Framingham captain Pacheco heads winner past Lexington in overtime
A late rebound goal sealed a 2-1 Division 1 first-round win for the 14th-seeded Flyers, while Canton and Sandwich field hockey teams also advanced.
By Andrew Yang ·
The Massachusetts high school fall season reached its postseason stage on Sunday, with several regional teams securing first-round victories. In the most tightly contested boys' soccer match of the day, Framingham edged past Lexington.
Senior captain Sam Pacheco struck 53 seconds into extra time to give the 14th-seeded Flyers a 2-1 win over the 19th-seeded Minutemen. Pacheco's initial shot was saved, but he won the aerial rebound and directed the ball into the open net.
Kawan Barreto opened the scoring for Framingham in the first half. Samuel Huffman pulled Lexington level from the penalty spot in the second half. Goalkeeper Roger Cuellar recorded several key stops to preserve the draw until the extra period.
Assistant coach Dean Nichols noted that Pacheco has been a team member since his freshman year and overcame multiple injuries in recent seasons. Nichols said playing in front of family and friends made the moment particularly special for the senior.
The Flyers finished their regular season with an 8-5-7 record. Nichols pointed to the team's depth, noting they start many seniors who have experience from previous tournaments. The squad played the eighth-hardest schedule in the state according to MIAA power rankings.
In other Sunday results, Bedford defeated Mansfield 2-1 in Division 2 boys' soccer. Tedy Dimitrov's free kick set up Remy Kihumba's low finish for the 17th-seeded Buccaneers.
Canton's field hockey team won 8-0 over Agawam in Division 2. Shannon Lane recorded a hat trick for the top-seeded Bulldogs. In Division 3, Sandwich beat Tantasqua 7-0, with junior Rae Senno contributing two goals and two assists.
