Spring soccer starts season with banner weekend
For the third year in a row the Nantucket Student Soccer Association spring travel teams opened under rainy, raw and windy conditions. Seven of the nine teams, were in action, with all but one coming away successful. Down from 12 teams fielded last year, the NSSA has nine solid teams playing a competitive travel team schedule this year against teams as far away as Seekonk, with ages ranging from eight to 15.

On Saturday, two of the three girls' teams hosted Bourne at the Delta Fields. The U-9 girls' team is made up of girls facing competition for the first time, with some having played on the U-8 boys' teams last year. Evenly matched, the teams remained deadlocked at 0-0 until Nora Harrington managed to lift one over the head of the goalkeeper for the 1-0 win.

The U-11 girls team faced a competitive Bourne team that had been warming up by playing indoors. Nantucket's squad, undefeated for the past two years, had one week to practice outdoors. Giving new meaning to the phrase "see-saw action," Nantucket went up quickly, 2-0. Bourne tied it up. Nantucket went up, 3-2, Bourne knotted it again. Nantucket went up, 4-3. Bourne drew even again. Nantucket then put some distance between them by forging ahead, 6-4, only to have Bourne draw even with only three minutes to go. Nantucket then inched into the lead off a series of passes that ended with Kate Daniels notching her first hat trick of the season. Led by the stellar play of Claire MacKay, Nantucket held Bourne in their end for the last thrilling few minutes to get the 7-6 nail-biter win. Scoring was also spread out among Nora MacLellan (2), Olivia Slade (1) and Kelli Molloy (1). Keeper Renee Perkins was outstanding in goal and tallied over 20 quality saves in net.

The U-13 boys opened at home against Dartmouth, a team that has given them trouble in the past. Nantucket took control early and peppered the hapless Dartmouth keepers, 11-1. Dartmouth had no answer for the Nantucket attacking game, as Nantucket moved the ball at will. Captain Conrad Troast and Caleb Gomes were impressive on both sides of the ball.

On Sunday, the U-15 boys team, which went 0-8 last year as a U-14 team, triumphed over Westport, 4-2. Scoring for Nantucket was Tony Espinoza, Henry Fee, Jose Ramirez and Luke Daniels. Coach Jorge Rojas was optimistic. "It was a great way to start the season."

The U-10 boys team traveled to Falmouth. Most of the boys, like the U-9, U-11 and U-13 teams, have been playing together in the gym for the past three months, doing skills development. The U-10 team has the advantage of having the trainers from the indoor session as their coaches for the spring travel season. First time NSSA coaches Jessica Mulson and Claire Richardson are teachers in the school system. In front of a strong outing by Chris Tran in net, Ethan Wing scored two, and Raheem Spence and Timmy Earle one goal each, for a 4-3 victory. The defensive prowess of Dominic Costanzo, Jake Legge and Lewis Mundy-Shaw kept most of the action out of Nantucket's end.

For the first time in NSSA history, Nantucket is fielding two U-9 boys teams that opened their season on Sunday against each other before a cold but supportive home crowd. The two teams were evenly matched in general but one team had the benefit of a very strong defensive player in Quinn Towne, who proved impossible to get past to score, despite several quality runs from the forwards. He should be a formidable player when his team faces an off island team next weekend. Not only did the teams battle each other, they battled the stiff breeze which helped one team take advantage,

with U-9-1 taking the win, 7-2. I

- Linda Williams