It was apparent from the opening minutes of the Sept. 27 game against Salem at Piper Field that the Marblehead High boys soccer team (6-2-3) would be bringing its best effort to the pitch on senior night.
Following the pregame ceremony honoring the 22 MHS seniors, the Magicians overwhelmed the visiting Witches (2-7-1) to the tune of 7-0 as a result of an opportunistic offensive attack and defense that was second to none.
Scarcely three minutes into the game, Miles Fontela-Tuttle, a junior striker who has emerged as a major threat this fall, fired a blistering shot through the middle, which bounced off a defender, and went high in the air and past the Salem goalie’s outstretched arms to account for the game’s first goal.
In the early going, Marblehead moved the ball skillfully and with precision. The pace was exceptional, keeping Salem’s defense off balance. The Witches were unable to anticipate the direction of the play nor slow down the Marblehead attack.
Early on in the first half, fullback Dylan Gilmore found space through the middle, before sprinting left and pushing the ball to teammate Aidan Vizy, who struck it well, only to see it fly just over the crossbar.
With 12:37 remaining in the half, David Magen hit a low roller just outside the reach of the Salem goalie.
It ended up nicking the left post, before going into the net for the team’s second goal of the game.
With just over five minutes left in the half, defender T.J. Kelly lofted a long kick from midfield after a foul. Yuri Volkoff then picked off the ball and ripped it high in the air again, before it eventually fell just below the crossbar that resulted in the third goal.
In the second half, the Marblehead offense moved into a higher gear, while its defense did not ease up on the Salem forwards.
A dazzling passing combination from Druker to Fletcher to Magen to Fontela looked effortless, but it was anything but that. It was a brilliant display of one-touch passing that switched the field and opened a seam for Fontela to bang another one home.
The offense then picked up more steam, with numerous players contributing. Fullback Luke Miller received a pass from Ilan Druker, and placed an opposite foot shot through the Salem defensive line, which clanged off the left post.
Minutes later, with the game getting away from the Witches, Fontela-Tuttle netted his hat trick goal on a strike near the goal line. Stefan Shepard had brought the ball to the corner, before firing it low across the crease that the Salem goaltender couldn’t wrap up, giving Tuttle the opportunity to pop the bobbled ball in for another score.
Striker James Achterhof was a solid presence on the left side throughout the game. He had several solid runs in space, before ultimately notching a goal with 10 minutes left after catching the goalie off guard with a crafty move, before following it up in style with a celebratory backflip. His goal was started by goalie Rory Zampese, whose long ball carried nearly the length of the field.
Midfielder Marc Grazado closed out the offense with a goal in the waning minutes of the game after taking a feed from Kelly.
The Marblehead boys then faced an improved and determined Peabody Tanners team (5-4-1) on Oct. 1. The game ended in a 1-1 tie.
The Tanners took the early lead on a play that unfolded after a defensive lapse directly in front of the goal. Marblehead later tied it up after Fontela-Tuttle was dropped in the penalty box. He then converted on the ensuing penalty kick.
The Magicians were off for a few days, before taking on Gloucester on Oct. 7 after press deadline. They will follow up that contest with a rematch against host Beverly on Oct. 9, starting at 4 p.m. On Sept. 16, they lost a close decision to the Panthers at home, 1-0.
Troy Miller contributed to this article.
