The Bedford High School Buccaneers launched their 2023 season with a 3-0 victory over Billerica on Saturday.
Bedford outscored the visitors 3-0 in the second half after a scoreless 40 minutes. Three different players registered goals on scoring plays that all developed differently.
The season continues for Bedford on Tuesday afternoon at Acton-Boxborough.
“Billerica was talented, tough, and hard working. We weathered the storm in the first half but played 18 field players and pulled away later, so it was a full team effort,” said Bedford Head Coach Dave Boschetto.
Bedford scored what proved to be the winning goal in the 43rd minute on a quick counterattack that involved five players. Senior Capt. Miles Herzog stole a ball in Bedford’s end and fed senior Cy Torrey. He passed to junior striker Leo Natalizio, who found junior midfielder Rafa Mense.
Mense laid the ball outside to junior midfielder and Capt. Spencer Goss, who served a great diagonal ball back to Natalizio for a perfect header finish from the penalty spot.
Goss scored the second goal in the 56th minute, serving a ball into the box that found Torrey and then senior Christian Hill. The goalkeeper stopped Hill’s shot, but Goss pounced on the rebound for a 2-0 Bedford lead.
Hill made it 3-0 near the end of the game off a long throw-in from senior midfielder Sawyer Elliott, flicked by both Goss and Mense before Hill finished past the Billerica defense.
Grant Bouchard, the junior goalkeeper, “came up big,” Boschetto said. He noted the focus of Assistant Coach Gunnar Olson working with Bouchard on technique and confidence. The head coach added that senior Captain Sean Morrison at center back also was vital in securing the shutout for Bedford.
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