In Historic First, Vineyard Boys Reach Soccer Championship; Game
Tomorrow

By ALEXIS TONTI

For the first time in school history, the varsity boys' soccer
team has advanced to the regional championships, with a 1-0 victory over
Sandwich last night in the regional semi-final.

The regional final will be played at 2 p.m. tomorrow at Brockton High
School againstMiddleboro, which advanced with a 2-1 win over Somerset.

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The Vineyarders, who finished the regular season with a 13-2-3
record, came into the post-season tournament as the second seed. Three
victories this week - all shutouts for four-year varsity goalie
Russell Hodson - have now earned them their place in the
championship game.

In yesterday's contest, the Vineyard's lone goal came
late in the first half when midfielder Hans Broscheit laid the ball off
to striker Lucas Brewer, who scored with a left-footed shot to the upper
corner.

Rain that began yesterday afternoon had muddied the field well
before game time. But despite the slippery conditions, both teams came
out with momentum.

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"The Vineyard just had more opportunities to score, especially
in the second half," said coach Bob Hammond, who before the game
characterized third seed Sandwich as an even match. "We came out
pumped up, and immediately had seven or eight great chances."

The Vineyarders played their home opener against Sandwich this fall.
Brewer scored in that game, too - all they needed for a 1-0
victory then. But later one of the team's two losses was at the
hands of the Indians, in a hard-fought match at Sandwich. Because of
those two earlier matches, Coach Hammond said going into yesterday,
"our players know theirs pretty well."

In the first two post-season games, played at home against Walpole
and Holliston, the Vineyarders came out quietly in the first half, often
finding themselves on the defensive. But the second halves were marked
by explosive soccer, with the boys capitalizing on their speed and deft
footwork to make plays.

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"We've definitely been more on our heels in the
beginning, and then by the half figure out how to respond," said
Mr. Hammond. "It hasn't been intentional, but it seems to
work for us."

On Tuesday the boys took on seventh seed Holliston in the
quarter-finals. The day was raw and windy, and a cold rain started
during halftime. But the stands were filled with both Holliston and
Vineyard fans, who huddled under blankets and umbrellas, for the full 80
minutes of play.

Although the teams went scoreless through the first half, the
momentum of the game was with the Panthers. They spread the field well
and kept the pressure on the Vineyard net.

But 10 minutes into the second half, midfielder Broscheit scored for
the Vineyard. The play was set up by defender Nate Thayer, who sent a
long ball to Broscheit up the left side of the field. Broscheit dodged
several defenders before ripping a shot into the net.

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Afterward the pace became somewhat frenzied, with players booting
the ball from one end to the other. Holliston managed a few shots that
sailed wide right. Then with 16:43 to go, defender Matt Brown took a
free kick that bent toward the goal and was headed in by Brewer.

Down 2-0, Holliston put up a fight: In a particularly intense
possession, with less than 10 minutes on the clock, the Panthers got two
corners and had four scoring opportunities in the space of a minute. One
shot passed just left of goal.

But the Vineyarders came away with the victory.

"They came out with a lot of intensity, and threw everything
at us in the first half. We had to absorb a lot of pressure," said
Mr. Hammond. "But we were able to settle down at halftime and then
attack a little more ourselves."

He pointed to the excellent play of senior Jesse Sylvia and freshman
Ben Post, both midfielders.

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"Jesse had his best game of the year, and Ben did a great job
playing both ends of the field, especially late in the game. He did a
great job disrupting the other team's attack."

The Vineyarders had hosted the Walpole Raiders on Sunday in the
first round of the tournament. Walpole, the fifteenth seed, defeated
Blue Hills in a preliminary game to earn their Island trip.

The day was mild with a cool breeze, and the fans kept coming during
the first half. Slowed by penalties on both sides, neither team had
scored by halftime. Then, with 21:23 to go, midfielder Jamie Greene
found the net. Post started the play with the ball in front of the goal;
he passed to Brewer, who got off a shot. Walpole's goalkeeper
blocked the ball but could not hold onto it, and Greene sent one in off
the rebound.

The Vineyard went on to win the game 1-0. A second goal by Brewer,
made in the final minute, was waived because Walpole had pulled their
goalkeeper all the way to mid-field in a final offensive push.

"With both Walpole and Holliston, the one thing we knew ahead
of time was they were coming out of very strong leagues," said
Coach Hammond. "They play great soccer, year-round soccer, and are
sophisticated with strong technical skills. We knew we would have our
work cut out for us.

"These games mean everything to these guys," he added.
"It's almost too much to put into words. They're
riding on Cloud Nine."

Results of the championship game will be posted on mvgazette.com