MIAA soccer: Nauset tops AHS boys, but game closer than it looks

Photos by Kim Swift show team at its best >>

Ben Kohlberg heads ball against Nauset on Nov. 18 at Marshfield. / Kim Swift photo

 UPDATED, Nov. 27: The Arlington High School boys’ soccer team missed its first state division title in at least 19 years Sunday, Nov. 18, as Nauset remained undefeated, winning, 3-0. Coach Lance Yodzio has led AHS over those years.

AHS ends with a 16-4-2 record — 13 of them shutouts. Nauset, at 23-0, took the Division 2 title.

Arlington’s only real pressure came in the first 10 minutes, but the Spy Ponders never got a true scoring chance. Curtis Moore, Nauset’s senior center back, was key to their defensive dominance. Read the BostonGlobe.com summary >> 

YourArlington intern Max Fritsch added that the contest itself was closer than the 3-0 score might suggest. He called it “a 50-50 game.

He wrote that neither team had “many chances, until two crucial players, Declan Dolan and Nick Karalis, suffered injuries in the first half. From that point on Nauset capitalized on each of their few chances. After the third goal, it felt as if Arlington gave up.”  

One AHS player, Will Clifford, who was not expected to see action after breaking his collarbone. “He fell on the snow last night [Nov. 15],” his mother said Nov. 16. “We were in the [emergency room] until 2 a.m. He’s devastated.”

The 2-0 victory over Masconomet in North Division 2 on Nov. 12 gave AHS boys’ soccer its first divisional championship in Yodzio’s 19 seasons. Before that, he coached the freshmen for two years and one year at the junior-varsity level.

ACMi interviews with captains >>

AHS boys beat Masco, win division 

AHS boys’ soccer celebrate Division 2 North title win. / Kim Swift photo

The Arlington High School boys’ soccer team (16-3-2) has won the Division 2 North championship in the MIAA tournament and play undefeated Nauset (22-0) at Xaverian High, Westwood,  at 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17, for the state title. 

Lucas Plotkin, holding the trophy high in the photo, is not the leading scorer for the Arlington boys’ soccer team, but the senior midfielder has now scored two significant goals in the MIAA tournament this year.

After 55 minutes of scoreless play Monday, Nov. 12, Plotkin spurred the Spy Ponders to a thrilling 2-0 win over Masconomet Regional in the Division 2 North final at Manning Field, Lynn.

In the 56th minute, Arlington striker Sean Connelly delivered a perfect cross to the far post for Plotkin, who headed the ball past keeper Zach Rock.

Plotkin also scored a key goal in Arlington’s semifinal win over North Andover on Saturday, Nov. 10.

Both teams were well stocked with firepower Monday. Arlington featured senior mid Francesco Valagussa, who led the Middlesex League in scoring. Masco (18-3-2) had Josh Rubin, who led the Cape Ann League in scoring by a long shot. But the first 55 minutes were scoreless.

Read the full BostonGlobe.com summary >> 

Also read how Nauset defeated Walpole to win the South division >>

Ponders top North Andover

 The boys faced North Andover, which beat Charlestown, 1-0, on Nov. 7, The Ponders won, 2-1, in a game held Saturday, Nov. 10, at Manning Field, Lynn. 

Max Fritsch reported that the first goal scored by Lucas Plotkin 10 minutes in, unassisted. Ten minutes later, Francesco Vallagusa score from 25 yards out, for 2-0 lead.

In the second half, North Andover came out strong, cutting the lead in half off a corner. Arlington, however, was able to hold them off for the rest of the game, sending themselves to the Div. 2 North finals.

Max Fritsch reports that three minutes in, Arlington wing back Ilan Saenz-Grant drew a penalty, which Francesca Valagussa finished strongly — the kind of start Arlington really needed.

The defense shut down Lynn Classical the rest of the first half, which ended 1-0.

Ten minutes into the second half, Valagussa scored on a bouncing free kick from far out. Five minutes later, captain Will Clifford scored with a header off a Valagussa corner kick, extending the lead to 3-0.

With 15 minutes left, arlington scores its fourth goal of the night when Lucas Plotkin snuck a soft shot past the keeper into the back corner.

MIAA background 

In boys’ North Division 2, No. 4 Arlington (12-3-3), after a bye in the first round, topped No. 13 Belmont (9-7-0) at Arlington on Saturday, Nov. 3, in the quarterfinals. The score was 1-0.

In the other quarterfinal march, No. 5 Lynn Classical (10-2-6) beat No. 12. Shawsheen (8-5-5) on Sunday, Nov. 4, at Manning Field. The score was 1-0. 

AHS beat Lynn Classical on Tuesday, Nov. 6, at Arlington. The score was 4-0. 

 In girls’ North Division 2, No. 11. Arlington (9-5-5) beat No. 6 Beverly (12-5-2) in the first round at 3 p.m. Friday, Nov. 2, at Beverly. The score was 3-1.

AHS faces No. 3 Concord-Carlisle (15-0-3), which ripped No. 14 Lynn Classical (9-8-1)  on Sunday, Nov. 4, at Concord-Carlisle. The score was 6-0. In the AHS game Tuesday. Nov. 6, Concord-Carlisle won, 1-0. 

Extreme wind altered the way Saturday’s Division 2 North boys’ soccer game between Middlesex League rivals Belmont and Arlington was played.

 But the conditions, ultimately, did not decide the game, The Boston Globe reports.

The definitive play came in the fourth round of penalty kicks. Arlington junior midfielder Nirvan Patel-Masini scored the clincher with a strike to the right side that the keeper had no chance on, lifting the fourth-seeded Spy Ponders to the 1-0 first-round win.

Read the summary here >> 

AHS boys beat Belmont; season opponents shut out 10 times

The Arlington High School boys’ soccer team improved its final regular-season record to 12-3-3 overall in the Middlesex (Liberty), beating Belmont (6-7), 2-0, Thursday, Oct. 25, at Arlington.

Lucas Plotkin scored the first-half goal off a Francesco Valagusa assist. The second goal was scored in second half by Max Fritsch, assisted by Ilan Saenz-Grant.

Senior keeper Henry Fox-Jurkowitz had four saves in the shutout. AHS blanked opponents 10 times this season.

The team faced Winchester on Tuesday, Oct. 23, and played to an 0-0 tie.

The Ponders rank No. 7 in The Globe top 20. The state tournament follows.

Lexington stops AHS shutout streak, title chance

Top-ranked Lexington stopped the Spy Ponders’ five-shutout streak with a 3-2 win on Thursday, Oct. 18. Not only that — the win meant Arlington High lost its chance at a  Middlesex League title. 

Lexington (13-1-1) is the title winner, as it won its 10 of its last 11, the streak interrupted only by a tie. Arlington is 11-3-2 in the Middlesex (Liberty). 

In the first half, Lexington went up 1-0. in the second half we dominated but they got a corner and Sancho Maroto scored off a header. 

AHS sparked a comeback with 15 minutes left, when the Ponders returned with a corner goal. Then with just 10 minutes left Nirvan Patel-Masini tied it, with a ripping shot into the top corner.

With four minutes left, Lexington drew a penalty and burried it in the bottom corner, taking the lead and ending AHS hopes of the league title.

Also in the game, captain Jung-Ho received two yellow cards for dirty play, meaning ejection from the rest of the game and suspension for the rest of the season.

On Saturday, Oct. 20, AHS tied Reading, 1-1. Going into the match, AHS had three injured starters out, and another picked up an injury during the game. Nick Karalis scored a header in the first half, but Reading tied it up early in the second half, and the score stayed like that the rest of the game. 

The AHS team has two regular-season games left before the beginning of the state tournament, which will take place throughout November, depending in how the team fares.

5 straight shutouts

Shutouts continued as the Spy Ponder boys’ soccer team racked up an unlikely fifth straight.  The team faces No. 1 Lexington Thursday, Oct. 18.

The Spy Ponders improved to 11-2-1, beating Woburn, 2-0. The first half was 0-0, and in the second half, Francesco Valagussa missed a penalty.

With 10 minutes left, Woburn had an own goal off a corner.  With four minutes left Sean Connelly scored a goal, assisted by Lucas Plotkin.

The Oct. 11 game against Reading, postponed because of thunderstorms, is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 20.

Boys’ soccer: Sept. 6 through Oct. 15

This news summary was published Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2018, and updated Nov. 27. Max Fritsch, an Arlington High School intern for YourArlington, provides updates about boys’ soccer.

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