated at Worcester State.
On Saturday, the Raiders (19-3-1) fell behind 1-0 early on a Bishop Feehan penalty kick, but Peyton Keyes answered with a penalty kick of her own 20 minutes into the game to tie it 1-1. It was a Keyes penalty kick in overtime of the semi-final game on Monday that sent the Raiders to the title game.
Emily Burnham put the Raiders ahead 2-1 just before halftime upon receiving a pass from Annie Comella in the 39th minute, and Leila Eccher gave Wellesley breathing room by scoring with 18 minutes left in regulation. (More game details in The Sun Chronicle.). The Wellesley Police escorted the winning team back into town.
Congratulations to Coach Wainwright and our MIAA D1 Girls State Champion Soccer Team