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TORNADOS SPORTS ROUNDUP: Junior striker Ronald Carvalho Fernandes scores lone goal & young Field Hockey Team perseveres
By Steve Freker
The Red Sox have been doing it all season with first-time players and they stopped calling it “Beginner’s Luck” a long time ago. If you were tempted to use that term to describe Malden High boys soccer senior goalkeeper Spencer Paul’s outing against Chelsea last week, think again.
The Red Devils put no less than 13 shots on the Golden Tornado net last Thursday (Sept. 24) and Paul — in his varsity debut between the pipes — stopped all of them! That’s skill, folks, and Paul showed all of it in backstopping Malden to its second shutout win of the season, 1-0 over visiting Chelsea at Pine Banks Park.
The only goal of the game — the game-winner — was scored by junior striker Ronald Carvalho Fernandes on a straightaway from just beyond the 18, with about 16 minutes to play in the second half. It was Carvalho Fernandes’ second straight game with a big goal last week, having scored the game-tying goal for Malden in a 3-2 win over Medford earlier in the week.
The win added to Malden’s remarkable season start, as 22nd-year Head Coach Jeremiah Smith’s team improved to 6-1 overall — its best start in eight years — and with two wins in league play last week, rose to 4-1 in the Greater Boston League, just behind unbeaten Revere (3-0 GBL, 4-1 overall).
Paul got the starting nod due to a day off for regular Malden goaltender Wender De Abreu Moura, who had led Malden to five wins this season to date. “He [De Abreu] already played a couple of games with some soreness, so we decided to give Spencer [Paul] the start,” said Coach Smith.
“We are certainly happy with how he performed. He [Paul] was outstanding,” the coach added.
Malden played balanced and tough the entire game on both ends of the pitch, led by senior co-captain Juan Caballero Valencia and junior co-captain Adam Namir. Also contributing well, especially in the second half, were the sophomore duo Richardo Lopez Quintero and Eduard Monge Chavez, who helped control the midfield and keep a check on Chelsea’s ball movement.
Malden’s Moghos Ghile also played another extremely solid game on defense for the home team. “Moghos has been our unsung hero. He had played nearly every minute of every game and he just continues to give us a very solid effort,” Coach Smith said. “He is a big reason we are off to such a great start.”
Malden got a rare, but much-needed, “bye” Tuesday this week and was set to return to action yesterday, Thursday, to host GBLer Lynn Classical at Pine Banks (after Advocate press time). In a scheduling quirk, Malden is back in action once again versus Chelsea — this time on the road — next Tuesday, October 6 (4:15 p.m.) before another week off from games until an October 13 rematch on the road at Everett, which handed Malden its only defeat so far.
Malden Girls Volleyball hands Lynn English 3-1 loss
Malden Girls Volleyball took a 3-1 home win over Lynn English on Monday at the Finn Gym to improve to 4-4 overall. Head Coach Dan Jurkowski’s Golden Tornados fell to Arlington at home on Friday, September 23, 3-1 to fall below .500 for the first time this season.
Malden was set to complete this week with a home match versus Medford on Wednesday (after Advocate press time) before hitting the road on Monday to take on Everett. Malden is led by senior captains Hadassah Pierre Rene, Aliyah Ferreira and Sherley Jeune.
Young Tornado Field Hockey team continues to battle
Malden Head Coach Tiffany Cane’s Varsity Field Hockey team is still in search of its first season win; there is no lack of enthusiasm from the squad. Coach Cane says this year’s 2026 squad is easily the youngest and least experienced she has coached in her five years at the helm, but she is impressed by their work ethic and willingness to learn.
A bright spot has been the standout play of senior goalkeeper Yawen Zuo, who has made dozens of saves through Malden’s first five games, some of them of the spectacular variety. Malden’s young defense in front of the senior captain has had difficulty trying to limit opponents’ shot totals, but Zuo has persevered.
Malden fell on the road at Greater Lowell, 6-1, on Monday in the drenching rain and 7-0 to Methuen on Friday, September 23, at home. The Tornados’ closest game was a 2-0 loss on the road at Everett on September 21.
Malden field hockey is at 0-5 overall and was scheduled to play at GBLer Revere on Wednesday (after Advocate press time) before hosting non-leaguer Dracut today at 4:15 p.m. at Pine Banks Park. Next week, Malden hosts non-leaguer Saugus on Monday, October 5, and Amesbury on Friday, October 9. Both games next week are home at Pine Banks at 4:15 p.m.
Malden Girls Soccer picks up first win of season
Head Coach Rick Caceda’s Varsity Girls Soccer team picked up its first win of the season on Friday, September 23, a 4-0 shutout over Lynn English on the road. Malden has been improving, though it dropped a nailbiter at Chelsea on September 22 and a 4-0 game at Medford earlier last week.
The Girls Soccer Tornados were set to host nonleaguer Northeast Vocational on Tuesday this week and then on the road at Lynn Classical on Thursday (after Advocate deadline). It’s a “mega”-four-game week coming up for Malden Girls Soccer: at Everett, Mon., Oct. 5, 7 p.m., Everett Stadium; host Chelsea, Tues., Oct. 6, 4:15 p.m., Pine Banks; at O’Bryant, Wed., Oct. 7, 4 p.m.; at Lowell HS, Sat., Oct. 10, 10 a.m.
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MALDEN HIGH SPORTS SCHEDULE
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2
4:00 p.m. — Varsity Field Hockey vs. Dracut, Pine Banks Park
6:00 p.m. — Varsity Football vs. Everett, Macdonald Stadium, Malden
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3
10:00 a.m. — JV Football at Everett
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4
No Events
MONDAY, OCTOBER 5
3:30 p.m. — Varsity Coed Golf vs. Lynn English, Nahant Country Club
4:00 p.m. — JV Girls Volleyball at Everett, Everett High
4:15 p.m. — JV Girls Soccer at Everett
4:15 p.m. — Freshman Boys Soccer vs. Somerville
4:15 p.m. — Varsity Field Hockey vs. Saugus, Pine Banks
5:00 p.m. — Varsity Girls Volleyball at Everett, Everett High
7:00 p.m. — Varsity Girls Soccer at Everett, Everett Stadium
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6
3:30 p.m. — Varsity Coed Golf vs. Medford, Nahant Country Club
4:00 p.m. — Middle School Baseball vs. Chelsea, Pine Banks Park
4:00 p.m. — Middle School Girls Softball at Somerville
4:15 p.m. — Varsity & JV Girls Soccer vs. Chelsea, Pine Banks Park
4:15 p.m. — Varsity & JV Boys Soccer at Chelsea
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7
4:00 p.m. — Freshman and JV Girls Volleyball at Lynn Classical
4:00 p.m. — Varsity Boys & Girls Cross Country at Everett
4:00 p.m. — Varsity & JV Girls Soccer at O’Bryant, Boston
5:30 p.m. — Varsity Girls Volleyball at Lynn Classical
6:30 p.m. — Middle School 7th/8th Grade Football vs. Woburn, Macdonald Stadium, Malden
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8
3:30 p.m. — Varsity Coed Golf vs. Somerville, Nahant Country Club
4:00 p.m. — Middle School Boys Baseball vs. Everett, Pine Banks Park, Malden
4:00 p.m. — Unified Coed Basketball, Finn Gym, Malden
4:00 p.m. — Middle School Girls Softball vs. Everett, Callahan Park, Malden
4:00 p.m. — Middle School Boys & Girls Cross Country at Somerville
4:30 p.m. — Freshman Boys Soccer vs. Medford, Pine Banks Park
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9
4:00 p.m. — JV Girls Volleyball at East Boston
4:00 p.m. — Varsity Field Hockey vs. Amesbury, Pine Banks
4:15 p.m. — Varsity & JV Girls Soccer at Saugus
5:00 p.m. — Varsity Girls Volleyball at East Boston
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10
10:00 a.m. — Varsity Girls Soccer at Lowell
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11
No Events
