Page 10 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, SEpTEmbER 18, 2026 SPORTS | FROM PAGE 9 What’s next for the Tide won’t be easy. They will be welcoming Xaverian to town Friday night, Sept. 18, for another non-league game at 6 p.m. The Hawks have won the last two Division 1 Super Bowl championships, and DiLoreto knows that this will be a test for his young team. “Xaverian is returning many starters from the state championship team. They are extremely talented and extremely experienced on offense, defense and special teams,” said DiLoreto. “I have tremendous respect for Coach (Al) Fornaro and his entire staff. They are the best in the business. Xaverian runs a multiple prostyle offense, using both under center tight end sets combined with shotgun spread looks. They (employ) a 4-3 heavy blitz defense. We have been studying film on them to put together a gameplan that we (can be) confident in.” Tide girls soccer begins season with three points T he Everett High girls soccer team opened up on the road against host Lowell on Sept. 10, and came away with a well-earned scoreless tie. “It was a tough match between both squads,” said coach Dom Persuitte. “Lowell is very good at playing a high line to keep us in an offside position. But nonetheless, we kept breaking through the line, only to fall short of putting the ball in the net. We had multiple opportunities to bury the ball in the net, but the Lowell goalie also played very well. She was quick off her line to take control of our well-placed crosses. Even though we had some missed opportunities, it doesn’t take away from the massive effort that we put forward.” Midfielder Rosa Romero, defender Sofia Arana-Quintanilla and goalie Julianna Rivera, making her varsity debut, stood out for the Tide in this game, according to the coach. Persuitte also mentioned that striker Brianna Santos and right winger Connie Paz Hernandez crashed the net several times to help keep the pressure on the Lowell defense. On Monday, Sept. 14, the Everett girls headed to East Boston to play the host Jets, and in this game, they came out on top in a competitive matchup, 2-1. “It was a wild, hard-fought, nail-biting game,” said Persuitte. “At the start, we just couldn’t make connections on the ball, as we tried to adjust to the way East Boston was playing. I give all the credit to East Boston. They were relentless in pursuing the ball, and as a result ended up scorTide’s Roshon Belony dodges Arlington defenders during last Friday’s action. ing the first goal of the game with less than 10 seconds left in the first half.” But once the second half started, the Tide did not let up on the gas. “Everyone was working together as a team, and it looked great,” said Persuitte. “We moved the ball from one side to the other effortlessly. It was such a 180-degree turnaround, and it was great to watch.” Brianna Santos and Odalis Sandoval scored the second half goals to help secure the close win for their teammates. Sandoval assisted on the first tally, while captain Sofia Arana-Quintanilla set up Sandoval’s marker after taking a quick corner from Tiffany Aguilar. “It was great to see the team come together after a flat start,” said Persuitte. The Everett coach then also Armani Negron runs in for a Crimson Tide touchdown. praised the efforts of Mel Ribeiro and Mel Arana-Quintanilla on defense; as well as midfielders Kayla Andrade and Tiffany Aguilar and wingers Bella Mitrano and Odilas Sandoval. He also said that Rivera was once again solid in net, making countless saves, especially in the last six minutes of the game to help preserve the win. Tide boys soccer hosts annual alumni game Saturday I n the home opener at 7-Acres on Sept. 8, the Everett High boys soccer team dropped a 4-1 decision to nonleague Waltham. “The scoreboard doesn’t reflect the effort that the boys displayed in this game, especially in the first half, when we dominated possession and had opportunities, but could not score,” said third year head coach Rodney Landaverde. Senior Cesar Rengifo netted Everett’s first goal of the season after taking a long cross from senior captain Rene Lainez. Sophomore Merlin Christailin, making his varsity debut, showed that he is ready to compete on this level after coming up with some excellent opportunities to score, according to Landaverde. Last Saturday, Sept. 12, the Everett boys lost to non-league host Methuen in a bitter battle, 1-0. “This was another great game in which we possessed the ball very well, and it created opportunities to score from the likes of senior Cesar Rengifo, and juniors Saymon Coelho, one of this year’s captains, and Daniel Henriquez, who hit the crossbar once on a shot from 30 yards away,” Landaverde said. “But unfortunately, Methuen connected on a corner kick to account for the lone goal of the game.” Despite losing their first two games, Landaverde remains optimistic. “They have demonstrated resilience and a positive attitude, and because of that I’m still very confident as we begin our Greater Boston League schedule this week,” said Landaverde. Rene Lainez, Kevin Renderos and Coelho are this year’s Tide captains. “They are ready to keep their (teammates) hyped and hungry this season,” said Landaverde. Following games against Chelsea (Sept. 15) and Malden (Sept. 17) after press deadline, the Tide boys soccer program will be hosting its third annual alumni game at Veterans Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 19, at 9 a.m., prior to the start of the non-league battle against visiting Lawrence at noon. “We are excited to welcome back all alumni for Saturday’s annual game, and then having them cheer us on from the Everett Stadium stands for our game against Lawrence,” said Landaverde.
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