Tigers finish on top: State champ Oliver Ames is No. 1 in final Boys Soccer Top 10 ranking

Eric McHugh, The Patriot Ledger
·8 min read

Oliver Ames finished on top in Division 2. So the Tigers were the obvious choice for the top spot in our final Patriot Ledger/Enterprise Top 10 Boys Soccer ranking of the season.

OA staged an epic comeback to take down Hopkinton in the state final and finish the campaign with just a single loss. Pembroke only lost once, too, but the Titans' defeat came in the Div. 3 Round of 8, so they slot in at No. 2 on our list.

Weymouth (No. 3), Plymouth North (No. 4) and Randolph (No. 5) all made their respective semifinals with Randolph making it there for the first time in program history.

Here's our final top 10. (Actually, it's 11; there's a tie at No. 10.) Final records and previous ranking, from Oct. 19, are in parenthesis:

Oliver Ames' Hector Bucio scores a goal to tie the game at 2-2 past Hopkinton goalie Max Nye during the Division 2 state championship at Walpole High School on Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022.
Oliver Ames' Hector Bucio scores a goal to tie the game at 2-2 past Hopkinton goalie Max Nye during the Division 2 state championship at Walpole High School on Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022.

1. Oliver Ames (20-1-2, 2)

The top-seeded Tigers staged a thrilling rally to beat No. 2 Hopkinton in the Div. 2 state final at Walpole High. Senior Hector Bucio tied the game in the 79th minute, and sophomore sensation Casey Milliken netted his second of the day just moments later. The comeback left OA dazed. "I really can’t process a lot right now," Milliken said. "All I know is that we’re state champions. The boys deserve it. I’m just proud of all of them.” Milliken broke the program's single-season points record with 23 goals and 21 assists. Bucio effortlessly converted from forward to center back this year, and players such as Luke Churchill, Joey Carney and Jake Williams were immense in the playoff run. OA's lone loss was to Div. 1 powerhouse Concord-Carlisle by a 3-2 score.

More:Wild comeback in stoppage time allows OA boys soccer to escape with Div. 2 state title

Pembroke boys soccer head coach Adam Scott talks to his team at halftime of their Patriot League opener against Marshfield at Marshfield High on Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021.
Pembroke boys soccer head coach Adam Scott talks to his team at halftime of their Patriot League opener against Marshfield at Marshfield High on Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021.

2. Pembroke (20-1, 1)

The Titans' bid for a perfect season was thwarted by fellow unbeaten Newburyport, 2-1, in the Div. 3 Round of 8. If it's any consolation, the Clippers went on to win the whole thing, not allowing a goal in either the semis or the final. Pembroke has won 31 straight regular-season games and outscored its opponents 77-6 this season. Stonehill-bound senior forward Ethan Sullivan rewrote the Titans' record book en route to being named an All-State player and the Patriot League Fisher Division MVP. Senior midfielder Declan Crowley (another All-State pick) and senior forward Andrew Gleason were equally valuable. Coach Adam Scott has built a program with staying power.

More:Unbeaten Newburyport hands Pembroke boys soccer its first loss in Division 3 quarterfinals

3. Weymouth (13-3-6, 7)

The Wildcats endured a six-game winless streak (0-2-4) from late September to mid-October. Other than that it was clear sailing as Weymouth bulldozed through the rest of the regular season and made a run to the Div. 1 semifinals as a No. 12 seed, knocking off No. 21 Acton-Boxborough, No. 28 BC High and No. 4 Ludlow, the last two in OT, before falling to league rival Needham. Junior All-State forward Bruno DeSouza became a star with 14 goals (including the OT winner vs. BC High) and 10 assists, and senior center back Liam Conneely (4 goals) and junior goalkeeper Bo Carley (9 shutouts) were standouts for coach Bill McEachern.

More:DeSouza's OT goal sends Weymouth boys soccer past BC High and into Div. 1 quarterfinals

Plymouth North's Bradlee Sorensen looks to get the ball off the foot of Oliver Ames's Casey Milliken during second half action of the Division 2 state semifinal game against Oliver Ames at Marshfield High School on Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022. Oliver Ames won 2-0.
Plymouth North's Bradlee Sorensen looks to get the ball off the foot of Oliver Ames's Casey Milliken during second half action of the Division 2 state semifinal game against Oliver Ames at Marshfield High School on Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022. Oliver Ames won 2-0.

4. Plymouth North (15-4-3, 3)

Seeded 12th in the Div. 2 playoffs, the Blue Eagles made an inspired run to the semifinals, losing 1-0 to eventual champ Oliver Ames. It was North's first appearance in the semis since 1998. Along the way, coach John Tocci's crew knocked out No. 5 Holliston and No. 4 Westborough. Said Tocci: "Getting that Final Four trophy is priceless to us. We talked about moving the banner and changing it. 'Getting the dust off of it' has been our motto." All-State senior forward Ben Young leaves with career totals of 48 goals and 37 assists, while senior goalkeeper Josh Bates posted goals-against averages of 0.80 this year and 0.78 as a junior.

5. Randolph (13-7-2, NR)

As a No. 10 seed, the Blue Devils tied Weymouth and Plymouth North for the second-deepest playoff run by a local team, winning three times to make it to the Div. 4 state semifinals for the first time ever. Blackstone Valley played spoiler with a 3-1 win, but it was a fine send-off for Randolph's eight seniors, all of them starters. "They made history," coach Greg Bouffard said. Sophomore forward Jonas Norsica filled the void created by the graduation of All-New England player Angelot Jerome by scoring 23 goals and adding 7 assists. Senior forward Angelot Brun led the team with 27 goals and 11 assists, and junior goalkeeper Hugo Teixeira posted 6 shutouts.

More:BVT ends Randolph High boys soccer's historic season with history of its own

6. Norwell (14-3-4, 5)

The Clippers' bid for a second straight Div. 3 state crown ended with a 2-1 loss to eventual (unbeaten) champ Newburyport in the Round of 8. But Norwell produced plenty of highlights in coach Michael O'Dea's first season in charge, including a 3-0 win over league rival East Bridgewater in the playoff opener. Senior striker Max Flanders scored 14 regular-season goals to pace the Clippers' attack and then struck twice in the first round of the playoffs. Senior goalkeeper Anthony Geagea, a first-year starter, posted 11 clean sheets and a sub-1.00 GAA.

More:With new coach on board, Norwell boys soccer takes aim at back-to-back state titles

7. Hanover (12-7-2, NR)

As a No. 11 seed, the Hawks made their deepest playoff run since 2005 by advancing to the Div. 3 Round of 8, where they fell to No. 3 Belchertown. At 6-4, senior center back Dan Bevilacqua was a towering presence on the Hanover defense and also chipped in with a pair of goals. Coach Steven Rodday praised his "calm, cool, and controlled demeanor." Senior striker Tyler Richards had 11 goals (6 of them game-winners) and 4 assists to lead the Hawks in scoring. Said Rodday: "It was a joy to watch Tyler rise to the occasion time and again."

8. Rockland (13-4-3, 9)

As a No. 4 seed, the Bulldogs won their opening-round game in the Div. 4 playoffs before falling to underdog Assabet Valley in the Round of 16. Junior striker Joao Faria poured in 33 goals to set a single-season program record, breaking the old mark of 30, set by Joe Kimball (brother of Bulldogs coach Dan Kimball) in 2015. Faria, who narrowly missed the record last year when he had 29 goals as a sophomore, was the South Shore League Tobin Division Player of the Year and an All-Region selection. Gabe DaSilva was a solid No. 2 option with 12 goals, 14 assists.

More:On pace to shatter program records, João Faria is a soccer superstar at Rockland High

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9. Brockton (15-3-2, 8)

As a No. 22 seed, the Boxers made it to the Div. 1 Round of 16, beating No. 11 Newton North in OT in the first round before falling to No. 6 Concord-Carlisle, 1-0. Concord-Carlisle lost by a goal in the next round to eventual champ St. John's Prep. Senior center back Walter Fernandes was immense for Brockton; he was named the Southeast Conference MVP. Said interim coach Michael Cruise: "Walter’s positioning, covering space, and reading of the game are exemplary." Senior midfielder Josef Veiga chipped in 7 goals and 5 assists, and senior goalkeeper Daniel Dias pitched 9 shutouts.

10. (tie) Marshfield (14-3-1, 4)

The Rams had a brilliant regular season -- their only losses were to fellow Top 10 teams Pembroke and Plymouth North -- but were upset by Milford in the first round of the Div. 1 playoffs. Senior captain Cody Holbert generated more than half of Marshfield's points, netting 46 with 29 goals and 17 assists. He was the Patriot League Keenan Division MVP and was an All-State pick. Fellow senior captain Ryan Treacy was a rock at center back and chipped in a pair of goals and 5 assists. Coach Paul Turner called him the "backbone" of the team.

10. (tie) Hingham (12-4-4, 6)

Like the Rams, the Harbormen were ousted in the Div. 1 opening round, losing to No. 17 Attleboro as a No. 16 seed. Hingham scored regular-season wins over fellow Top 10 teams Hanover and Plymouth North and had a tie and a 1-0 loss to Marshfield. Coach Ken Carlin had high praise for Griffin Coppola calling him "the best holding midfielder I have ever coached in more than 30 years." Coppola was deadly on corner kicks, scoring 7 headed goals. Senior forward Cole Sampson leaves with 34 career goals.

On the bench: Cohasset (9-9-3), Abington (11-7-2), Holbrook (13-8-1), East Bridgewater (12-5-4), BC High (8-9-4), West Bridgewater (10-7-3), Archbishop Williams (11-6-2), Blue Hills (10-6-2), Canton (9-7-4)

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Div. 2 state champ Oliver Ames tops final Boys Soccer Top 10 ranking