Soccer
Home of the 2009 Division 1 State Champions
The CM Soccer program began in 1973 when Joe Lydon, Larry Jackson, and Paul Nicolas convinced Coach Donald Wolman and Brother Frank Sherlock that CM’s fall sports program could support more than just football, track, and golf.
The team had a 4-2 season in its first year but would consistently struggle against other Catholic Conference schools. The Knights always had trouble finding depth in the postseason until 2006.
They had winning records and postseason berths in 1985 (under Coach Leo Kearney), 1994 (under Coach Brady), and 1998 (under Coach Colella), but usually only lasted a round or two into the playoffs.
Things began to turn around for the team in 2006. After some disappointingly close regular season losses the Knights rallied in the postseason. With a low seed, the team somehow made its way to the South Sectional Championships and won CM its first title when it bested Needham in a 2-1 overtime win. Coached by John Finn ’88, the team eventually fell in the Eastern Mass Finals matchup to St. John’s Prep.
After this landmark year in which it rose from a 14th seed underdog to become an Eastern Mass runner-up, the team has fielded top talent to its ranks and many players have gone on to Division II and Division III collegiate soccer programs. 2007 saw another .500-plus season with the Knights making the postseason. CM handily defeated Natick in the preliminary round but would eventually lose to top-seeded North Attleboro. In 2008, the team entered the postseason with a #8-seed, the highest seed they had ever entered. But they lost in a close first-round matchup to Weymouth.
Then came 2009. The team captured the first MIAA Division I State Championship in history on November 22 with a 1-0 win over Western Mass champion Ludlow.
In leading the Knights through an impeccable six-game postseason win-streak, Coach John Finn '89 earned the school's first state championship in his fifth season as head coach.
A solid all-around team, the Knights let in only one goal during regulation in the entire tournament. They fought against elimination in five sudden-death overtime periods and one penalty-kick showdown.
Game recap:
Will Donovan '10 scored in the 51st minute and goalkeeper Connor Askins '10 recorded his fourth shutout of the postseason to lift the soccer team to a 1-0 victory over Ludlow and the first soccer state championship in school history. With the win, the Knights finish the season on a sixteen-game unbeaten streak (14-0-2 in their last 16 games) and with an overall record of 18-3-3.
For the second straight tournament game, CM knocked off a previously undefeated and nationally ranked opponent. As the defending state champion, Ludlow entered the contest with an 18-0-3 record and an NSCAA national ranking of 13.
But this day belonged to CM as the pair of Hamadi Cantave '10 and Donovan connected to put the Knights on top. Cantave threaded a through ball to Donovan, who proceeded to beat two defenders and the goalkeeper for the game winner.
The single goal proved to be more than enough for CM as Kevin Butler '10, Alex Flores '10, Frankie Wheeler-Larusso '10, Steve Twerago '11 and Patrick O'Mara '11 repeatedly kept Ludlow's vaunted offense at bay. Connor Askins '10 was once again brilliant in goal.
CM earned their trip to the title game with a 2-1 overtime victory over Lexington, the 21st-ranked team in the country.
Read more: Boston Herald / Boston Globe / WR Transcript
Other coverage:
Soccer Team wins Eastern Mass Championship
Soccer Team headed to South Sectional Finals