Hardy Defense, Midfield Extend Monomoy Boys Soccer’s Unbeaten Streak

HARWICH – A lot has happened since the Monomoy boys soccer team last lost a match.

They had conceded 17 goals in four contests and were winless. They had scored twice. That was back on Sept. 18. 

The Sharks went on to pick up their first win. They haven’t dropped a game since, though a visiting Westport side sent likely the strongest test in weeks to break that streak Monday during a 1-1 draw.

The match was perhaps emblematic of Monomoy’s persona as a team this year. Durable defense limited gritty Westport to a single first-half score, and the Sharks, though straining at times, found the second-half equalizer they needed through senior Tate Laramee.

Scoring has felt difficult at certain points, but Monomoy’s back line and holding midfielders have anchored the more than five-week unbeaten run. The Sharks (8-4-4) have allowed five goals in their previous 12 games.

“Our resilience has been good because we're not giving up goals,” head coach Keith Clark said.

The draw result was significant in extending that lossless streak for Monomoy, currently ranked No. 10 in Division 4. Clark viewed the date with Westport (who grinded to a 4-1 home win over the Sharks last year) as a trap game, with Monomoy maybe more looking ahead to a Wednesday match against Nauset (after The Chronicle’s deadline). 

Westport assembled a mid-block against Monomoy early — allowing the Sharks to possess the ball as much as they wanted in the back half in an effort to cut out balls sent to the center part of the field, so as to counter from a shorter distance.

That very strategy directly led to a Westport goal 30 minutes into the game.

In response to Westport’s set-up, Monomoy played more direct in the second half — long balls over the top and through. The chances started coming and coming, though converting one seemed a more daunting, possibly even frustrating task.

“We're having a hard time scoring goals, and we just can't seem to manufacture them,” Clark said.

That may have been the case during a 0-0 draw with Dennis-Yarmouth the match prior (though, to Monomoy’s credit, they’d outscored opponents 11-1 amid four consecutive wins leading up to that tie), but they produced the one they needed Monday.

With under 15 minutes to go, Laramee was sent a ball through on goal by younger brother Derek, a freshman, and seamed a line drive into the frame.

“He's a game changer, and his individual effort salvaged the tie for us,” Clark said.

Laramee reached 100 career points (35 goals, 30 assists) earlier this season during a 3-2 win against Dennis-Yarmouth on Sept. 30. Eighth grader Kevin Laramee, another of his younger brothers, scored that game.

As the Sharks worked on finding the tying goal against Westport, they didn’t really have to overly worry about conceding again due to the strength of their defense.

Players like sophomore Kaleb Meyer at left back, senior Ben Hager at left center back, and juniors Jean Bildad Voltaire and Juan Pablo Baquero at right back — in addition to junior Tyler Layton at goalkeeper — have delivered eight clean sheets thus far.

And critically playing in front of the back line are seniors Isaac Vieira and Jean Celine — Monomoy’s defensive midfielders.

Vieira does much of the Sharks’ unnoticed work.

“He doesn't get a lot of accolades,” Clark said. “He doesn't really score goals or get assists, but he really puts in a real shift.”

On Celine: “He just reads the game well. He's quiet, doesn't say anything, but he really cuts out a lot of balls for us. Also, he's more physical than you think, as well.”

The combination of contributors has Monomoy able to lean on their defense as they focus on offensive output. It’s what’s powered and extended this long unbeaten stripe of matches heading into the rivalry affair with Nauset.

“I think we’ve got a nice group to defend,” Clark said. “It's just at the other end now.”