by Anonym ·
Thursday, November 10, 2016
by John Osborn
The Bromfield boys soccer team outplayed and outscored the fifth-seeded Hopedale Blue Raiders (14-5-1) Wednesday night to win their Central District 4 semifinal match 4-0 and advance to the finals. The game was played on artificial turf under the lights at Lunenburg High School before 100 fans from both schools, who came bundled against fifty-degree temperatures that dropped lower as the evening wore on.
The Bromfield team that showed up to play last night was a different team than the one that narrowly defeated ninth-seeded Keefe Tech on Sunday afternoon at Harvard Park. The Trojans were quicker and more aggressive in their play, passing and tackling with speed and precision.
Senior Nick Bibbo takes control of a pass. (Photos by Lisa Aciukewicz)
“I would have preferred to play the team that played Keefe,” lamented Hopedale Coach Greg LaBossiere, who had watched the earlier game with his players in preparation for yesterday’s match.
The two teams held each other scoreless for the first 35 minutes of the game. Bromfield’s offense dominated early play, but was unable to score, thanks to saves by Hopedale’s goalie, senior Matt Luchini, and a strong Raider defense. Bromfield senior Rainier Yano finally sank the ball into the Hopedale’s net with an assist from junior Jack Armstrong with less than 11 minutes remaining in the first half.
Co-captain Joey Calabresi clears the ball from deep in Trojan territory.
Hopedale seemed to lose steam in the second half and Bromfield scored three more goals during the period. Senior Omar Al-Homsi scored the second goal on a breakaway run. Co-captain Colin Gant scored the remaining two, the first on a pass from Al-Homsi, and the second on a shot from the left side of Hopedale’s net. Bromfield goalkeeper Austin Franklin had a good night, making critical saves throughout the evening.
The Trojans now advance to the finals Friday, Nov. 11, where they will play third-seeded Sutton (11-4-3), a perennial end-of-season rival, at Nashoba Regional High School in Bolton. The game begins at 12 p.m.
From left: Cole Stecyk and Colin Grant watch as Sam Hays prepares to pass the ball.