Sports

JIM’S VIEW: Watertown Begins Defense of Div. 3 State Title With a Strong Performance vs. Swampscott

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Watertown sophomore Ave Anderson, right, celebrates scoring against Swampsott in the State Tournament Round of 32 at Victory Field on Wednesday. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

Watertown Field Hockey knows who they are and what is expected of them. When they lose (and that’s rarely) it’s big news. If they win, but by only a certain margin, it’s news. When they give up a goal, for goodness sake, it’s news. It’s an understatement that the weight of expectation is heavy. But you would never guess that it affects those who put on the uniform and play for Coach Eileen Donohue. They simply buy in and practice hard and play hard and believe that they will be rewarded for the commitment and the sweat and the effort.

Sports

JIM’S VIEW: Watertown Wins Their Final Regular Season Home Game in Dominant Fashion

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Another beautiful Fall day at Victory Field brought out some lovely play from the Raiders field hockey team on Oct. 23, as they thoroughly controlled this game from start to finish, winning their final regular season home game 7-0. Just a minute in a wicked slapper from 15 yards out by Kaylee Master made it 1-0. Less than three minutes later senior co-captain Sophia Setouhi, who was flying around the field on this day, made it 2-0 after some nifty moves. Freshman Lola Venezia finished the first period scoring on a rebound shot that got past the Burlington goalkeeper to make it 3-0 after one period. Now, it should be said that the Burlington goalie was impressive throughout the half, coming aggressively out of her goalie crease, anticipating plays and trying to cut off angles to potential shots on goal.

Sports

JIM’S VIEW: Watertown Plays First-Place Burlington Tough at Victory Field

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There is no substitute for practice, and in football there is a lot of it. At the high school level, except for an occasional day off here and there, it’s play Friday night, watch film on the weekend, practice Monday through Thursday and then play again on Friday. And football practice can be monotonous, running the same play over and over again until it’s executed to perfection. But, in the end, it’s all worth it, especially when everything clicks on the field on game day! That was the case for the Raiders the last time they got to play on their home turf in a shutout of Brookline way back on September 26. Then it was on the road against Stoneham, Wakefield and Melrose. The Raiders played Stoneham tough, but could only muster 12 points in defeat. Then it was a loss to Wakefield 27-17. But the biggest loss was last week, and it wasn’t on the scoreboard. At Melrose, Watertown’s Junior QB Coleman Keuchkarian-McKeen injured his knee in the first quarter and Watertown went on to lose 21-0. A much bigger loss was losing Keuchkarian for the season with a torn meniscus. Of course, as big a blow as it is for the team, it’s crushing for the player, who had established himself throwing and running the ball, 

So, you can imagine what practice was like this week trying to prepare for Burlington, 3 and 0 in league play and 6 and 0 overall. And trying to incorporate a new offensive system.

Sports

JIM’S VIEW: Watertown Boys Soccer Celebrates Senior Night, Gears Up For The Tournament

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It’s great to score goals if you’re a soccer team, but those weren’t the only goals Watertown Boys Soccer thought about this past off-season. They had a vision of a successful season with lofty goals, and were on a mission to live up to their own challenge. They practiced all summer long.  Five days a week. Sometimes all seven days. Captain-organized practices, rain or shine, throughout the summer heat.

Government

Three Watertown Football Players Honored for Helping to Catch a Drunken Driver

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(Screenshot from Boston 25 News)

Three sharp-eyed and quick thinking Watertown High School football players were honored for their effort that helped police locate and arrest a drunken driver. On Oct. 14, the City Council approved a proclamation honoring Riaz Khan, Joel Montoya, and Boran Akisik. On Sept. 25, the three were on their way home after practice witnessed a hit and run incident at the intersection of Palfrey and Pearl streets.

Sports

JIM’S VIEW: Watertown Field Hockey Celebrates Senior Day With a 4-0 Victory

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Thank you. Thanks for your dedication to the program. Thanks for contributing to four straight State titles. That’s what Thursday was about as Watertown’s Field Hockey program recognized their seniors prior to taking on Arlington at Victory Field. This year’s roster has only two seniors, co-captains Ava Lamacchia and Sophia Setouhi. Ava plays defense and Sophia is a forward, and like so many others who have passed through the program in recent years, they have contributed in so many ways, and enjoyed the ultimate fruits of their labor — championships. This season has been a bit different than recent years, if for no other reason than the Raiders have lost — twice. But, their ultimate fate is far from being determined, and Coach Donahue will make sure each player gets the best out of themselves. On this day, Watertown was clearly the best team, as they controlled the play from start to finish, never allowing a shot on freshman goalie Natalia Keuchkarian. What the Raiders did do is pressure the Arlington goalie. And, as has been the case in one or two other games this season, an opposing goalie stood on her head, making save after save, some of the spectacular variety, and that kept the final score at a modest 4-0.

Sports

JIM’S VIEW: Watertown’s “Own” Boston Gold Kings Start Title Defense with a Wild Win

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The Boston Gold Kings play hockey in the Power Play Senior Hockey League (PPSHL). The Gold Kings also happen to make Watertown their home, playing their home games at the John A.Ryan Arena. The Gold Kings have worked hard to make a footprint in the community the past few years, making appearances at Faire on the Square, for example. And the Gold King’s sponsor list includes many Watertown businesses. The Power Play Senior Hockey League, Northeast Region, added a fifth team for the 2025 season, adding Hudson Valley to go along with Salem, Holyoke, Norfolk, and the Gold Kings. In the ’24 playoffs, the Gold Kings swept Holyoke in the semis did the same to top-seed Salem in the finals. On Saturday night, Boston and Holyoke got the ’25 season started, and it was a wild ride indeed, with the Gold Kings prevailing 7-6 on a game-winner with 1:20 to go in regulation. Now the PPSHL plays three 20 minute periods, just like pro leagues. It’s a full-checking league, and even fighting is allowed. Four officials suit up as further evidence of the seriousness of the competition. Rosters are made up of professionals, as in professionals in other aspects of life, and who love the sport of hockey and want to continue playing in something more competitive than a Tuesday night league that skates for an hour at 10 p.m., fully equipped with cold pucks and cold ones in the cooler.

Sports

Watertown Grad, Westfield St. Field Hockey Player Earns D3 National Player of the Week Honor

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The following announcement was provided by Westfield State Athletics:

Earlier this week, Westfield State first-year forward Caroline Andrade (Watertown, Mass./Watertown HS) was named as the National Field Hockey Coaches Association’s national Offensive Player of the Week for NCAA Division III for the week ending October 5. Andrade tallied five goals and three assists in a 3-0 week for the Owls, and has been a major factor in the Owls current eight-game winning streak. “I was excited,” said Andrade, on learning of the award. “But I think it’s’ really about the team connecting,  more of a team effort and seeing passes.”

Andrade missed the first six games of the 2025 season for the Owls when an injury she suffered during high school basketball flared up before the start of the season. Andrade came off the bench in her first two games in the lineup for the Owls, scoring shootout in a overtime win against Johnson and Wales before being inserted into the starting lineup. “I was a little rough and rusty at first, and it was difficult not knowing exactly how my teammates played even though I had been watching all season,” said Andrade.