Scarlet Hawks kicked off November with #5 ranking

The Milford High boys’ soccer team rolled through the regular season with 12 victories against a top-flight schedule and entered the postseason as the 5th ranked team in the state. But the success did not come as a huge surprise to head coach Antonio Pinto.

“We have a good senior class, and we expected to do well,” Pinto said. “I don’t know if we expected to be ranked 5th and be this successful, but everything has gone well.”

Pinto said he is most impressed by his team’s drive on the pitch.

“These kids play hard,” he said. “That’s the biggest thing. Win or lose, the kids play with a high intensity every time. It makes other teams not want to play us.”

Milford has eight seniors on the roster and all of them play significant roles. Pinto noted they are close, and most of them have played together for years. “They are a tight group,” he said.

Senior captain Mayck Moreira and fellow senior Brian Ribeiro have held down the midfield all season and Pinto praised their ability to win battles for loose balls.

Twins Gio and Robbie Capelli are a unique duo. Gio is the team’s top scorer, and Robbie is a standout goalkeeper.

“One of them prevents all the goals, and the other one is scoring the goals,” Pinto said.

On defense, senior captain Gus Quaresma De Araujo is an anchor, and Pinto praised his ability as a central defender.

While the Scarlet Hawks have benefited from the strong senior class, there are underclassmen playing a big role this fall as well, including some freshmen. Luigi Caccin moved into the left back position and has been playing full games for MHS. 

Aiden Tomas is another first-year player who has made a big impact in his rookie varsity season.

“He is a five-foot-nothing center midfielder, but he is really good at keeping possession,” Pinto said. 

The blend of experience and youth has Milford well positioned to keep the program running at a high level in the seasons to come. But the Hawks entered the postseason hoping to make a little bit of noise this fall as well. Pinto noted that the success in the regular season doesn’t mean much once a win-or-go-home tournament gets underway, but he felt confident about his team’s chances.

“I don’t know if there is a team that can contain us,” he said. “It’s going to be a tight match with everybody.”

Senior captain Mayck Moreira is one of Milford soccer's leaders this fall. Photo source: Olga Lyubkin