Portsmouth resident had 44 goals and 23 assists in Berwick Academy soccer career

Staff Reports
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Mitchel Varley, a senior at Berwick Academy and Portsmouth resident, recently signed his National Letter of Intent to play Division I men's soccer at Providence College.
Mitchel Varley, a senior at Berwick Academy and Portsmouth resident, recently signed his National Letter of Intent to play Division I men's soccer at Providence College.

SOUTH BERWICK, Maine – Mitchel Varley, a senior at Berwick Academy, recently signed his National Letter of Intent to play Division I men's soccer at Providence College.

Varley, a resident of Portsmouth, N.H., also plays hockey at Berwick. Varley, who was also looking at the University of New Hampshire, verbally committed to the Friars last winter.

“(Varley) is an exceptional talent, and while he possesses a natural flair for the game, he is also one of the hardest workers I have ever coached,” Berwick Academy head soccer coach Patrick Connolly. “This type of commitment has helped raise the standards for his teammates, and for that reason, he has been part of some very successful teams in his four years with us."

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Varley, a four-year starter for the Bulldogs and three-time Eastern Independent All-League, had 44 goals and 23 assists in his Berwick career. Varley dealt with an ankle injury this fall season, but still managed to score nine goals to go with 11 assists, leading Berwick to the NEPSAC semifinals.

"His statistics are impressive in many ways, and had he not lost an entire season to the pandemic and suffered an injury this fall, he surely would have set all-time scoring records at Berwick Academy," Connolly said.

Providence College, a member of the Big East Conference, went 12-5-1 this fall and advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament. The Friars beat Marist College (2-0) and Marshall University (2-1) in the first two rounds before losing to Georgetown (4-1).

“(Varley's) pace, skill on the ball, and finishing instincts cause opponents to game plan specifically for him, while his understanding of the game allows him to pull his teammates into the action," Connolly said. "In short, (Varley) is a tremendous leader, a remarkable player, and a generous teammate. He's the type of player that might come around once a decade and will be very difficult to replace, but I'm grateful that our paths coincided. I'm sure that Providence College will be very pleased with what they're gaining next year.”

Berwick Academy Director of Athletics Rob Quinn said the school has benefitted from Varley's accomplishments on and off the fields in his four years.

"We are proud of Mitchel's accomplishments as a player and teammate during his time (at Berwick) and excited to see his next chapter at Providence College," Quinn said.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Portsmouth's Varley signs NLI to play men's soccer at Providence