Balanced, Battle-Tested, and Hungry: Westwood Girls Soccer Eyes Deep Playoff Run

The Westwood High School girls soccer team enters the 2025 season with high expectations and a roster stacked with talent, depth, and experience. Coming off an 11-6-2 record (10-5-1 TVL) and a #12 seed in the MIAA Division 2 tournament, the Wolverines are determined to build on last year’s momentum, which ended in a hard-fought Round of 16 loss to Holliston.
 
Program on the Rise
Head coach Seth Lucash, entering his eighth season, has watched the program steadily climb in the MIAA rankings over the past three years. This fall, his squad is aiming even higher: to win the program’s first Tri-Valley League title since 2003 and secure a top-eight MIAA seed, which would guarantee home-field advantage through at least the first two rounds of the playoffs.
 
Lucash believes this year’s depth is among the best he’s had at the helm, noting that, “our depth players who don’t start would be starters on almost any other TVL team.”
 
Dynamic Scoring Attack
Senior captain Izzy Hanson returns healthy and motivated, sitting just one point shy of becoming Westwood’s all-time career points leader (currently tied with Lil Hancock at 31). Hanson, who has netted 20 career goals, headlines a prolific offensive unit that features multiple scoring threats.
 
Sophomore Erin Gannon broke out as a freshman last season with 17 goals, only three behind Hanson’s career total, and is primed for another explosive year. Add to that mix junior Lindsay Bannister (known for clutch goals, including last year’s game-winner vs. Hopkinton), and sophomore Natalie Unger, Westwood boasts one of the most dangerous attacking groups in the TVL.
 
Defensive Backbone
On the back line, senior captain Olivia Mason anchors the defense as one of the league’s top stoppers. Mason’s ability to neutralize elite scorers was on display last year when she held her own against Hopkinton’s Maddie Recupero (now at Princeton). Senior Emma Lu adds strength, athleticism, and high soccer IQ, while fellow captains Olivia Shea and Bella Wen provide steady leadership and the ability to dictate possession and movement across the pitch.
 
Junior Maddison Travers brings versatility and composure, while outside back Avery Boehm continues to grow into a dependable two-way presence.
 
Newcomers and Depth
Coach Lucash is particularly excited about his incoming freshman class, which includes Charlie Jurgens, Cassidy McGovern, Venetta Stamatakos, and Lilly Pados. All four are expected to contribute right away, providing depth and energy that will push the pace of play.
 
Strong Play Between the Pipes
In goal, the Wolverines have a luxury problem with two experienced keepers: senior Alessia Chilangwa and junior Sofia Bertone. Both saw time in big games last year, and Lucash expects to continue utilizing both to keep his squad strong and fresh throughout the season.
 
Outlook
This year’s Wolverines are built on balance — with scoring firepower, veteran defensive leadership, strong goaltending, and unprecedented depth. With Hanson chasing program history, Gannon’s rising stardom, and a senior-led defensive core, Westwood is poised to compete at the top of the TVL and make a deep postseason run.