Boys' Soccer Kicks off Season with Wins

By Kevin Agostinelli, staff reporter

 The Sturgis Boys varsity soccer team kicked off the season with a pair of impressive wins versus Upper Cape last Friday and local rival Pope John Paul II on September 10.

Led by a strong veteran corps of seniors this year, the Storm had high expectations for the season and got off to the right start in their 6-2 win at Upper Cape Tech. Senior Aidan Fitzsimons opened the scoring off a masterful through ball by Jonny Gomes, and Chris Dedecko answered soon after by driving home a curling pass from Chris Dennison. Sturgis continued to dictate the play. After Dedecko and Fitzsimons each tallied two more, Jacob Tobey made it a five-goal lead after finishing from close range. At the end of the first half and the beginning of the second half, Upper Cape made things interesting by scoring two unlucky goals, but sophomore Mackenzie Green quashed the opponent’s hopes by scoring from another great through ball by Jonny Gomes.

On Monday, Sturgis faced a tougher test against Pope John Paul II. Unlike the first game, PJP was much more threatening on the attack, but the Storm’s stellar defense led by senior Ben Duncan and goalkeeper Kyle Garvey kept the Lions at bay for most of the game. Halfway through the first half, Aidan Fitzsimons collect the rebound from Chris Dedecko’s shot and smashed it into the net. Not to be outdone by his senior companion, Chris Dedecko scored off a neat through ball from sophomore Miguel Cruz to put Sturgis up by two in the second half. Finally, Jacob Tobey once again finished after a long run to score his second goal in as many games.

The Storm will continue their season with two night games, one on September 12 against Cape Cod Academy and the other on Friday, September 14, against Sturgis West.

Boys & Girls Soccer Knocked out of State Tournament in Similar Fashion

by Kevin Agostinelli, staff reporter

This Saturday, the Sturgis Storm suffered a heartbreaking 1-0 defeat to East Bridgewater and Avon and crashed out of the state tournament.

With just 57 seconds into the match, East Bridgewater scored on a breakaway after taking possession in the midfield. Despite a valiant offensive and defensive effort by the Storm for the rest of the game, the early goal proved to be the game-winning goal in the match. Sturgis came agonizingly close to scoring late in the second half when senior Will Kinsey faced a wide-open goal, but the referee suddenly blew the whistle due to a foul in the box against the Storm. The loss officially ended the boys’ soccer season, but the squad is already optimistic about next season.

Unfortunately, the Sturgis girls’ team was also eliminated from states after their 1-0 loss to Avon on Saturday. After an injury to the Storm’s senior goalkeeper Brianne Garner, freshman Emilie Steven became the goalkeeper in the second half. Although Emilie made several key saves, Avon took a crucial 1-0 lead soon after halftime and held on to win the match. Just like the boys’ team, the girls fought and barely scored an equalizing goal, but they also came up empty.

Watch out for Stormwatch articles coming soon that will recap the entire boys and girls soccer season!

Boys Soccer Make State Tourney with Win Over Chatham

By Kevin Agostinelli, staff reporter

Last week, the Sturgis Storm clinched a spot in the Division 3 State Boys’ Soccer Tournament with a fantastic 3-1 upset win over Chatham. Thanks to a pair of goals by junior Chris Dedecko and an insurance goal by junior Aidan Fitzsimons, Sturgis recorded their eighth victory of the season and celebrated their third entrance into the state tournament in as many years.

Every team in the state tournament must have a winning percentage of at least .500, and the Sturgis Boys finished with a winning percentage of .533 (8 wins, 7 losses, 3 draws). Chris Dedecko led the team in scoring with 13 goals, while Aidan Fitzsimons finished second with 11 goals. Junior Kyle Garvey finished his stellar year as goalkeeper with a total of five shutouts. The team’s improvement on both offense and defense led to their strong wins against teams such as Pope John Paul II, Cape Cod Tech, and Chatham, in the final games of the season.

The Storm are currently in the South Sectional Division 3 bracket, and their first challenge will be to get into the Round of 16 in the tournament. Their first game will be played this weekend, and the opponent and the game time has yet to be announced.

Boys Soccer Team Eyes State Tournament

By Kevin Agostinelli, staff reporter 

As the high school soccer season heats up, the Sturgis boys’ soccer team has heated up with it and has set its sights on the state tournament following the regular season.

After graduating eight of its starters last year, the new-look boys soccer team won just once in their first six games before surging back to win four straight games against Cape Cod Tech, Cape Cod Academy, Southbridge, and Pope John Paul II. Led by senior captains Will Kinsey and Luke Peterson and junior captain Chris Dennison, the squad has improved not only its record but also its team chemistry.In their first six games, Sturgis scored only six goals while giving up twelve goals. During their subsequent four-game winning streak, they have registered 17 goals and have let up just three goals. Juniors Aidan Fitzsimons and Chris Dedecko, who have scored eight and six goals, respectively, have bolstered the team’s offensive performance. Additionally, juniors Chris Dennison and Ben Duncan have provided the leadership and talent to stabilize the defense.