CHS girls soccer wins two; improves to 6-5-1 on season
The Chelsea High girls soccer team turned in a pair of superb performances to defeat Greater Boston League rivals Everett and Lynn English last week. The victories improved the Lady Red Devils to 6-5-1 on the season, moving them over .500 and bringing them within striking distance of achieving a first-ever feat for a CHS girls team — qualifying for the post-season state tournament.
“Our 2–0 victory over Everett was a thrilling match that showcased the team’s determination and teamwork from start to finish,” CHS head coach Rady Grajal said of last Tuesday’s match at Chelsea Stadium.
The first half was a tightly-contested battle, with both teams creating chances but unable to break the deadlock, sending the game into halftime at a nil-nil stand-off. Chelsea came out of the break energized and focused, and just 13 minutes into the second half, freshman Edlyn Hernandez-Enriquez opened the scoring.
After receiving a pass from sophomore Emili Rodriguez-Rodriguez, Edlyn dribbled past a defender and calmly finished a 1-on-1 against the Lady Crimson Tide goalkeeper with a precise shot to the left side.
The intensity continued as Everett pushed hard for an equalizer, but Chelsea held strong defensively. In the 79th minute—just one minute before the final whistle—Emili once again found Hernandez-Enriquez with a perfectly-timed through-ball, and Edlyn finished with another composed shot to the left side of the keeper to secure the 2–0 win.
“It was a complete team performance marked by resilience, discipline, and pride,” said Grajal. “The team defended their home field with heart and refused to let Everett take control, sealing an impressive victory.”
Two days later the Lady Red Devils traveled to Lynn English on Thursday and came away with an impressive 3–1 victory. The match was highlighted by a hat trick from freshman Edlyn Hernandez-Enriquez and three assists from sophomore Emili Rodriguez-Rodriguez, capping off an outstanding week for both players — five goals for Edlin and five assists for Emili.
The game started evenly, with both teams fighting for control until Edlyn broke through in the 24th minute to give Chelsea the lead. Just two minutes before halftime, Lynn English was able to level the score at 1–1.
Chelsea came out strong after the intermission, determined to take back control. Eleven minutes after the restart, Emili found Edlyn inside the box, and she finished calmly to make it 2–1. Later in the half, Edlyn completed her hat trick with another well-placed goal to secure the 3–1 triumph.
“Once again, the team showed tremendous heart and teamwork,” said Grajal. “Every player contributed — attacking, defending, and supporting one another throughout the match. The team continues to grow stronger with each game, demonstrating unity, effort, and a commitment to improvement. The coaches are proud of how far this group has come and excited to see them keep building toward their full potential.”
With five games left on their schedule, Grajal and his crew need four points (out of a possible 10) in order to finish with the .500 record that is required to punch their ticket for a Journey to the Tourney. The Lady Red Devils were scheduled to play at Revere this past Tuesday and at Malden today (Thursday). They will return home to host Medford next Tuesday and will trek to Lynn Classical next Thursday.
CHS boys split two contests
The Chelsea High boys soccer team split its two contests this past week.
\In a contest at Everett last Tuesday, the Red Devils moved out to an early 2-0 lead with a pair of goals in the opening 10 minutes.
The first came on a free kick by Cristian Lopez, who delivered a well-placed strike low and under the Everett wall. A few minutes later, Cristian reached the back of the Everett net to make it 2-0.
However, after Chelsea left a gap in its midfield formation, Everett senior captain Gabriel Garcia found himself alone against a Chelsea defender, where he had plenty of time to take his shot and score. Garcia scored again shortly thereafter after a similar course of events to bring the game back to level at 2-2.
A few minutes after that, Chelsea gave up a penalty and Garcia hit the PK for a 3-2 Everett lead at the intermission.
The rest of the game proved to be a grueling battle between the two teams. After the five goals in the first half, nothing seemed to be working for either team until CHS captain Jose Joj, having just been subbed back in, scored on his first touch back on the pitch after receiving a ball in the box from a free kick.
However, Chelsea’s smiles did not last too long as Garcia took a throw-in quickly and potted his fourth goal to make it 4-3 with about two minutes to play.
The Red Devils had an opportunity to earn a tie in the final minute with a PK, but the Everett keeper made a superb save to thwart the CHS attempt.
Two days later in a battle with Lynn Classical, the Devils scored two first-half goals that stood up to secure the victory. Lopez sent in a sharp corner and junior Ryan Orellana threw his whole body for a diving header for the first goal. Not too long after, Lopez sent Joj in for the second tally.
Coach Mick Milutinovic and his crew, who stand at 8-3-1 on the season, need just one point in their final six games in order to qualify for the post-season state tourney.
In addition, the Red Devils, who hold second-place in the Greater Boston League with a 6-3-1 record, were scheduled to host first-place Revere (7-1-2 in the GBL) this past Tuesday. A victory will move Chelsea within a point of the Patriots, with both teams having three GBL games remaining on their schedule.
The Red Devils will host Malden this evening (Thursday) at 5:30 and will travel to non-league foe Boston International tomorrow (Friday). They will travel to Medford next Tuesday and entertain Lynn Classical next Thursday.
Red Devil runners defeat English, 24-33
The Chelsea High boys cross country team earned a 24-33 victory over Lynn English last Wednesday at Admiral’s Hill.
Six Red Devils set a personal record (PR), the biggest coming from Sebastian Molina, who improved his 5K time by about 40 seconds to finish in sixth place.
Chelsea’s top runner, Xavier Guzman, also turned in a PR by 20 seconds to finish in second place.
“This is Xavier’s first season of cross country and he runs better each meet,” said CHS head coach Cesar Hernandez. “Carlos Perez, who finished in third place in 19:14, has been coming off an injury, but is steadily getting back in rhythm as well.”
Boys results:
Xavier Guzman — 2nd place, 19:09
Carlos Perez — 3rd, 19:14
Zakaria Moubtassim — 5th, 20:06
Sebastian Molina Regil — 6th, 20:13
Bryan Amaya — 8th, 20:54
Jeffriso Mercado — 10th, 22:21
On the girls side, Chelsea did not have enough runners to qualify for a win, but Hazel Hatleberg finished in second place with a clocking of 23:30. Teammate Aly Perez finished in third place in 24:44, which marked Aly’s first 5K race under 25 minutes.
Hernandez and his crew were scheduled to travel down the Parkway to Medford’s Macdonald Park along the Mystic River yesterday (Wednesday) and will trek to Pine Banks to meet Malden next Wednesday for their final dual meet of the season. The GBL Championship Meet is set for two weeks on Wednesday, October 29, at Macdonald Park.
CHS football team at Malden tonight
The Chelsea High football team, which stands at 2-3 on the season, will be seeking to get to the.500 mark when the Red Devils travel to Macdonald Stadium in Malden to take on the Golden Tornadoes this evening (Thursday). The opening kickoff is set for 6:00.
Chelsea will host Medford next Friday under the lights at Chelsea Stadium.