Boys Soccer Falls in State Tournament

By Kevin Agostinelli, staff reporter

Despite being the 5th seed in the state tournament with an 11-3-1 record and automatically advancing to the Round of 16, the Sturgis boys soccer team lost to 12th seed Seekonk on Sunday night. A few hundred Sturgis fans attended the highly anticipated home game at Old Townhouse Field, but they ultimately left disappointed as the Storm fell to the Warriors 2-1.
Unfortunately for the Storm, their performance in the first few minutes of the first half was a microcosm of the entire match. The Sturgis boys were thrown off their game by a fast, physical, and no-nonsense Seekonk team which was content with booting the ball downfield and putting more pressure on the Storm’s defense to clear each long ball. This led to Seekonk’s first goal of the game, when a Seekonk defender stole the ball at midfield, kicked it downfield, and managed to have the ball bounce off a Sturgis defender and go out of bounds for a corner kick. The ensuing kick found Seekonk forward James Eline after several failed clearances, and he finished to shock the home crowd and give Seekonk the lead. However, the Storm’s determination and improved play towards the end of the first half led to a crucial goal by junior midfielder Jonny Gomes off an assist by senior forward Chris Dedecko. At the half, the game was tied 1-1.
Sturgis then began the second half as roughly as they began the first and struggled to find the passing game that had so often led them to victory in the regular season. Seekonk took advantage of the Storm’s struggles and began to attain more and more possession, finally punishing Sturgis with a devastating goal halfway through the second half. This goal was once again the result of three failed clearances from the Storm’s backline and a lucky bounce that just beat the outstretched arms of senior goalkeeper Kyle Garvey. Although the game was far from over, Seekonk took advantage of the Storm’s sloppy play in the attack and continued to kick the ball downfield until the ref blew the final whistle to end the game.
The boys soccer team finished their season with a record of 11 wins, 4 losses, and 1 tie, giving them the best record in Sturgis boys soccer history. Stay tuned for the upcoming recap of the entire boys soccer season, which will include highlights, analysis, and interviews with players and coaches!