Milford earned tourney bid with strong regular season

By Chris Villani

Sports Writer

The Milford High boys’ soccer team rolled through the regular season with only three losses, posting an 8-3-7 record that left the Scarlet Hawks in the state tournament and ranked 10th in the state.

“We had a few more draws than I would have wanted, but I think we overachieved,” said Head Coach Antonio Pinto. “Overall, I was happy with how we performed.”

The Scarlet Hawks’ three regular season losses came against St. John’s Prep and Oliver Ames, both ranked number one in their respective divisions, and a King Philip team that Milford beat when the two played a rematch. Pinto said he saw things really come together for his team over the final weeks of the season, when MHS won four of five games and tied the other.

“We finally improved down the stretch, we started winning more games,” Pinto said. “We were more offensively sound and we made less mistakes.”

​Senior Danny Da Silva was Milford’s top point scorer this fall, finishing the regular season with eight goals and 12 assists. Da Silva also broke Milford’s record for career points since the program joined the Hockomock League.

The middle of the field was another strength for Milford, with Henrique Lopes, Mayck Moreira, and Brunno Esteves. 

“They are good at keeping the ball and keeping possession,” Pinto said. 

Gianelli Caccin, Lucas Coice, and Shane Caguana were all key contributors for the Hawks throughout the fall.

Marcos Da Silva, a sophomore, finished the year with nine assists. “Not many people could stop him in the one-v-one,” his coach said. “He does a really good job finding the strikers and the wingers.”

Being able to find production from more players as the year went on made the team stronger, Pinto said. “The depth is what improved the most. A lot of guys who were not playing much at the start of the year, they developed and they gave us some good minutes.”

And, even though Pinto would have preferred fewer ties and more victories, he said he is happy his team was challenged throughout the campaign. “A tough schedule is always good. That is what we strive to do, to be ready for the tournament every year. Having a tough schedule helps us with that.”