The undefeated Westport soccer team clinched the Mayflower Athletic Conference championship after crushing Holbrook 7-0 during a home game on Tuesday afternoon. Then they overpowered Atlantis Charter 6-0 in a non-league game on Thursday and shut out Southeastern 4-0 in another non-league game on Friday. The Wildcats currently have a record of 14-0, 6-0 in the MAC.

“We’ve developed really well,” said Wildcats’ co-captain Ben Novo. “We are only getting better as the season goes on. I think we are going to do great things.” 

Goals a plenty 

The Wildcats scored 17 goals in the three game stretch. Zachary Lopes scored 2 goals against Holbrook. Marcos Dutra Africano, Carter Couto, Will Quinlan, Tommy Bernard, and Landen Novo also scored for Westport, who led 5-0 at halftime and rested many of their starters in the second half. 

Ben Novo scored two goals against Atlantis Charter. Will Quinlan, Nyzaiah Pacheco, Zachary Lopes, and Carter Couto each scored one. Both Will Quinlan and Nyzaiah Pacheco each tallied assists.

Marcos Dutra Africano scored 2 goals against Southeastern. Nyzaiah Pacheco and Will Quinlan also scored. 

Back fielders Marcos Dutra Africano, Ryan Borges, Matt Costa, Ben Cross, Garrett Skov, Henry Gillet, and Lucas Freitas and Travis Carvalho played stingy defense in front of goalkeeper Noah Amaral who picked up his eighth, ninth and tenth shutouts of the season. 

“We haven’t been tested too much this year,” said co-captain Tommy Bernard. “We have a lot of grit and fight in us and that really helps us keep our style of soccer that we like to play.”

Still just 15th in the power rankings

Coach Parker’s goal is to finish the season undefeated and score as many goals as possible to boost their power rankings to secure a lower seed in the Division 5 state tournament. Thus far the Wildcats have outscored their opponents 74-5, have 10 shut outs and have the best record in Division 5, but they rank just 15th in the power rankings that will determine their spot in the bracket. The ranking is so bad that Coach Parker is concerned that the team won’t even get a home playoff game this season. 

“If we fall out of the top 16, we won’t even host a playoff game,” he said. “Our win margin is one of the best in the state. What’s killing us is our opponents power rankings. It was almost a perfect storm. Some of the new teams that we picked up, that have been historically strong, are having down years.” 

The usual suspects are at the top of the Division, Bromfield, who won the title the last two season is at the top, followed by Douglas, Sutton and Ware. Boston International who fell to the Wildcats 1-0 in an epic battle during last season’s playoffs, are ranked 10th. 

“I wouldn’t want to play them early,” said Coach Parker. “But we may have to.”

Coach Parker isn’t concerned about having to play on the road. He feels that the team is even better playing on turf. 

“Of course you’d like to play in front of your home crowd. But going on the road, I’m not worried about that at all. If we get to play on turf. We’ll be even better. We are faster and more dynamic. It will just add to our story.”

Even playing as underdogs from the 15th seed, Coach Parker has faith in his team. 

“I firmly believe that this team is capable of wining it all. If there is a more dynamic starting 11 in D-5 soccer, I’d liked to see that.”

Next up: 

The Wildcats take to the road their last three games. They travel to Bishop Stang on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., Carver on Friday at 4 p.m. and end the season at Fairhaven on Monday at 5:30 p.m.