SHREWSBURY – The Westborough Rangers girls soccer team is cooking up something special this year, and it all comes down to the squad’s “secret sauce.”
What’s in the sauce? It wouldn’t be so secret if Westborough Head Coach Scott Moroney disclosed that information, but early indications suggest it’s a blend of shared commitment, relationship-building, and being exceptional communicators and competitors. This sauce – a mixture of team chemistry and spirit, perhaps – can’t be easily schemed or accounted for by other groups, and it’s helped Westborough jump out to a 7-2-1 start to the season.
The good times kept rolling for Westborough on Tuesday, when the Rangers traveled to Shrewsbury and defeated the Colonials 2-1.
“It’s the team chemistry – the work that the girls did in the offseason to build the chemistry, build their relationships. We had a team meeting late last week, and it really kind of grounded them in terms of what we expect of each other, the focus that they all committed to. That was the feedback here: They’re seeing that how we treat each other as people turns into how we play together. It’s a little bit of a secret sauce, so I won’t get into it,” said Moroney. “They’re working to change and grow.”
“I honestly think we’ve put in a lot of effort on and off the field to be able to connect well and have great emotional connections. We’re all such great friends, and we’re able to have such a great time together and enjoy the game. It really translates on the field. We’re able to play really well,” said Addison Potenti, one of Westborough’s captains.
After a tough 1-0 win against Shrewsbury earlier in the season, Westborough came into the match expecting a battle. The Colonials, who sported a 3-5-1 record entering competition, defeated Algonquin earlier in the season, a team that the Rangers struggled with and ultimately lost against in late September. Add a rivalry match into the equation – many of the athletes between the teams are friends – and the game had all the makings of a classic.
But for the Rangers, preparing for such a game isn’t solely about their opponent – it’s about focusing on their own strengths.
“It’s very simple. We do a lot of game-planning for each opponent, but ultimately, it just comes down to playing our game. That’s what it is,” said Moroney. “This Shrewsbury team is young, and they’ve done a great job, both games were very competitive. I think their record is deceiving, and they beat a team we struggled with, so I give the team a lot of credit for that. It’s always a great rivalry. The towns, they’re close. A lot of these kids know each other – you saw a lot of these kids give each other hugs and whatnot.”
After a neck-and-neck opening half, Westborough got on the board first. Assisted by Molly Courchesne – a University of South Carolina Aiken commit and one of the team’s senior captains – sophomore Juliette Cote found the back of the net to put the Rangers ahead 1-0. According to Courchesne and Cote, it all comes back to developing chemistry.
“Basically, a rocket was shot at me. I was first to the ball, the ball was in front of me, and I just shot it, and it went in,” said Cote. “We all make sure we all feel comfortable. We know that we can leave it all out there and not have any regrets because we have each other’s backs.”
“We’ve been emphasizing getting in the box, getting everything, and fighting for every ball. It was just a matter of putting it in there and fighting for it, and [Juliette] did a great job fighting for it,” added Courchesne.
The second goal – assisted by Potenti and scored by junior Jessica Braden – came shortly after. Potenti fed the ball forward to Braden, who unleashed a laser that flew past the outstretched arms of the goalkeeper and into the top-left corner of the net.
The @WestboroRangers girls’ ⚽️ team earned a big 2-1 win over Shrewsbury today. Juliette Cote (left) scored the Rangers’ first goal, while Jessica Braden (right) got the second.
I spoke with Cote and Braden after the W! 😁👍@scottmoroney pic.twitter.com/2XIc8S60tD
— Evan Walsh (@evanjrwalsh) October 2, 2024
“Me and Addi connect really well, especially on the outside,” said Braden. “She played a really good ball to me, and set me up in a really good position to make a goal like that.”
“When I got the ball I just turned and I could see the other team closing in on me fast. I saw that Jess was completely wide open. I know she is good at shooting and I trusted her with the ball. I played it to her and she had an absolute banger,” said Potenti.
The Colonials’ lone goal was made by Mia Carll, a score which gave the team some momentum heading into the final minutes. Ultimately, though, time ran out on Shrewsbury’s comeback bid.
The Rangers will have some downtime until their next game action, but they’ll be back on the pitch against Wachusett on Oct. 8. From there, they’ll face Tahanto, Algonquin, and Minnechaug – all at home.
How is the team preparing for this end-of-season stretch? Sure, there might be some team-specific planning, but you can also expect to see the Rangers working on the fundamentals, devoting time to strengthening relationships.
After all, all the great sauces – even “secret sauces” – start with a strong base.
“You can pass and shoot all day long, but until you’ve got a team that believes in one another, well, I’ll take that over anything else,” said Moroney.
