The Whaler boys soccer team is making a name for itself as the comeback kings through the first month of the season. After falling into a 2-0 hole in the first 21 minutes of the game to Martha’s Vineyard yesterday, the Whalers scored four unanswered goals to earn a 4-2 win over their biggest rival and improve their record to 3-2 this season.
“It was a great game and it was a nice comeback so that is definitely part of the storyline of us having to try to figure out ways to win the game without having to come back,” head coach Rich Brannigan II said. “Figuring out how to get the job done after falling into a hole is really good though. It was almost the same kind of story as the Falmouth game (on Sept. 21).”
The Whalers came back against the Falmouth Clippers on Tuesday to win the match 5-3, making this the second two-goal comeback in five days for Nantucket.
Yeison Gregorio Castro continues to play excellent for the Whalers. The senior striker scored the Whalers first goal against the Vineyard midway through the first half with a header off a cross from the right side of the field.
“Yeison sort of just stayed with it as the ball started floating into the back post area and he just jumped up and headed the ball,” Brannigan said.
Just minutes later David Lemus-Castro scored the equalizer in the 24th minute.
“It was completely solo effort by David to score that goal,” Brannigan said. “He stole the ball from a Vineyard defender, beat a couple kids, got fouled a couple times but kept playing and grinding. He wasn’t going to take no for an answer and forced his way into great shooting position.”
The momentum began to swing after Yeison’s goal, leading to the equalizing goal, but Nantucket wasn’t done. With about one minute left before halftime, Pajorn Drysdale scored a goal to give the Whalers a 3-2 lead going into halftime.
“It was a hustle goal where he beat the goalie to the ball when he was out of position, the goalie tried to backpedal, and Pajorn just showed great patience before curling the ball to the back post. That was huge getting that third goal before halftime. It changed the whole complexion of the game.”
Yeison scored their fourth and final goal midway through the second half to seal the match for the Whalers with an insurance goal.
“The conditions were tough in yesterday’s match and the field was really wet and soggy but the boys played through that adversity of being in another two goal deficit to earn another comeback victory,” head coach Rich Brannigan II said.
The Whalers are going to have some time to rest up and will next play on Thursday when they host the Sandwich Blue Knights at 4 pm.
“Coming out of this week with two wins and a loss, I mean, it was a lot to ask and I am really proud of these boys,” Brannigan said. “These were all big games against big opponents, then combined with the emotion of the Vineyard game along with it, I’m ecstatic.”
In other Whalers sports news from this weekend,
Field Hockey ties Martha’s Vineyard
The Whaler field hockey team came close to earning their second consecutive win, but were unable to hold off a late surge against Martha’s Vineyard, leading to a 1-1 tie.
Lily Remick scored Nantucket’s lone goal. Martha’s Vineyard looked to be on the cusp of defeat, but scored the equalizer in the final minutes of the game.
The Whalers are 1-4-1 this season and will look to bounce back when they travel to take on St. John Paul II on Wednesday at 3:30 pm.
Girls soccer losses defensive battle against the Vineyard
The Whaler girls soccer team is still searching for their first win of the season after losing 1-0 to Martha’s Vineyard on Saturday.
“Great game, we outplayed them but still can’t get the ball in the net,” head coach Brian King said. “So many scoring opportunities. We hit the crossbar and the posts twice. We will get them at home.”
The Whalers will host the Sandwich Blue Knights on Thursday at 4 pm as they look to earn their first win of the season after an 0-6 start.
Volleyball soundly beaten in rematch against Holbrook
The Whaler volleyball team couldn’t get anything going in their road match against the Holbrook Bulldogs Saturday afternoon, losing in straight sets after defeating the Bulldogs on the island 3-1 earlier this month.
“I don’t think I have ever seen worse volleyball in my life,” head coach Andrew Viselli said. “We didn’t serve, we didn’t pass, we didn’t set, we didn’t hit, we didn’t block. There is only five skills. But I told them none of us, including myself, did anything well. But we can sit with this feeling. It is easy to point fingers but instead ask why didn’t I perform the way I am capable of performing.”
Viselli said games like the one on Saturday need to happen in order for teams to grow. He said how his team responds in the next few games will show him and his players who they actually are after beginning the season 5-2.
“Do we continue to commit these errors and if so that is an issue on a more massive level but if they say no we are better than this then we can stem it, like we have previously, into better play. Right now it is a matter of how do we handle this. I have kids who are mad. I have kids who are very sad. But either way that emotion is good because they are feeling something.”
“I said this all falls on me. You played poorly which means I did a bad job of preparing them. So this falls on me as much as any of my players. But we will move onto the next game. We are better than what we showed today and this is a very good group of kids. They’ll bounce back.”
The Whalers will look to improve to 6-3 on Tuesday when they travel to take on Sturgis West on Tuesday at 5 pm.
