Medway ends Vineyard boys soccer season in OT, 2-1

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Sam Entner contested a header with Whitinsville's Luc Booz. — Photo by Ralph Stewart

The 2013 season came to a sudden, excruciating halt for the top-seeded and previously unbeaten Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School boys soccer team who lost 2-1 in sudden-death overtime to the fifth-seeded Medway Mustangs Wednesday afternoon at Canton High School in the MIAA Division 3 South Sectional semifinal.

With the match tied 1-1 after 80 regulation minutes, the Mustangs scored on Justin Kaplan’s breakaway goal early in the first of two scheduled extra periods to advance to Saturday’s sectional final in Quincy. Vineyard keeper Ben Wadleigh and defender Ben Poole stopped a previous Mustang attempt in the opening two minutes. Wadleigh thwarted a Medway shot taken from the right flank, aimed at the near post. Moments later, Poole cleared the ball off the goalline.

The Vineyarders came into the match at 16-0-2, riding a fifteen-match winning streak, following a 2-1 win over number eight Scituate in the quarterfinal, played Monday in Oak Bluffs. The Mustangs (13-2-3), meanwhile, defeated fourth-seeded Apponequet Regional of Lakeville, 2-0 in their quarterfinal match.

The teams were tied 0-0 at halftime. Medway dominated possession, however, and seemed much more comfortable on the artificial turf.

The Mustangs found the back of the net first, scoring midway through the second half on a shot to the far post, following a breakway. Vineyard keeper Ben Wadleigh had no chance to stop the laser-like strike.

The Vineyarders wasted little time in grabbing the equalizer. Sam Entner finished off a Colin Cameron header to tie the match, 1-1, with 17 minutes left in regulation.

The Purple got stronger as the second half wore on. A Medway injury stopped the match for 10 minutes late in the second half. Following the stoppage, the teams remained tied 1-1 as regulation time expired. The Vineyarders, unfortunately never regained momentum.