LYNN — The St. Mary’s boys soccer team scored early and never looked back Tuesday evening, as the No. 2 Spartans took down a Catholic Central League rival in No. 10 Bishop Fenwick, 3-1, in the Division 4 North quarterfinals at Manning Field. The Spartans scored two goals in the first half before riding the momentum all the way to victory.
“We came out and wanted to play like it was the end of the game,” said St. Mary’s coach Mike D’Agostino. “Scoring early really set the momentum for us. Defensively, (Nicholas) Pappas played great in net and we got some great performances from our Nolan (Perez) and (Connor) Mackey. It was a good team win.”
St. Mary’s got goals from its three big goal scorers, as Joseph Thongsythavong, Thiago DeOliveira and Olushola George all found the back of the net. DeOliveira also had an assist in the win.
For Fenwick, the lone goal scorer was Sean Kern, who finished the year with 21 goals scored. Jameson Martinez and Cormac Hinchey played well in the midfield for the Crusaders.
“We started slow, and you can’t do that against a very talented team like St. Mary’s,” said Fenwick coach Tony Enos. “I thought we did a very good job in the second half, but it just wasn’t enough. I was proud of our guys for not giving up out there.”
The Spartans came out hot to start the game, getting a number of quality scoring chances in the first few minutes. The ball movement for St. Mary’s was nearly perfect, and it resulted in a number of set pieces. About 10 minutes into the game, the Spartans were awarded a free kick about 20 yards from the net. DeOliveira was chosen to take the kick, and he didn’t disappoint. He sent a rocket past the outstretched hands of Fenwick goalkeeper Brian Harrington, giving the Spartans a 1-0 lead.
It took about 15 minutes before the next goal was scored, and it came in a similar fashion. While the goal didn’t come on a free kick, Thongsythavong got set up with a wide-open look at the net from about 25 yards out and sent a hard shot past a diving Harrington to put St. Mary’s up 2-0.
The Spartans actually had two more high-quality scoring chances in the first half, with one shot hitting the post and another shot getting past Harrington but then getting kicked away by a Fenwick defender. At the break, the Spartans led 2-0.
Fenwick started playing better in the second half, getting a number of good scoring chances to open the half. However, it was the Spartans who struck the first blow in the second half. With just over 20 minutes to go in the game, George found the back of the net to put St. Mary’s up by three goals.
Fenwick was able to get one back with just under six minutes remaining when Kern busted through the St. Mary’s defense and scored. But the rally was too little, too late and the Spartans were able to run out the clock and secure the 3-1 win.
For the Crusaders (10-6-4), the loss means that 11 seniors have played their final game for Fenwick. But with a solid core returning in 2019, Enos is optimistic about things to come.
“It’s always tough when you graduate that many seniors, but we do have three juniors and one sophomore who are currently starters that will be returning next year,” said Enos. “So we have a lot to be excited about next year.”
For St. Mary’s (17-2-2), the focus now shifts to No. 3 Burke, the team that upset the Spartans in last year’s Division 4 North tournament.
“We’re really excited to go up against them again,” said D’Agostino. “I think we’re a more mature team this time around with our 10 seniors, and we have a different style of play than last year. So we’ll be looking to use that as an advantage for us this time around.”
St. Mary’s and Burke will face off Thursday in the sectional semifinal at Manning Field (5:15).
