The Vineyard boys soccer team kept its winning streak alive in its final home game of the regular season, defeating visiting Dennis-Yarmouth 2-0.
The win came despite the fact that the team’s leading scorer was on the sidelines. Junior Jason Lages drew a red card in a game Monday against Bishop Stang, and Coach Esteban Aranzabe in turn received a red card after questioning the referee about the call after the game. As a result the team forfeited its Monday win over Stang, and Coach Aranzabe and Lages will have to sit out game one of the playoffs.
But the Monday setback appeared to cast no damper over the last game Wednesday.
Senior Elie Jordi put the team on the board in the 60th minute, lining up a pass from senior Yannick Goncalves after a corner kick and sending the ball past several D-Y defenders. Two minutes later, another strong passing display by Goncalves and sophomore Aksel Cooperrider set up a blast from senior Noah Kleinhenz that shot straight into the back corner of the net. The defense, anchored by senior co-captain Ben Poole and senior keeper Matt Stone, turned aside the Dolphin advances in the second half. Several Vineyard scoring attempts, went wide, but the team had scored all the goals it would need.
During stoppage time in the second half, injured senior co-captain Lee Faraca, in a leg brace, took the field. It was a Senior Day touch that earned rousing cheers from the Vineyard fans.
Assistant coach Alex Poole stepped in.
“It went well,” he said after the match. “It’s easy to coach these kids because they’ve kind of got it all together.”
Still, after a lackluster first half, a halftime reminder was needed. “I told them there’s nothing in my power to get you guys to score,” he said. “So please come out and prove it — prove you’re as good as people say you are.”
The team enters the postseason tournament next week with a 14-2-2 record. Tournament pairings will be announced late in the week.
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