The Everett High girls soccer team battled to a 0-0 tie with non-league opponent Lowell last Tuesday in a contest highlighted by Senior Night festivities at which the members of the team from the Class of 2027 were recognized for their contributions to the EHS girls soccer program.
The Lady Crimson Tide engaged with Lowell at the beginning of the season and similarly dueled their Lady Raider foe to a nil-nil draw.
“Lowell is very good at playing a high line and the offside trap, and we have trouble adjusting to that,” said EHS head coach Dom Persuitte. “We had some good spurts of great play, especially in the second half. Bella Mitrano had the best scoring chance late in the second half with a beautiful shot on net. I have to give the Lowell goalkeeper all the credit. She played very well. She was quick off her line and very tough in the air. She did a great job owning the box.
“Julianna Rivera played well in net for us too, though she was not tested nearly as much as we did Lowell’s keeper,” said Persuitte. “But when Julianna was called upon, she stepped up and did her job, earning another shutout and adding to her impressive eight shutouts of the season. Liv Simon also played well once she got subbed in, making her strong presence known.”
“My seniors both played lights out on the night we honored them,” Persuitte continued. “Kayla Andrade and Sofia Arana-Quintanilla displayed why they are the captains and the leaders of this team, showcasing their aggressiveness, skills, and leadership.
“It hurts not to have won this game, but a tie is better than a loss,” Persuitte added. “I have to give Lowell credit — they play a very high line and are organized in the back, and they are quick.”
Two nights later the Lady Tide came up short by a score of 4-0 to Greater Boston League (GBL) foe Medford, which finished in second-place in the GBL standings this season.
“It was a tough one, but we held our own even though we were missing six key players due to illness and injuries,” Persuitte said. “We were not able to capitalize on our opportunities; however, Medford managed to complete that task.
“Overall, I was pleased with our bench players who got to showcase their skills and abilities due to the number of players out,” the coach continued. “Having a bench is key in general, but since we are heading to the state tournament, it’s even more important now.”
“Notable players for us vs. Medford were Sofia Arana-Quintanilla, Liv Simon, and Tiffany Aguilar,” Persuitte added. “Bella Mitrano played very well in the second half, using her speed and powerful kick to put the ball on frame and take corner kicks.”
The Lady Tide have two more regular-season matches in the consolation bracket of the GBL Cup tournament. Everett, which finished in fifth place in the GBL, was scheduled to meet Lynn English, the eighth-place team, last night (Tuesday). The Tide then will meet either Revere or Lynn Classical tomorrow (Thursday).
Persuitte and his crew, who stand at 8-4-4 on the season, then will focus their attention on their seeding and first-round opponent in the upcoming MIAA Division 1 state tournament.
“Qualifying for the state tournament has been my number one goal since taking over the program five years ago,” said Persuitte. “It’s exciting that we may get a taste of what postseason soccer is all about.
“The last time we went to the playoffs was under the old format, and that was back in 2010; I was just graduating from college that year. I was not even a coach. I was finishing up a senior soccer season at UMass Boston,” Persuitte said. “Going to the postseason means the world to my team, me, and the program. It shows that we have grown from nothing to a contender, and it will hopefully showcase our playing style and represent the school to the rest of Massachusetts.
“It shows that the girls have put all their effort out there, and it shows on the pitch and in our record,” Persuitte continued. “After suffering our first loss, we went six straight games without losing and amassed three shutouts during that run. The girls have worked so hard and have sacrificed so much, and the reward is finally taking the program to the postseason. I believe once the girls get a taste of the postseason, they will finally realize why I push them so hard, and I only want the best for them. I am incredibly proud of every single one of them, and they deserve this more than anything.”
EHS boys soccer competes for GBL Cup
The Everett High boys soccer team was scheduled to meet Revere yesterday (Tuesday) in the semifinal round of the first-ever Greater Boston League Cup competition. The Crimson Tide finished fourth in the GBL standings. Revere was the league champ with a 7-0 record.
The winner will meet the victor of the Chelsea-Somerville semifinal contest in the championship round tomorrow (Thursday), with the losers meeting in the consolation game.
The GBL Cup is a new addition to the GBL this season. The league’s athletic directors voted to have all of the GBL schools meet only once during the season (instead of twice), but added the GBL Cup tournament for the top four teams. The lower four teams also will meet in a separate bracket in the same format.
The Tide enjoyed a successful week ahead of the GBL Cup with a 3-0 victory at GBL foe Medford last Tuesday and a 3-3 tiie with non-league opponent Lowell last Thursday.
In the contest with Medford, Saymon Coelho scored a hat trick to pace the Everett offense. Saymon’s first goal was a strike from 25 yards that sailed over the head of the Mustang keeper into the back of the net for what would prove to be the game-winning goal. Coelho added two more in the second half for the 3-0 finale.
“We had a great display of team play and plenty of scoring opportunities,” said EHS head coach Rodney Landaverde. “We created many chances in the final third, but struggled to finish, until Saymon scored his first goal.
“For the remainder of the game we did have some defensive struggles, but Pedro Romero, Luca Cruz, Jonathan Hernandezm and Sebastien Styl held down the back line with an amazing defensive display,” Landaverde said. “Luca Cruz and Sebastien Styl had their first varsity starts and played all 80 minutes with great effort. They were very impressive.
“In the second half, we controlled a bit less than we wanted to, but were determined to continue attacking, with Saymon scoring two more times to complete his first high school hat trick.” Landaverde added.
Last Thursday’s match with Lowell at the stadium featured Senior Night festivities at which the members of the Class of 2027 were honored for their contributions to the EHS boys soccer program.
After Lowell took an early 1-0 advantage, senior Kevin Renderos delivered a well-placed strike from 25 yards out to tie it at 1-1. Lowell quickly responded, but the Tide brought the match back to level minutes later on a free kick. On a pre-set play by Renderos, the shot was taken by Jorge Ayala which ricocheted off the post into the back of the Raiders’ net.
Lowell regained the lead 10 minutes into the second half, but the Tide re-leveled the contest with 10 minutes to go. The Everett trio of Daniel Henriquez, Cesar Rengifo, and Coelho launched a counterattack that moved the ball into the Lowell box. Everett controlled the bouncing ball and earned a penalty kick thanks to a shove by a Raider defender. Coehlo calmly delivered the PK into the bottom left corner for the 3-3 finale.
“It was an expected tense matchup,” said Landaverde. “The second half was a battle back-and-forth, with so much energy from the crowd. Our rotating players created many chances that were very close to being finished. After Lowell took the lead again in the second half, we did not stop fighting.
“It was a great night of celebrations for our 13 seniors,” Landaverde added. “It has been a pleasure seeing many of them grow up, learn the game, and witness many moments of growth for them.”
Landaverde also took a moment to praise the Lowell coaches for their concern about an injured Tide player.
“I want to give a shout-out to the Lowell coaching staff,” Landaverde said. “When one of our keepers took a blow to the head and required assistance from the athletic trainers and EMS on the field, they were very patient, courteous, and quick to respond to our goalkeeper who was down. They showed a great level of care towards our player and they demonstrated the utmost respect to an opposing team.
“I appreciate their kind efforts and level of support during such a critical point of the game,” Landaverde added. “They have a great structure in their program athletically, but also show plenty of class when we face each other each year.”
Landaverde and his crew will conclude their 2026 season on Friday when they host non-league opponent Peabody.
EHS volleyball defeats Saugus
The Everett High girls volleyball team played its most competitive matches since early October, picking up the Lady Crimson Tide’s first win since late September with a 3-0 triumph over Saugus last Thursday and falling just short by a score of 3-2 on the road at Lowell last Wednesday.
Everett traveled to Lowell for a rematch against a team that swept the Tide less than two weeks ago. Everett played with poise and focus, jumping out to a 2-0 lead.
In the first set, senior QiongQiong Chen kicked things off with an ace, and she set up junior Abigail Falkowski for two of her season-high eight kills. Senior co-captain Melissa Meireles served 11 in a row with three aces to give Everett a 20-14 lead.
Fellow co-captain MariaJose Cardenas had two of her eight kills in the set, and junior outside hitter Elora Philippe had a kill and the final two aces of the set to give the Tide the 25-23 win.
In the second set, Chen and Cardenas combined for nine serves and two aces. Cardenas added two kills, Philippe had two kills and a block, and Falkowski took over the serving with a 19-16 lead and served out the set. Meireles had an ace and the kill that ended the 25-16 win.
Evetett hit all its serves in and Falkowski had three kills in the third set, but Lowell prevailed. The Tide had their chances to grab the win in the fourth set. Cardenas had two aces and three kills, and senior captain Cassandra Tayag had two aces in a set that Everett led 16-12 and 21-20, before falling 25-21.
“We hadn’t been ahead late in a while, so our nerves got to us and we missed a couple of hits,” said EHS head coach Michael Fineran. “We couldn’t regroup and fell 15-4 in the fifth set. But that experience helped us the next day against Saugus.”
The first set was eerily similar to the previous day: Chen started the game with an ace, and Falkowski had a run of 11 serves to put Everett up for good. Tayag had an ace and two kills, and the Tide took the set, 25-17. Tayag, Meireles, and Tayag each had an ace and a kill.
Senior Kiana Flores, Everett’s libero (defensive specialist), took over serving for Philippe in the second set and did not miss. Kiana aced her first three to give the Tide a 20-18 lead, and junior Cecilia Da Silveira served the last three points of the set, including an ace, in the 25-20 win.
Saugus did not go quietly, but the Everett elevated their game in the third set, knowing how important it was to end it when they had the chance.
Meireles had three kills, two aces, and five service points. Cardenas had two kills and three aces. Falkowski had a kill, Philippe had two, and Tayag had a kill and an ace. Flores got the serve with the game tied 25-25 and nailed the next two points, giving Everett a 27-25 win.
“I am proud of the way our players stepped up, especially the seniors,” said Fineran. “It is not an easy sport, but it is a simple one: you make plays or you don’t. I asked the team to forget about scores and records, and just go out and make plays. That has been the message all year, and it was great to see them do just that.”
Fineran and his crew hosted Revere this past Monday for Senior Night. They travel to Malden today (Wednesday) and will conclude their 2026 season tomorrow night (Thursday) at home vs. Medford.
EHS girls cross country defeats Revere for 4th win
The Everett High girls cross country team posted its fourth dual-meet victory, ensuring a winning season, with a 19-40 triumph over Revere last Wednesday.
“This is the most wins by a girls team in the 15 years I have been coaching,” said head coach Brendan Hahesy.
Junior captain Shashi Pokhrel won the girls race for the third time this season, coming across the line in a time of 23:19. After a Revere girl finished in second place, the Lady Crimson Tide quartet of Lina Sherrar (24:08), Ana Maciel (24:56), Nathalia Dos Santos (26:46), and Eve-Lynn Joseph (27:37) took places 3-6 to clinch the win.
Princika Humagain (ninth place in 31:45) and Aliesha Thelus (10th in 31:49) also cracked the top-10 for the Tide. They were followed by teammates Berthy Muscade, Bao Nguyen, Jiji, and Carolina Bernardina.
On the boys’ side, the Tide came up just short by a score of 26-29.
Senior captain Chris Portillo finished third in the boys race with a clocking of 17:5 and once again was the top runner for Everett.
Teammates Kaleb Defreitas (18:20) and captain Dominico Delle Rose (19:02) came across the line in fourth and fifth places.Tien Nguyen (eighth in 20:02) and Michael Lemus (ninth in 21:26) completed the Everett scoresheet.
Praytush Darai ran well to finish in 11th place in 22:21. Brasesh Maharjan, Ethan Ngo Everett, William Le, and Tenzin Ngodop also competed for Everett.
The meet was highlighted by Senior Day festivities at which Portillo, Delle Rose, and Lemus were recognized for their contributions to the EHS cross country program.
Haahesy and his crew were scheduled to compete in the GBL Championship Meet today (Wednesday) along the banks of the Mystic River in nearby Torbert Macdonald Park in Medford.
EHS field hockey defeats GBL rivals
The Everett High field hockey team enjoyed its most successful week of the season, defeating Greater Boston League (GBL) rivals Revere, 2-0, and Malden, 7-0, last week.
Crimson Tide freshman goalie Arsema Mehari posted the shutouts in both contests.
The twin victories earned EHS head coach Yamine Akib and her crew a share of the 2026 GBL title with Revere.
The 7-0 triumph over Malden was an appropriate celebration for the team’s Senior Night festivities that honored the members of the Class of 2027 for their contributions to the EHS field hockey program.
Everett dominated the contest, pouring 35 shots on net to none for Malden. The Tide had 19 offensive corners and scored on five of them.
Junior Chris Pena scored a hat trick to pace the Tide’s offense. Freshman Kelly Aquilar, senior Wilns Julien, senior Rebecca Hickey-Schultz (who scored her first career goal), and senior Justin Contreras also struck the Golden Tornado backboard for the Tide.
“The team played really well. They were communicating, spreading the ball across the field, and making great passes,” said EHS assistant coach Kaleigh Snook.