Bromfield’s Connor MacKenzie, right, clears the ball away from Lynnfield’s Mike Kennedy. (Photo by Ellen Harasimowicz)
Senior Josh Lyvers (left) runs toward the stands after scoring the winning goal in the boys soccer division III state championship in sudden death overtime as senior Ben Brown shouts in celebration. (Photo by Lisa Aciukewicz)
It took the Trojans until overtime, but in the end Bromfield edged Lynnfield 2-1, by way of a Josh Lyvers goal, to win another state championship.
The Trojans were confident, having outscored their opponents 2–0 in the games leading up to the finals. Lynnfield had a slightly tougher time reaching the finals, beating Greater Lowell in the district finals 2–1 and East Bridgewater 3–2 in the state semifinals.
The key to the game for the Trojans was containing Lynnfield’s star striker Mike Kennedy, who had scored at least twice in every tournament game. Kennedy had proved elusive to a tenacious Bridgewater team, scoring a hat trick to punch Lynnfield’s ticket to the state finals. Kennedy was the Cape Ann League MVP and is headed to play division 1 soccer for Northeastern in the fall. Bromfield didn’t plan on putting one defender on Kennedy, hoping that a staggered defending pattern anchored by star sweeper AJ Jorgensen could maintain control. The Bromfield defense was the focal point throughout the game, getting especially strong play from outside fullbacks Connor MacKenzie and Salim al-Homsi, and stopper Scott Nussdorfer.
The game started out with back-and-forth play from both teams, with neither one holding onto possession for extended periods of time. Lynnfield’s attack was keyed by center midfielder Tino Acierno, who repeatedly played Kennedy in the air on free kicks and plays out of the center. The Bromfield attack took awhile to get started, with play being concentrated mostly in the middle of the field. However, the Trojans got on top first, when a pass wide from a center midfielder set senior forward Josh Lyvers free on the left side. Lyvers sent a perfect line drive from the endline that was headed in by phenomenal forward Cody Osgood to make it 1–0. Lynnfield responded minutes later however, with a goal from none other than Mike Kennedy. Kennedy acrobatically headed in a feed from Acierno, skillfully lofting the ball into the corner over goalie Caleb Frost to tie the score at 1–1. The first half ended with a lot of frustration for the Trojans, who had a slight edge in play but had been repeatedly stymied by the Tigers’ aggressiveness.
The second half saw more control from Bromfield, who benefited from strong outside midfield play by Greg Wenger and Ben Brown. Wenger has always been a threat because of his ability to create chances for himself, which he did on three separate occasions in the second half. About halfway through the second half, Wenger pushed the ball past a Lynnfield defender on the right side and stayed with the ball while weaving into the box, putting an off-balance, left-footed shot just wide of the post. Two other similar tries resulted in booming shots that flew just over the crossbar. Brown had a chance to put the Trojans on top early in the second half, taking a lead pass by Lyvers and ripping a low line-drive shot that was saved by diving Lynnfield keeper Andrew Leader.
With the game tied, both teams headed to the first 15-minute overtime period. Bromfield again controlled the midfield, generating a few opportunities for forwards Osgood and Lyvers, but failed to put any in the back of the net.
The Trojans got a scare when Kennedy took a low shot to the far post; it hit the post and was cleared wide. Despite Kennedy’s efforts, Lyvers had other plans in mind. Off two hustle passes from Brian Morgan and finally Cody Osgood, Lyvers found himself in a breakaway situation similar to those he had seen in seasons past.
Taking a few dribbles, Lyvers perfectly placed a shot to the far post, past the hopeless dive of Leader to dash Lynnfield’s hopes of victory. The clutch shot gave Coach Tom Hill his second state championship in three years and the first for assistant coach Matt Davison.
