VARSITY BOYS' ADVANCE TO MBIL “A” FINALS WITH 3-1 WIN

As the second seed in the MBIL “A” league playoffs the Gators played host to the Newman School. During the regular season both meetings between the two teams had ended in a tie, and the teams ended the season tied on points in the league standings. In fact, the two teams were so closely matched that it had to go to the fourth tie-breaker to separate the teams.

The game was started by a Newman kick-off, and they immediately demonstrated their ability to pass the ball around at pace. For the first 15 minutes of the game Newman was clearly the better team and manufactured some excellent chances. However, the combination of sweeper, Tony Wright, and keeper, Quinn Iuliano, were up to the task, and the Gator defense was able to weather the early pressure. The spark for the Gators came when Max Mueffelmann was inserted into the midfield. He literally out-hustled everybody else on the field. With Mueffelmann winning the ball in the middle of the field, the game settled into the close affair that was expected with good chances going both ways. Then, with 10 minutes left in the half, the referee blew his whistle for a Newman handball in the area and awarded the Gators a penalty kick. Captain Stephen Mulloy stepped up to take the kick. He placed the ball on the spot as the Gators lined up on the 18 to crash the box in the event of a save or rebound. Mulloy took a second to calm himself and sent a powerful shot into the top left corner to make it one – nil Gators. Five minutes later, the Gators were awarded a free-kick 40 yards out that Wright sent into the box. The ball was cleared by the Newman sweeper, but only as far as Paul Buchanan, who headed the ball back across the goal to the back post. As always, Mulloy was making the back post run and rifled a shot past the Newman keeper to give the Gators a two goal lead, which they took into half-time.

The second half was started by a Gator kick-off, but just like in the first half, the early going was dominated by Newman. Less than five minutes into the half and Newman was back in the game due to a defensive breakdown on a corner kick. Half of the defense stepped out after the kick to lay the offside trap, but the other half stayed on the goal-line leaving Newman’s striker unmarked and onside. From six yards out he couldn’t miss and there was nothing Iuliano could do about it. The goal against them lit a fire under the Gators and they started to play the game the way they are capable of again. Midway through the half, the Gators got their two goal cushion back, when Stephen Mulloy sent a beautifully weighted pass into the path of Enzo Landucci. Landucci took one touch to settle the ball, which looked like it may have brought the ball into the range of the Newman keeper, but he was able to shoot the ball under the diving keeper and into the goal. The remaining 20 minutes were very tight with Newman throwing everything at the Gators, but the Gator defense held strong to the end. The game ended in a 3 – 1 victory for the Gators and a berth in the championship game.The championship game will take place at the Orr Field on Dedham St on Thursday 11/4 at 3:30pm. The Gators opponents will be CSW who upset number one seed, Waring, in the other playoff semi-final.