A rough and scrappy contest before a raucous home crowd ended in a win for the Vineyard boys’ soccer team as they defeated visiting Bishop Stang 2-0 in the first round of the postseason tournament.

“This is the team that kind of takes you out of your game,” said assistant coach Alex Poole after the game. “But the guys rose to the occasion; they got it done.”

Mr. Poole’s younger brother Ben, a senior and co-captain, put the team on the board with 15 minutes remaining in the first period, blasting a free kick past the Stang keeper into the upper reaches of the net and earning praise from two young fans on the sidelines.

“Good job, number three,” one said.

Though the Vineyard kept possession throughout the first half, Bishop Stang came back fighting in the second, testing the back line frequently. Senior Alex GordonBeck had several key runs to stop the pressure.

With 15 minutes remaining in play the volume of the crowd rose to a fever pitch, and cowbells clanged. The roar grew louder shortly after, as senior Yannick Gonsalves took a ball from senior Elie Jordi for a slow roller into the net.

“A 2-0 win; I’ll take it,” Alex Poole said.

The team will play Old Rochester on Thursday at home.

Head coach Esteban Aranzabe returns to the sidelines for the game and leading scorer junior Jason Lages will be back on the field. Both were absent owing to red cards received in a game last Monday against Bishop Stang. That game resulted in a forfeit for the Vineyard, despite a 2-0 win.

The Old Rochester Bulldogs are seeded fifth in the south section and beat 12th-seed Fairhaven 3-0 to advance to the quarterfinals. The Vineyard team is seeded fourth.