Middleboro claims school's first league title in dramatic fashion
EAST BRIDGEWATER - The South Shore League Sullivan Division title was on the line on Thursday night.
East Bridgewater and Middleboro had basically nothing separating them in their first two games against each other in the SSL Cup. In a winner’s bracket match, the Vikings defeated the Sachems 1-0. Facing elimination in the championship, Middleboro defeated EB in penalty kicks.
Thursday’s all-or-nothing game for the Sullivan Division title was just as close as their previous two meetings.
With just seconds to spare in double overtime, EB was called for a hand ball to give Middleboro a penalty kick. Senior midfielder Alexis Vanderzeyde, who had a goal and an assist already on the night, stepped up and hammered her PK just to the left of the outstretched arms of EB’s keeper Delaney Ponder. Vanderzeyde and the Middleboro squad walked off on the game-winning PK to earn their first-ever program South Shore championship with 3-2 win.
“We knew everything was on the line and my heart was beating, but I knew our team could win it,” said Vanderzeyde.
Vanderzeyde fed Mya Dupuy to tie the game at 1-1 with an across-the-box through ball in the 16th minute. Vanderzeyde tacked on a score of her own with a 24th minute floater to the top left corner from just beyond the center of the box.
“Alexis has amazing composure in precious situations so she’s the kind of player you want there,” said Middleboro coach Denis Cutler of the penalty shot. “That’s about as big of a moment as you can have to win a game so she has the ability to execute in those situations.”
“I feel like (the win) came from our perseverance and the belief in ourselves,” added Cutler. “All the games had to be played here (in East Bridgewater) in the tournament. So we had to come here on their home field and we had to overcome that first loss to get the win in PKs last time and the overtime goal this time.”
East Bridgewater’s Avery Levangie gave the Vikings their two scores, including a game-opening booming left to right hook off a feed from Caroline McCormick in the 12th minute. Levangie added another on a free kick from just outside the box in the 39th minute.
“We’re disappointed obviously and I’m sad for the seniors losing on the last kick of the game,” said EB coach Brendan Boates. “We certainly had chances to score and win, but in the last game having to go out like that is tough.”
EB will graduate some of their standout upperclassmen, including Levangie.
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“I’m just proud of the kids,” said Boates. “They finished on top of the regular season. (Levangie’s) been awesome, Molly Barry’s been awesome and has been a four-year varsity starter and never comes off the field.
“Likewise Cheyenne Nelson and Audrey Catania are excellent kids. Delaney Ponder’s been amazing in goal and Emma Brown’s been helping us as well. They’re better people than they are soccer players in all honesty so we’re going to miss them.”
Both teams are now done for the season and while EB gave it a solid effort, Middleboro walks away with the title after what has unfolded as an unpredictable year for high school sports.
“There was a lot of uncertainty and we could have even been shut down because there’s been a rise in cases,” said Cutler. “We talked about that before today’s game and we talked about how we have a chance to do something special today and win a championship in a year that’s been incredibly challenging for everybody so let’s turn it into something positive.”
Since there is no MIAA statewide tournament, Middleboro is more than satisfied with the win to close out their season.
“Right now we’re just going to be celebrating,” said Cutler. “We have 10 seniors who are a fantastic group so now we’re just going to celebrate. The team has never won a league title in school history so now we’re looking forward to finally putting a banner up in the school.”
Devin Nelson can be reached at djnelly1327@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @nellydevin.