Monomoy’s Postseason Run Halted By Lynnfield In Division 4 Boys Soccer State Championship

SCITUATE – The Sharks couldn’t muster a little more magic to cap off their historic season.

Although the ninth-seeded Monomoy boys soccer team controlled possession for much of the second half with strong winds at its back, it was third-seeded Lynnfield that found the back of the net to capture a 1-0 victory in the Division 4 state championship Saturday at Scituate High School.

Junior Dillon Reilly was the hero for Lynnfield (19-2-2), as he put a perfectly-placed shot inside the post and past Monomoy (16-4-3) senior goalkeeper Paul Carlson with 17:34 remaining.

The Pioneers hung on the rest of the way to earn the program’s first state title.

“It's a final, so we knew anything could happen,” Monomoy coach Keith Clark said. “I think they played well — but in all honesty, I think we were the better team for much of the night. Our guys played with a lot of heart and they fought right until the end. We just couldn’t find the goal tonight.”

Although the Sharks created scoring chances, the team didn’t manufacture as many opportunities as it expected to.

“We had our chances in the first half to take a lead going into the wind, and we felt in the second half going with the wind we'd probably be a little more dangerous,” Clark said. “We didn't really create enough and their goalkeeper played really well. He’s a quality player.”

Even Lynnfield coach Brent Munroe was surprised with the result.

“[Monomoy] was putting so much pressure on us and we were having a hard time making decent plays out of the back. We made one,” he said. “They kept coming in waves and we were just trying to hold on. I’m shocked we were able to.”

The loss was Monomoy’s first in nearly a month, as the team suffered a 2-1 defeat to Nantucket on Oct. 19 before stringing together a 5-0-1 record in its next six games before Saturday’s final.

The Sharks won four postseason games to reach the title game, including a 3-2 victory over top-seeded Cohasset in the quarterfinals and a 1-0 win over fifth-seeded Gardner in the semifinals.

The state championship run captured the attention and spirit of the Monomoy community, as students and locals alike supported the team as it advanced farther than any soccer team in the school’s history.

“We've had so much great fan support and community support,” Clark said. “It's really been a lot of fun. There's been a lot of excitement and I think the players felt it. In the end, I knew we were going to be good this year, but I didn't know we were going to go this far. I think we've achieved more than what was expected from us.”

Among the stars were juniors Seamus St. Pierre and Ryan Laramee, who anchored the scoring efforts throughout the tournament. Senior Joey McKeen and junior Niko Vujosevic helped aid the front line of forwards, while ninth-grader Tate Laramee and eighth-grader Christian Shea stabilized the midfield.

In the back, seniors Braeden Darling and Greg Greiner worked alongside juniors Finn Hyora and Owen Ramler to provide a steady presence in front of Carlson in goal, with senior captain Noah Metters often acting as the first line of defense at defensive midfielder.

Although the Sharks will graduate 10 seniors, Clark said he’s hopeful this year’s postseason run will serve as the foundation for future teams, especially after the program was able to build after a first-round loss in the 2022 state tournament.

“We hope to build off this,” he said. “Last year, we just got in and lost in the first game, and this year we were able to make a nice run. We’re young enough that we should come back.”