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Hillie boys bring hearty appetite to MVC Large

Saturday, September, 22 By Bob Albright
Staff writer

Through six games the only question surrounding the Haverhill boys soccer team it seems is which kitchen to head to the night before games for the best pasta.

Tri-captain Peter Maranto says right now it's a dead heat between the sauce at Zach Greene's house and the fixings that can be found at fellow captain Alex Sindoni's home.

As to the looming question of how the Hillies were going to fare in their inaugural season in the MVC Large? Well, their 5-1 record speaks volumes. The Hillies have already racked up a pair of wins against Andover to effectively end all discussion that this could be a transition season.

Despite the quick start, fifth-year head coach John Coppola is quick to temper expectations of another 14-win season for the Brown and Gold.

"Against this schedule, 14 wins would be phenomenal," said the reigning MVC Coach of the Year, whose Hillies went 14-3-2 last season and lost in the Division 1 North quarterfinals. "I think anywhere over .500 would be a good season."

Maranto, who leads a well balanced attack with four goals and an assist, might be setting the bar a little bit higher. "We had a good team last year and we're only losing two players from that squad," said the speedy forward. "This is about where I thought we would be."

Haverhill made an early statement, becoming the first team besides Andover or North Andover to win the annual Andover/North Andover Tournament. Haverhill followed up its non-league 1-0 win over the Golden Warriors in the title game with a convincing 4-0 win over Andover Tuesday night. Now an MVC Large member, the two teams will battle for a third time later this season.

Along with a diversified attack which includes Sindoni and the Hillies' third captain, junior forward Steve Lesiczka, Haverhill's defense has been superb. Senior Graham Hart has stepped between the posts and recorded five shutouts in six games and has not had to make more than eight saves in any of them. Haverhill's lone setback came in a 3-2 non-league loss to Wilmington.

The road ahead gets considerably more difficult, however. Along with the chance to tangle with the likes of Central Catholic and Chelmsford for a pair of games this year, Maranto has a non-league showdown with defending state champs St. John's Prep circled.

"We're really looking forward to that one," he noted before turning his eyes back to the MVC Large. "We feel like this is where we belong. We're happy to be here."