After kicking off his shortened 2020 season with a massive performance, Peabody junior Kyle Joyce rode that momentum all the way to his selection as the 2020 Item Player of the Year for boys soccer.
Joyce got his season started with a dominant performance against Salem, notching four goals in a shutout win. He continued his strong play all season long, scoring a North Shore-leading 15 goals in just eight games and helping lead the Tanners to a 6-1-1 record.
There were also five players named to this year’s All-Item team in St. Mary’s senior Eduardo Toranzo, St. Mary’s junior Ryan Fraher, St. John’s Prep junior Joey Waterman, Bishop Fenwick senior Liam Foley and Bishop Fenwick junior Jack Andrews.
Fraher was indispensable for the St. Mary’s boys soccer team, as he notched three game-winning goals for the Spartans this fall. His seven goals, nine assists and 16 total points all led the team, and his leadership abilities landed him a role as a team captain for the 2021 season.
Toranzo was one of the senior leaders for the Spartans in 2020. The senior captain was a true playmaker, using his foot speed and dribbling skills to be an offensive weapon and finish the season with six goals and six assists.
Waterman could stake a claim as the best goalkeeper in the state this year, and you wouldn’t hear many arguments. The junior put together five shutout performances in eight games and allowed just three goals all year — only one of which came in regulation play (the other two on penalty kicks). Waterman had an eye-popping goals against average of 0.37, earning him All-State honors as well as All-Conference honors in the Catholic Conference.
Foley had as good a run as any goalkeeper in the North Shore this fall, going on a stretch of five shutouts over the first eight games of the season for Fenwick. Averaging more than 10 saves per game, Foley helped lead the Crusaders to a berth in the inaugural CCL Cup final.
Andrews was the offensive lynchpin for the Crusaders this season, finishing second on the North Shore in goals with 12 and adding three assists to go along with it.
Also earning Item All-Star honors this year were Jacob Guarino, Richard LeBrun and Jackson Nickolau (St. Mary’s); Ryan Noci and Keiron Murray (Bishop Fenwick); Dante Gesamondo, Luke Martinho, Ben Sykes and Dom Ferrante (Lynnfield); Gavin Shevory, Schuyler Schmitt, Padraig Bresnahan, Camden Heafitz, Isaiah Pina and Jacob Sherf (Marblehead); Victor Maciel, Joey Swanton and Kyle Lobao (Peabody); Griffin Tache, Owen Siewert, Drew Keenan and Cam Whitney (St. John’s Prep); Fernando Barranco, Vincent Palmer, Jason Aucone and Nick Sirota (Swampscott).
