Over the weekend of November 9-10 the men’s and women’s soccer teams of La Salle Academy., Providence captured Rhode Island Interscholastic League (RIIL) D-1 (top division) state championships in soccer.
The Rams defeated North Kingstown in a hard-fought 1-0 game. For the 14th ranked nationally (2nd in New England) men’s team it marked the end of an undefeated season. Senior Trevor Torres scored the only goal and was named the MVP of the tourney for his efforts, and he surely earned it. After taking a physical beating in the semifinal win over South Kingstown, there was some doubt to Torres’ availability for the final. Despite spending much of the two days leading up to the game in the trainer’s room, Torres was on the field and ready to go when the whistle blew.
The championship was the 8th title in the past 14 years for Coach Mario Pereira. It was also a fitting end to the coaching career of Assistant Coach Dennis Brennan, who will be retiring after this season. Coach B has been an inspiration to the young men of the La Salle soccer teams for over twenty years. The title is a great gift from the 2013 team to Coach Brennan for all of his years with the team.
For the Lady Rams it marked the end of a season in which they were scored on only one time. Senior Veronica Hardy drilled home a goal from close to thirty yards to give the La Salle Women’s Soccer team a 1-0 victory over East Greenwich High School. Hardy took the free kick from the outside touch line and delivered it to the upper far post for the only score of the game. The goal came in the second overtime with just under 8 minutes to play.
This was the Lady Rams’ fifth state crown in six years and 10th championship overall, having returned to the title game for the 12th time in the last 13 years.
On Saturday, 9 November, La Salle Academy, Providence captured its first New England men’s cross-country championship in 55 years at hilly Derryfield Park, Manchester, NH. The young men of La Salle edged Ridgefield (Conn.) High, 99-102
La Salle sophomore Jack Salisbury was seventh overall in 15:43, and La Salle freshman Dave Principe was ninth in 15:46. All of La Salle’s finishers were underclassmen so more is yet to come!!
On the women’s side, state champion La Salle Academy placed third with 108. La Salle’s Class A champion, Eliza Rego, could not finish the state championship because of an injury, but the sophomore was seventh overall in Manchester with a 17:59 finish. “She took it out easy the first mile,” La Salle coach Kelly Martin said of Rego. “It was a tough course. She was about 5:40 at the first mile. She and Karina [Tavares: 14th place overall] both hit the pace.”