September 24, 2025
• Needham boys soccer dropped their first game of the season on Monday, 1-0 to Oliver Ames.
Needham boys soccer was undefeated until Monday, Sept. 22, when they ran into a brick wall in three-time defending Division 2 state champion Oliver Ames.
The Rockets had scored 19 goals in their first seven games, an average of 2.7 per game, but the Tigers’ defense shut them out, the first team to do so this season.
After a half of back-and-forth play, the teams were tied 0-0, but Oliver Ames outpaced Needham 4-1 in shots on goal. The Rockets had their chances, but were unable to find the back of the net, often sailing the ball over the crossbar.
Needham started slow in the second half, and the Tigers were able to capitalize. With just over 16 minutes left, Derek Walsh worked down the left side for Oliver Ames, passing to the middle where Victor Nascimento stepped in front of his defender and buried a one-timer into the top of the net.
That goal seemed to wake the Rockets up, as they created more offensive opportunities, but they simply ran out of time to find the equalizer. Overall, Needham managed just two shots on net, to Oliver Ames’ nine, as the offense struggled to get through the Tigers’ back line.
With the 1-0 loss, Needham falls to 6-1-1 on the season, but they are still ranked 2nd in the Boston Globe Top 20 Rankings. The game kicked off a tough stretch for the Rockets, who will face top ranked St. John’s Prep on Saturday, Sept. 27, followed by Weymouth (No. 4) and Newton South (No. 5) the following week.
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