Massachusetts boys high school soccer team makes historic turnaround under female head coach

By Bob Halloran

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    AMESBURY, Massachusetts (WCVB) — A boys high school soccer team in Massachusetts has made a remarkable turnaround thanks in large part to their young head coach.

The Amesbury High boys soccer team had not won a league game in 10 years and endured a losing streak of 62 games before Maddie MacLean took over as the team’s coach last year.

MacLean, 25, is an Amesbury native and Amesbury High graduate who played collegiate soccer at the University of New Hampshire.

“There are some times that I was figuring it out here and there. But I think, right away, they got a sense that: ‘Alright, she knows the game and she knows what she’s doing,'” MacLean said. “And I think I just brought high standards.”

This fall, the Amesbury High boys soccer team made the state playoffs for the first time in 28 years and won their opening playoff game 2-0 against Manchester Essex on Saturday.

“Now they can walk around Amesbury and you get people downtown saying: ‘Congratulations on that win! Congratulations! You guys are making history,'” MacLean said. “And hearing them talk about it and smile, and be proud of each other, is the best thing that I could ever see as a coach.”

Amesbury High fell to Cohasset High 5-1 on Wednesday in the Round of 16 of the Division 4 State Championship tournament.

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