SHREWSBURY – Shrewsbury and Grafton boys soccer teams both entered Thursday night’s match with momentum after a successful early-season stretch. After 80 minutes of intense competition at David J. Adams Memorial Field, each side’s strong start remained intact as the Colonials and Gators settled for a 1-1 draw.
After going 9-7-2 in 2023, the Shrewsbury soccer team came into the match at 3-1-1. The Colonials lone loss happened over two weeks ago, and since that point, the team scored victories over Westborough and Leominster. An experienced group with 10 seniors – including captains Nate Nardella, Harris Yang and Tedi Ajazi – and 10 juniors, the Colonials started the match strong.
In the eighth minute of competition, junior Liam Dowd’s goal put Shrewsbury ahead 1-0.
“They’re a great group of kids. We’re bringing back a lot of good players, and we have some new faces as well. They understand what the expectations are and what the standards are here. They’re talented, which is great, and they work hard. I think we’re going to be competitive in every game,” said Shrewsbury Head Coach Matthew Wheeler.
Shrewsbury kept the pressure on Grafton throughout the match – constantly and consistently taking shots and attacking the Gators’ defense – but they couldn’t manage to break through to score another goal. It’s good the team is creating the shots, said Wheeler, but finishing attacks remains a challenge for the group.
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“It just didn’t fall our way today. That’s kind of been our season up to this point. We can play, we can keep the ball when we want to, we can generate chances, but we’re struggling to finish them right now,” Wheeler said. “We’ve got to be better inside the box. Whether it’s the defensive side or the attacking side, we have to be able to win balls in the box and finish our chances. We probably put 20 balls in the box and we couldn’t force a good save. That’s on us.”
Grafton’s defense occasionally bent, but it never broke after Dowd’s early goal. After 26 minutes, the Gators finally answered with a score of their own; senior captain Declan Donagher got behind the Colonials’ defense to tie the game at 1-1.
For Grafton Head Coach Dave Mitchell, the goal showed exactly what his team is made of.
“Resilience. We went down early 1-0, and we bounced back. They way they just fought. The second half – I thought it was pure grit. I can’t say enough about the will and the determination and the courage they played with,” he told the Community Advocate. “Shrewsbury’s a tough team, and we definitely rose to the occasion.”
Grafton’s squad is still undefeated, and the draw Thursday brought the team’s total record to 5-0-2. Mitchell attributed the Gators’ early success to the work ethic and leadership of his 12 seniors, including captains Donagher, Luka Necev and Owen Schnabel. Though the team came inches away from winning – a Grafton shot in the final minutes hit the crossbar and bounced away – the Gators walked away happy with their effort.
“Pure leadership. It’s the sense of urgency every practice. They’re giving 120 percent,” Mitchell said. “I’ve never had a team with 12 seniors. Their commitment to the program, the commitment to the team. I can’t say enough about them – they’re all leaders, and it feeds off on the other guys. I haven’t had one issue with one senior.”
