For the second straight year, the Bromfield Trojans are MIAA Division 4 boys soccer state champs, following their 3-1 victory over the St. Mary’s Spartans of Lynn in the state final played at St. John’s Prep in Danvers on Saturday, Nov. 17.
The team wasted little time getting down to business. Less than seven minutes into the first half, junior forward Will Armstrong scored with a shot past Spartan junior goalie Matthew Gallego. His goal was followed by a second from senior halfback Jake Catalina a minute later , who sank a well-placed header from Armstrong into the St. Mary’s net, putting Bromfield on top 2-0. Finally, with the clock showing 21 minutes remaining, senior halfback Charlie Pappas notched Bromfield’s third and final goal of the night, leaving the Trojans ahead 3-0 as the first period ended.
Kneeling in front: Coach Chris Marrese, Will Armstrong, Jack Allen, Pasha Sahin, Patrick Flanagan, Nolan Granville, Charlie Bardenheuer, Alex Jorgensen, Tom Khuu, Vito Montesa, Zach Becker, Dylan Winchell. Middle row: Jordan Colon, Ryan McNulty, Matt Hendricks, Marcos Lora, Ryan Glazier. Back row: Reilly Fitzsimmons, Coach Alex Horne, team manager Lance Jarosz, Colin Murphy, Charlie Pappas, Eli Fishbein, Ethan Fitzsimmons, Geraghty Vellante, Jake Catalina, Jack Yu, Nathaniel Adelson, and Coach Tom Hill. Missing from photo: Jack Donaldson. (Photos by Lisa Aciukewicz)
St. Mary’s only goal came less than a minute into the second half, as the Spartans took the field with fresh intensity. Awarded a direct kick more than 20 yards from the Bromfield goal, St. Mary’s senior midfielder Thiago De Oliveira, a threat throughout the game, floated the ball over the heads of the Trojan defenders and into the net to the left of sophomore goalie Ethan Fitzsimmons. But in spite of repeated opportunities, the Spartans—with a reputation for coming from behind—were unable to add to their total. For the remaining 39 minutes of what had become a highly physical game in which two Spartans were shown yellow-cards for misconduct, the score stood unchanged at 3-1.
As the team rushed onto the field to celebrate, a cheer went up from more than 200 fans who had driven to Danvers to watch their final match in 40-degree weather that seemed balmy compared to bone-chilling earlier playoffs.
“I give [St. Mary’s] a lot of credit,” said first-year Bromfield Coach Alex Horne after the game. “It was a battle … Everyone was on their toes until the last minute. But we just took care of the game early on. Scoring those three goals early… was huge.”
In what turned out to be a very physical game, Charlie Pappas (No. 10) gets to the ball before a St. Mary’s defender as Charlie Bardenheuer (No. 23) backs him up.
Throughout the second half, Bromfield’s defenders were crucial to maintaining the team’s lead, repeatedly thwarting the attacks of the Spartan offense. “They were the core,” Horne told reporters after the game, noting that goalie Fitzsimmons and fullbacks senior Charlie Bardenheuer, senior Patrick Flanagan, junior Tom Khuu, and sophomore Alex Jorgensen had not been subbed all year. “I know it sounds clichéd,” Horne said, “but defense wins championships.”
“They’re a hell of a team,” Trojan co-captain Pappas said of the Spartans. “Especially in the second half they were all over us. They deserved to make it to the state finals. Props to them.”
Spartan head Coach Michael D’Agostino had his regrets but credited Bromfield for the intensity of its play during the first half. “They’re a very fast team … They won every ball, they were at every ball. They were aggressive. We came out the second half with the intensity we usually bring. I wish we’d had that the first half.”
With its win over St. Mary’s, Bromfield ends its season first in its league, first in its district, and first in its division, with a 16-3-3 record.
Senior Jake Catalina watches as his shot squeaks by St. Mary’s goalkeeper for the second goal of the evening in Bromfields 3-1 win.
Horne has been a Bromfield boys soccer coach for three years, assisting 41-year veteran Tom Hill for his first two years before taking charge as head coach this fall. There was an expectation that the team would win the championship last year, Horne said. But this year, having lost a dozen members of the 2017 championship team, the players had to work harder for their victory. “They played with a lot of heart that was incredible to watch,” Horne said. “Tom Hill teaches everyone the lesson [that what matters is] commitment, dedication, and passion for the game of soccer.”
And where was Hill during the game? Standing on the sidelines as an assistant coach, still a member of the team’s coaching staff, invited back for another season by his former high school protégé and college star, Alex Horne.
The team heads toward the fan-filled bleachers with their state championship trophy in hand. From left are seniors Nolan Granville, Patrick Flanagan, and Charlie Bardenheuer, as well as Dylan Winchell and Jordan Colon.
