Two of Martha’s Vineyard United’s youth summer soccer teams headed off to Lancaster to compete in the Massachusetts Tournament of Champions (MTOC) last month, earning respectable placements.
The boys seventh- and eighth-grade team represented the Island well, earning second place in the state tournament after falling to a tough Framingham team.
Based on competing in the South Coast Soccer League, the Vineyarders qualified for the Tournament of Champions as a wildcard entry after losing to Dartmouth in the South Coast League championship. Prior to the loss, the Vineyard team was undefeated. In the Tournament of Champions, the team ran into Framingham again in the first round, this time holding them to a 0-0 tie.
The Vineyarders went on to win their next two games, defeating Littleton 3-1 and Worcester 2-1, to grab a spot in the semifinals Sunday morning. They went on to face Framingham again, this time in the championship, but after a hard-fought match, the Vineyarders lost 4-1, for second place.
Coach Dardy Slavin said the team was intimidated the first time around facing off against Framingham, but found their comfort zone in the second match.
“Framingham was big, strong, and with a deeper bench,” said Slavin. “So on Friday, when we played them to a 0-0 tie, we were psyched.”
Overall, Slavin was proud of how her team did. “The boys are so psyched about finishing so well,” said Slavin to The Times. “I think they performed really well, they stepped up to the challenge, we had a strong season, and they were consistent, and it showed that weekend.”
From Slavin’s perspective, the difference between this season and last was their teamwork.
“I think that they came together as a true team, and we worked on our passing game so much, we had a lot of kids who could score, and that makes a big difference,” said Slavin.
Roughly 10 to 15 players from the soccer team are poised to compete at the high school level next season.
For the fifth- and sixth-grade MV United boys team, the tournament marked the culmination of two years of steady focus and improvement.
Last year the team came heartbreakingly close to qualifying for MTOC, only to lose in the finals. The loss fueled their drive to return stronger and fight for a spot in the tournament this season.
The fifth- and sixth-grade teams also secured a wildcard spot, finishing second in their league with an impressive 13-game unbeaten streak. They wrapped up the season with a record of 13 wins, 1 tie, and only 2 losses.
At MTOC, the boys showed hunger, playing every match down to the wire, tying one game and losing the other two.
Coach Rodrigo Honorato and team manager Lena Queiroga Fernandes were proud of their team’s hard work, saying the teams showed sportsmanship and passion on the field in every match.
“They will be back better and stronger,” said Honorato in an email to The Times.