14 Page 14 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, NOVEmbER 1, 2024 Crimson Tide boys soccer preps for the playoffs; girls come up just short By Joe McConnell T he Everett High School boys soccer team (7-7-4) wrapped up the regular season earlier this week against host Boston International. The nonleague team ended up defeating their Everett visitors, 3-0. The Division 1 power rankings have since come out on Oct. 29, and the Tide is listed as the 46th Yelsa Garcia was held to only two shots. But she also intercepted one ball, before beating two defenders and slotting a beautiful cross that went for naught, because nobody was in front for the easy tap-in. “But, despite missing the opportunity, we knew we could break through the Beverly defense,” said Persuitte. “The girls played every minseed. The state tournament pairings are scheduled to be released later today (Nov. 1) after press deadline. The Crimson Tide also played twice last week. They shutout Somerville on Senior Night, Oct. 22, at Everett Memorial Stadium, 2-0. But non-league BC High shut them down two days later, 3-0. “The Somerville game was big for us, because we were looking to get them back after we lost to them earlier this fall at their place,” said first-year coach Rodney Landaverde. The Everett boys took the lead in the first 10 minutes of the game on a corner kick. Captain Bryan Ribeiro accounted for the goal on a header from teammate Kareem Drissi. It was also his first marker of the year. The Crimson Tide dominated the rest of the first half by maintaining possession, while keeping the Highlanders at bay every time they tried to setup their offense. Everett continued to control the game in the second half. With 20 minutes left, Drissi also set up the insurance tally. This time, senior Luvens Hector was the beneficiary of his great, running pass. Hector then proceeded to bring ball down into the offensive zone, before slotting it home. Goalie Douglas Landaverde was able to record his third shutout of the year to seal the deal on another win. Over 300 fans showed up for the Senior Night game, and they all cheered wildly after Hector’s score. “It was an amazing experience for everyone, and also beating Somerville secured a postseason berth for us,” said coach Landaverde. 2024 EHS Crimson Tide Varsity Soccer Team Seniors, shown front row, from left to right; Head Coach Rodney Landaverde, seniors Luvens Hector, Antony Henriquez, Santiago Arredondo, Timothy Villanueva, and Jared Valdivieso Arias; Back row, shown from left: seniors Anthony Fontes, Jefferson Carballo, Kareem Drissi, Douglas Landaverde, Henrique Pinto, Bryan Ribeiro, and David Severe.(Advocate photo) “This game brought me back to the days that I was playing under the lights in front of the home fans. I’m glad this team and its fans were able to experience that. This culture has been missing in Everett for many years, and it’s certainly coming back.” The BC High Eagles, a perennial Catholic Conference contender, came to Everett two days later. They dominated early on, and led at halftime, 1-0. “We were able to create more opportunities in the second half against a strong defense,” said Landaverde. “But we still struggled to focus on our passing and creativity at midfield.” In the end, however, the Eagles were able to net two late goals to put the game out of reach. “It was a great challenged for us to face a strong, disciplined team that consistently makes the playoffs,” said Landaverde. Sophomore Edwin Menjivar saw some minutes in net for the home team. “It was good for him to gain some varsity experience,” said Landaverde. “This is something he can build on for the future.” Landaverde’s squad then hit the road Monday afternoon to take on host Boston International (12-2-3), the top seed in Division 5. “We had a decent first half,” said Landaverde. “We created more scoring opportunities, even though we were losing 1-0 at halftime.” The home team scored twice more in the second half to put the game away, but that doesn’t mean Everett didn’t have its chances to score, as well. The Everett boys will probably be back on the pitch Sunday to begin the playoffs, but it all depends on the Division 1 pairings, which will be announced once again later today, Nov. 1. “I’m very proud to qualify for the playoffs in my first year as head coach,” said Landaverde. “I’m definitely looking forward to represent Everett in the state tournament.” Girls soccer wraps up season The Everett High School girls soccer team (8-10) began the final week of the regular season with a heartbreaking loss to host Somerville on Oct. 22, 1-0. “It was one of the best games we played this year as a team,” said coach Dom Persuitte following the Somerville contest. “Everyone stuck to the game plan, and it went without a hitch. Everyone played extremely well, most notably Sofia Arana-Quintanilla, who played her best game this season.” Emilia Maria-Babcock once again played great in net, according to Persuitte. “She also communicated well with her teammates, while turning away countless shots to keep the game close on the scoreboard,” he added. “Despite not having many shots in the Somerville end, this was a win in our book. We practiced and played to the best of our abilities, while also playing to a ‘script’ that we knew as a team would be successful.” But two days later, the Everett girls were blanked by nonleague Beverly, 7-0. “It was a very tough game, because we needed to win it to advance to the state tournament,” said Persuitte. “With that said, everyone still played well.” The game was close at halftime, with the Panthers leading by just one, 1-0. “Our signature offsides trap worked extremely well,” said Persuitte. “Emilia Maria-Babcock kept us in the game, turning away well over 20 shots. Her aggressiveness to come out of the net helped immensely.” ute with their hearts on their sleeves,” the veteran Everett coach added. “Beverly is a very talented and well-coached team, and playing a team like that gives us the knowledge and experience we need to improve as a program.” But it was still a bitter ending for Persuitte, who’s disappointed that the season is now over. “It was very sad to see our season end the way it did, but as I have always said since taking over the program, every year we are improving, and every player who graduates from this program is laying the foundation for the future,” he said. “This year’s team was exactly that. It was a team that came together as one, and played as one. I’m so proud and grateful to have been able to coach this group of talented young girls.” But the good news for Persuitte is that he’s only graduating four this year, but nonetheless their skills, talent and drive will be missed. “They have set the standard for what it means to be a team player, and to be a part of a team,” the coach said. “I wish our graduating seniors – Yelsa (Garcia), Emilia (Maria-Babcock), Alondra (Flores) and Hilary (Monja) – the best of luck in their future endeavors, and thank them for giving their all to the program. You will always have a place here.” The 2025 captains have already been announced, and they will be Casey Martinez, Sofia Arana-Quintanilla and Luna Maselli. The 2024 Greater Boston League (GBL) all-star team will be selected by the league coaches in a couple of weeks, and there’s no doubt the Tide will have their fair share of representatives on the elite squad.
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