Published in the July 21, 2017 edition
THE MELROSE boys’ U14 soccer team were Commissioner’s Cup champions this year. They followed that up with a great run at the Massachusetts Tournament of Champions where they finished with a 2-1 record. (Tanya O’Hara Courtesy Photo)
LANCASTER — The Melrose Youth Soccer boys under 14 squad posted a 2-1 record during round-robin play in the recent Massachusetts Tournament of Champions (MTOC) in Lancaster, MA, beating Fall River United 9-0 and Hanson Youth Soccer 3-2, before losing 3-2 to the Cambridge Comets. Despite outscoring opponents by a 14-5 margin and tying for first place in their group, Melrose was denied a spot in the state Division 2 semi-finals based on a complex tie-breaking process that left the boys in 5th place overall for the tourney.
Melrose finished the season with an 11-1-1 record and as regular season and Commissioner’s Cup champions in the Middlesex Youth Soccer League.
At MTOC, Melrose was led by top goal scorers, Jacobus Overgaag (co-captain), Johnny Lecomte and Parker Thornton. Seamus Matthews and Emmet Phelan also scored goals during the competition.
Co-captain Jack O’Hara, Christian Carrieri and Graham MacDonald provided strong leadership and defense during the tourney. Dan Oteri, Liam O’Hara, Griffin Castergine, Adam Drafts-Johnson, Hooper Ward, Ben Elenbaas, Max Farmelant, and Matt Mullen also pitched in with strong play during the post-season. Ryan Hanley and Aidan Sullivan were unavailable for the state tournament after playing key supporting roles during the Middlesex League regular season and playoff championship runs.
Head coach Ian Maher, along with assistant coaches John Lecomte and Charlie Phelan, praised the team’s effort, noting that the squad “has shown time and time again a work ethic and a belief in each other. We are delighted for the boys and what they accomplished.”
