The slope seemed steep. There were obstacles littered left and right during its ascension.
That said, nothing deterred Newton North from reaching its ultimate goal this November. The 31st-ranked Tigers (10-9-1) embarked on arguably the greatest Cinderella run in the history of Massachusetts high school sports by capturing the MIAA Div. 1 boys soccer championship with a stunning 2-1 victory over St. John’s (Shrewsbury). Prior to the playoffs, they were a sub .500 program. During the course of its historic postseason run, Newton North rattled off wins against second-seeded Lowell, before defeating two Catholic Conference heavyweights on its way to raising a trophy behind a heroic performance in net from Gabino Talisayon. The goaltender proved to be the ultimate difference for the Tigers as they made history.
Could Oliver Ames pull off a three-peat? Not an easy feat, yet things came to fruition as the third-seeded Tigers (18-2-2) captured the Div. 2 championship for a third straight season, this time off the foot of Jackson Mercieri. The star sniped the game-clinching tally in double overtime, helping his group defeat No. 4 Hingham in a 1-0 thriller. It was the fourth state championship, and the sixth title appearance for the school since 2014 under coach John Barata.
We predicted that the Div. 3 boys soccer field would be a toss-up, given the fact that there were so many possible title contenders. This panned out, with upsets aplenty. At the end of the day however, second-seeded Dover-Sherborn was able to claim its first championship since 2010 with a 2-0 blanking of No. 9 Norwell, as Wesley Bunn and Jack Martin buried consecutive second half goals to give the Raiders a 2-0 victory.
The Div. 4 field came down to the wire. Top-ranked Cohasset (19-4-2) was able to rally past No. 2 Lynnfield for a wild 3-2 victory, as Sam Ellinger sniped the game-clinching tally in the final two minutes. The victory ended a championship curse for the Skippers, who won their state first title in six attempts, three of which had gone to overtime.
Despite drama, No. 1 Sutton (20-3-0) won the Div. 5 boys soccer crown, knocking off fourth-seeded Dearborn STEM Academy in penalty kicks (3-1) for an unforgettable 1-0 victory. The goaltenders were the heroes in this classic. As the finals bout progressed, Issac Bradley pitched a shutout during regulation and the overtime sessions, before German exchange student Paul Kupker sealed the deal with a stellar performance in the shootout. It was the first title for the program since 2014, and its sixth overall.
Dave Wainwright knew he was walking into a good situation with Wellesley, and the legendary soccer coach was able to smile with a new Bay State Conference contender at season’s end. Emily Burnham potted the go-ahead tally, and the second-seeded Raiders (19-3-1) eventually raised their first Div. 1 girls soccer crown since 2004 with a memorable 3-1 victory over No. 4 Bishop Feehan.
It was a long time coming, but top-ranked Masconomet (22-0-1) finally was able to exorcise its demons, and seize its first Div. 2 girls soccer title since 1989. During the fall, Alison Lecesse’s squad rolled to an undefeated season, with senior captain Amanda Schneider registering a hat trick in the final to key the Chieftains during a 5-0 shutout of No, 2 Duxbury.
Your Div. 3 girls soccer championship proved to be a nail-biter, with Kyah Montano burying the clinching goal in the 67th minute to deliver No. 4 Nipmuc (21-1-1) its first title in a decade with a 1-0 win over No. 2 Medfield.
Meanwhile, top-seeded Sutton was able to retain its stronghold atop the Div. 4 girls soccer field, winning its fourth consecutive championship with a 2-0 win over No. 2 Hamilton-Wenham. Ava Magnuson and Addy Jerome netted the goals, as the Suzies captured their 12th state title in their 16th finals appearance since 1990.
After a back and forth Div. 5 girls soccer title bout, No. 1 Douglas (17-5-1) was able to emerge on the other side with its first state title since 2002 following an epic 3-2 win over second-seeded Hull. Meghan Brazeau sniped a pair of goals, including the go-ahead shot in the 69th minute. Then, freshman goaltender Jasmine Trudeau made a heroic save during a breakaway in the closing minutes as the Tigers capped their season in miraculous fashion.
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