The MVRHS boys soccer team got all it could handle from a tough Sturgis East Storm team in a 2-0 Senior Day win on a cold and raw Monday afternoon at Dan McCarthy Field in Oak Bluffs.
Yiaggo Goncalves picked up the clean sheet in net for the Vineyarders, who improved to 13-2-1 overall and in the Cape and Islands League, with two matches left in the regular season.
Emanuel Silva had the best chance for either team in the first half-hour, blistering a 20-yard shot on goal in the 25th minute, but Storm goalkeeper Noah Smith made a spectacular save by diving to his right to parry the ball away from the left post. With 8:40 remaining in the first half, Smith denied Silva again, but Lucas Reis came out of nowhere to smash in a header on the rebound for the first goal of the match.
The visitors nearly claimed an equalizer with sustained pressure off the ensuing kickoff. The ball pinballed around the goal crease before Sturgis skimmed a shot just over the crossbar.
Seven minutes into the second half, keeper Smith robbed Fynn Monahan by smacking down a point-blank header at the left post.
The Vineyarders finally notched the crucial insurance goal with 12:51 remaining in the match, as Sam Balbino slotted the ball into the bottom left corner after a slick give-and-go with Emanuel Silva.
After the hard-fought win, which improved MV’s chances of earning a higher seed in the upcoming state tournament, Vineyard Coach Esteban Aranzabe breathed a sigh of relief and recognized seniors Aidan Nunez, Sam Cranston, Jacob Maccaferri, and Matheus Brito, who gathered with family members in front of the home stands. “We knew that they were a tough team,” Coach Aranzabe said. “We beat them over there [in Hyannis, earlier this season], 1-0, so basically the only team they lost against was Nantucket and us. They defend very well, and they have a very good goalie. We did what we could, so after the 2-0 lead it was a relief, and we got it done. One more win for the seeding, and that’s the important part.”