For Masconomet ladies soccer coach Alison Lecesse and her gamers, soccer is life, and the game itself has grow to be ingrained within the three communities the varsity represents by means of years of dedication and a dedication to creating youth packages.
Now late within the 2022 season, Masconomet is considered one of just a few packages with an ideal report, sitting at 12-0-0.
“I think this team is deeper than any of the other teams I’ve had in my six years (as head coach),” mentioned Lecesse. “I think this is the deepest team. This year, we’ve had the most juniors and seniors starting, whereas before, we’ve had more of a mix… They’ve been playing together for a long time. Some of them have been playing since (they were) 4-years-old at town soccer. To have them playing together at 18 is pretty cool.”
Definitely a powerful assertion, contemplating the truth that the Chieftains had consecutive undefeated common seasons between 2017-18 throughout Lecesse’s first two years on the helm. Since 1978, Masconomet has been one of many commonwealth’s winningest soccer packages, with an total report of 660-141-80.
But the Chieftains may nonetheless be on the verge of historical past. So far this season, Masconomet has outscored its opposition at an astonishing clip of 40-3, and has seemingly proven full domination in doing so with 9 shutouts. It’s largely as a result of bonds that Taylor Bovardi (eight targets, seven assists) and her teammates have developed on the sphere. The Chieftains have additionally been propelled offensively by junior Lauren Boughner (12 targets, three assists) and sophomore Amanda Schneider (eight targets, 5 assists).
Off the sphere, Bovardi and different workforce captains akin to Kendall Skulley take part as coaches on the youth degree. Lecesse and her employees have all the time emphasised the significance of getting scholar athletes grow to be energetic inside Masconomet’s native communities, most notably within the cities of Boxford, Middleton and Topsfield.
“I feel like (coaching) really brings us together,” mentioned Skulley. “We feel like mentors doing it. Coming up through the years, I always looked up to the older players that I saw at the field. Now, when we go to the youth clinics, they see they’re role models, and them helping. I feel like they feel included more with the (youth) program than ever before.”
The Chieftains are chasing Oliver Ames within the Div. 2 energy rankings, at present in second with a ranking of 4.0530.
Can Masconomet full the proper season, and win its first state championship since 1989?
“I certainly hope so,” mentioned Lecesse. “That’s always the goal. You never know. There’s still a lot of games for seeding purposes around the state. Once you get into the tournament format and you win or you’re done, it’s whoever has the game that day. You could be the better team and not win. We certainly hope to push it through all the way to the finals and win that. But we’re realistic, in that we have to have a long-term view, long-term goals, but take it day-to-day. Focus on one day at a time.”
St. John’s (Shrewsbury) constructing a winner
After serving because the Associate Director of Admissions and boys varsity soccer coach at Hebron Academy in Maine for over a decade, Kurt Swanbeck determined to take a leap of religion final yr, and accepted a couple of related roles at Catholic Conference establishment St. John’s (Shrewsbury).
Last season, St. John’s launched into a powerful run to the Div. 1 Round of 8, the place they fell to Newton North (a 1-0 loss in penalty kicks).
Now the Pioneers (12-2-1) are not a secret, and the scary half is that they’re getting more healthy.
“I’ve got a phenomenal problem right now, which is that we’re almost coming back to being 100 percent healthy,” mentioned Swanbeck. “We will be by the time playoffs start, just as long as somebody doesn’t go down in the last few games here, but we haven’t had the same team on the field once since the beginning of the year with all key injuries, one after the other… It’s just been that way all year, but we’ve had good depth.”
Shortly after the highschool season concluded final fall, senior Jorgo Karamelo sustained a torn ACL in his left leg throughout a membership recreation with the Boston Bolts.
Eight months later, Karamelo is again to sniping targets for St. John’s, already with seven on the season.
“I had a lot of people tell me that it was really up to me and how hard I was willing to work,” Karamelo mentioned. “I just had to put it into my head that (this) was my last year, and that I would like to play college ball. I had to do everything to come back. I tried to go to (physical therapy) every day.”
The Pioneers’ high two stars from final yr are actually at UConn (Kwame Adu-Gyamfi) and Stonehill (Shane Fonseca). However, turning the web page to the subsequent chapter has confirmed simpler than anticipated, as St. John’s welcomed Matthew Bergquist to its ranks.
Bergquist isn’t your typical switch scholar. After enjoying with the New England Revolution’s Academy for the higher a part of the previous couple of years, the senior midfielder and heart again determined to take his abilities to the MIAA for the highschool expertise.
To Bergquist, it was a dream expertise to play soccer at Gillette Stadium alongside future Revolution gamers akin to Esmir Bajraktarevic and Noel Buck. But over time, the each day grind of life as a semi-pro soccer star started to take its toll, and he opted to enroll at St. John’s for his last yr of highschool eligibility, with the final word aim of engaged on a future profession.
“I’m from Shrewsbury, and I always saw myself becoming a Pioneer ever since I was a young kid,” mentioned Bergquist. “I figured, why not join the team and see how it goes. Obviously, we’re having a pretty good year, so it’s been awesome so far.”
Bergquist can be identified for his prowess within the defensive finish. The senior has completed with 4 clear sheets to go together with an help in simply seven matches performed.
So far, St. John’s has additionally acquired stellar performances from seniors Matt Morin (11 targets, seven assists) and Matt Larkin (two targets, six clear sheets) as properly. As of Friday, the Pioneers have been slotted second total within the MIAA’s Div. 1 energy rankings (4.0762 ranking).
“I think the sky’s the ceiling,” mentioned Larkin. “Our goal right now is states. We want to win it, and we hope to not fall short. That’s our only goal right now.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com