The Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School boys varsity soccer team won the first round of the Division 3 South championship against Bishop Stang High School of Dartmouth, 2-0, Tuesday evening. The win was all the more impressive because the victory came without head coach Esteban Aranzabe and Jason Lages, one of the state’s leading scorers, who both had to sit out the game as a result of penalties handed out on October 27.
This was the third meeting of the two teams this season. The Vineyard “beat” Bishop Stang all three times, but was required to forfeit the second meeting on October 27 with Bishop Stang as a result of penalties handed out to the Vineyard coach and its star player.
At that meeting, the referee issued Jason Lages a red card. After the game, Mr. Aranzabe approached a referee to ask about the Jason Lages penalty and would not drop the issue. The referee gave a red card to Mr. Aranzabe, resulting in an automatic forfeit.
Although the Vineyarders won this game, it was recorded as a 0-1 loss. Both men were also required to miss the following two soccer matches as a penalty — including Tuesday’s game.
With a 15-2-2 record, the team entered Tuesday’s single elimination tournament as the fourth seed, behind Medway, Scituate, and Norton high schools, respectively. None of those teams met the Vineyarders in regular season play.
“This team here is probably one of the best high school teams that I’ve ever seen,” MVRHS Athletic Director Mark McCarthy told The Times. “They’re very skilled, they’re very patient, they’re coached very well, and they have a lot of technique — which has led them to the record they have. There isn’t a guy on the team that isn’t the best in his position. As a group they’re just an unbelievable team.”
Tuesday’s game had a charged, emotional feel with a full crowd of fans under the lights and the Vineyard sideline looking sharp in matching black warm-up suits. Cheers came for the fancy footwork of Aksel Cooperrider, the brilliant defense of Alex GordonBeck, and the nice saves of goalie Matt Stone. Assistant coach Ryan White shouted from the sidelines, “This field is your friend boys: run ’em ragged!”
In the first half the Vineyarders were in full control and exerted tremendous pressure on the opponents’ defense, but the game remained scoreless until 24:29 when Ben Poole was able to thread the needle with a bull’s-eye into the Bishop Stang goal like a precise rocket.
At the half, Vineyard assistant coach Alex Poole begged his team, “Will someone please just bury the ball in the back of the net? We’ve had so many chances!”
Mr. White also addressed the team. “Guess what, domination without execution means nothing. Please guys, show us you’re better than one-nothing.”
The Vineyard continued to dominate in the second half, but again could not rack up the points. With 12:48 left in the game the fans were chanting, “Let’s Go Vine-Yard,” and with 12:20 remaining the crowd got their wish when Yannick Gonsalves scored the second and final goal, assisted by Elie Jordi.
Post game the team ran towards the crowd in celebration, led by a series of back handsprings by Matt Stone.
“We got the job done, but it wasn’t the way we wanted to do it,” Mr. White said. “We made mistakes in critical situations. I think we could have scored a lot more goals. We dominate almost every game, but we need to execute: that is the beast we have to slay.”
“Yes, we don’t have Jason. Yes, we don’t have Esteban. But this team has shown that they can do it on their own. They’re a clever team, they’re a tactical team, they’re a smart team. Going into Old Rochester with a little more fire power up top with Jason will be nice.
“Step one, done. Now we go on to step two. We treat each game like a state final, and you take one game at a time. Esteban talked to them hours before the game and got them fired up. He was with us in spirit today, and we’ll be glad to have him and Jason back and our family will be whole again.”
Both Jason Lages and Coach Aranzabe will resume their spots on the field Thursday November 6 in the quarterfinal game against fifth-seeded Old Rochester Regional High School of Mattapoisett. The game is home and will begin at 4 pm.
The road to the State Championship requires five more wins. The Vineyarders must first win the quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals of the Division 3 South Championship, followed by the semifinals and finals of the State Tournament.