Viking boys soccer edges Swampscott, falls just short
to Masconomet
The Winthrop High boys soccer team overcame the elements and Northeastern Conference Lynch Division rival Swampcott to post a 3-2 victory this past Monday.
The Vikings trekked to the Big Blue’s home turf at Blocksidge Field on a rainy and windy afternoon with remnants of the nor’easter still pouring down. Throughout the entire game, the wind and rain pelted both teams, but it was coach Alex Brown’s Winthrop squad who emerged victorious amidst the slop.
Senior Leandro Mendonca scored a first-half brace, seemingly leaving Winthrop in control with a 2-0 advantage at the intermission.
“The boys really moved the ball well in the first half,” said Brown. “We kept passing the ball quickly and kept the pressure on in their defensive end.”
However, Swampscott came out fast to open the second half, scoring two goals to bring the contest back to level. Viking goalkeeper Jackson Faber made some great saves in the second half to keep the Blue from taking the lead. “It was a team effort on all fronts to make sure we didn’t go down 3-2 and I’m very proud of our boys for that,” noted Brown.
In the final minutes of the game, sophomore Samuel Jimenez sent a beautiful cross to senior Artur Vereze Rezende. Artur got a great bounce to fall to his foot and proceeded to blast a shot into the back of the Swampscott net.
“We came away with a great team win,” said Brown. “All our guys played hard, worked through the difficult elements, and never gave up. We kept our composure and didn’t begin to panic when we saw our 2-0 lead vanish. We need to continue to work on our overall presence in the middle of the field, but overall I am extremely pleased and happy for the guys for this win.”
Last Wednesday the Vikings battled undefeated Masconomet, the perennial power of the Northeastern Conference’s Dunn (Large School) Division, for the full 80 minutes, but fell just short by a score of 2-1 at Miller Field.
“After our back-and-forth team win at Saugus on Monday, we began planning and preparing for Masconomet,” said WHS head coach Alex Brown. “Each year Masco always has great talented players, so we knew the challenge in front of us, but I worked with the coaches and players to remind everyone that on any given day, anyone can show up and win. We put a plan in place and practiced some logistics to best prepare our guys to come out victorious,”
The Vikings kept that mindset right from the outset of the contest. The Vikings put the pressure on the Masco defenders and the Masco forwards challenged the Winthrop back line multiple times, but senior captains Kai Faber and David Restrepo stepped up in assisting throughout the entire defensive third to move the ball back into Masco’s defensive zone.
The Vikings kept the Masco offensive players at bay by continuing to intercept their passes and spreading the width of the field in an attempt to create chances. Winthrop’s hard work soon paid off just 10 minutes into the contest when senior Artur Vereze Rezende made a beautiful pass to fellow senior Leandro Mendonca.
Leandro dribbled past the first Masco defender, made a move on the second defender, and then beat the Masco goalkeeper to give the Vikings an early lead.
“We always talk about the first 10 minutes of each half and how important they are,” said Brown. “We tell our boys to set the tone for each half of each game by coming out fast and putting the pressure on immediately. This is what helped get us our opening goal and put Masco a bit on their heels.”
The first half continued to be filled with chances for both teams. Masco’s efforts paid off with a pair of goals in the final two minutes of the half.
“At halftime we brought the boys in and told them that there still was so much time left in the game,” said Brown. “We said we needed to continue to move the ball using the width of the field, communicate, and win the 50/50 balls in the middle of the field. We knew that our game plan was providing us with some opportunities and we just needed to stick to that plan and execute.”
The second half was a defensive battle by both teams. The Vikings were working to break through the Masco midfield and defense, but couldn’t find the right opening.
“Junior Seaghan Turner played unbelievably in the middle of the field for us,” noted Brown. “He was the engine that kept going. Junior Matias Alvarez was also an important component of our back line and made some terrific tackles to slow down the Masco attack.
“Senior goalkeeper Jackson Faber made some crucial saves in the second half to keep us within striking distance of tying the game,” Brown continued. “Unfortunately, we couldn’t find the back of the Masco net in the second half, and the game ended in a close 2-1 loss.
“I couldn’t be more proud of our boys,” Brown said. “Every year we play Masco and it’s usually a shutout by them with us on the losing end. To be able to give Masco one heck of a game, on our home turf, and have our plan be executed excellently by the guys, is a tremendous feat. The coaching staff couldn’t be more proud, and if we continue to play like we did against Masco, I am excited to see some of the results we get down the line.”
Brown and his crew were scheduled to travel to non-league opponent Bishop Fenwick yesterday (Wednesday). The Vikings will make the long treks to NEC Dunn foe Beverly next Monday and to NEC Lynch adversary Gloucester next Wednesday.
WHS girls soccer
hosts Revere Friday
The Winthrop High girls soccer team will host non-league rival Revere tomorrow (Friday) on the turf at Miller Field. The contest with the Lady Patriots is the first of three home games for the Lady Vikings in the coming week. They will entertain Beverly next Monday and Gloucester next Wednesday.
Coach Tracey Martucci’s squad, which stands at 1-4-2 on the season, earned a 1-1 tie at Northeastern Conference Lynch Division rival Gloucester last Thursday, but dropped a 7-0 decision to Lynch Division foe Swampscott this past Monday.