The Westport girls soccer and field hockey treams both won their tournament games on a rainy Friday night. The Wildcats girls soccer team screamed and cheered as they left their rain-soaked folding chairs to celebrate with sophomore striker Lily Veracka after she scored the game winning goal in double-overtime as Westport came back to beat John D. O'Bryant School of Math and Science in a Division 4 preliminary game in Roxbury. The Wildcats move on to play third-seeded Douglas in the Round of 32 early next week. 

"The win feels great. the girls have worked hard for this," said head coach Gus Araujo of his first tournament win with the team. 

Veraka's goal began at midfield with a quick set of passes that caught O'Bryant flat footed with torrential rain falling and the two teams mired in a 1-1 tie in the second ten-minute overtime period.  Wildcats junior midfielder stopped an attacking Tigers forward dribbling up field and made an outlet pass to freshman midfielder Maddy Wenson, who started down the the sideline at the 50-yard mark. Wenson took one step and kicked a pass to Veracka. The striker collected the pass in stride, flipped the ball by the defender, sped by her and went in alone on Tigers goalkeeper Sydney Johnson. Veracka placed a right-footed kick into the left corner of the goal for the game winner. 

"Maddy gave me a perfect pass," said Veracka. "It felt pretty good to beat that defender. She was talking smack the whole game."

Veracka beat Johnson early in the second half to tie the game 1-1. The pair of goals boosted the striker's season total to 37 goals and 119 for her career. 

"I told them that we needed to find feet in the midfield and if we could connect a pass and find Lily, she'd put it away for us," said Coach Araujo. 

Westport played well defensively, especially after the Wildcats tied the score in the second half. O'Bryant countered and put a tremendous amount of offensive pressure on senior goalkeeper Morgan Pacheco, who made ten saves through out the game. 

"As a keeper, It's definitely a lot of pressure," Pacheco said. "They've made it through everyone else before they get to me. I am so thankful for my teammates. they are always there for me, no matter what."

Pacheco had help, defensively, from senior defenders, Audrey Xavier and Jacqueline Jusseaume and eighth graders Harriet McGonigle and Avery Pereira. 

"For two eight graders to step up in a game like this is pretty incredible," said Coach Araujo. 

Field hockey team beats Hamilton-Wenham 2-0

The Westport field hockey team beat Hamilton-Wenham 2-0 in the Division 4  Round of 32 in South Hamilton on Friday night. Mackenzie Bowers and Miranda Perry each scored for the Wildcats, who move on to play either Cohasset or Triton Regional in the Round of 16. Westport goalkeeper Brianna Soares made nine saves and earned her ninth shut out of the season.