The undefeated Westport soccer team won its fourth consecutive Mayflower Comprehensive Division title after blanking Holbrook 2-0 during a Division 4 home game on Thursday afternoon. The Wildcats also shut out Old Rochester Regional 1-0 at home on Saturday to improve their record to 13-0-1. Westport is currently ranked 6th in the division with three games remaining in the regular season. 

“it's an awesome feeling,” said co-captain Carter Couto of being undefeated thus far. “We're going to keep it rolling and have another undefeated season again.”

 

Junior forwards Austin Raposo and Tiago Rodrigues have been a huge for the Westport offense as they have outscored their opponents 51-5 this season. The duo has combined for 23 goals.

 

 “Austin and Tiago have been our top offensive performers this year by far,” said co-captain Landen Novo. “They’ve troubled every single team's defense that we play.”

 

Rodrigues, who scored 10 goals this season, scored both goals during the Holbrook victory and Raposo, who leads the team with 13 goals, scored the lone goal in the Old Rochester shutout. 

"Tiago has been amazing," said Couto. "When we’re going forward, possessing and putting the ball on the frame, we’re a very dangerous team.” 

The Wildcats also get superb on-field play and off-field leadership from their three senior captains, Couto, Novo and Garrett Skov, who have been instrumental this season. Couto is a skilled left-midfielder that has a great touch on his passes and crosses. Novo controls the central midfield with power and speed, helping out both offensively and defensively and Skov is a big and tough defensive force at center back. They were sophomores when Westport won the D-5 state crown and are hungry to win a second state chip in their senior season.

“We are all hungry for it,” Novo said. “It’s the hungriest out of my four years, that I’ve ever been.”

He credits the Wildcats success to team bonding outside of the sport.

“We are a family,” he said. “We go out and have fun together. We are all friends and It has created great team chemistry that reflects in our play on the field.”

The defense backline is another huge reason the Wildcats find themselves undefeated thus far. The defense is the best in the league with just 5 goals against. Skov and juniors Blake Stewart, Noah Jedry and Alex Ribeiro have been a brick wall in front of senior goalkeeper Elijah McGonigle, who took over for six-year-starter Noah Amaral this season. 

“Coming into the season I had a lot of confidence in our backline,” said Skov. “The team has a lot of grit and really fight back hard, especially in tough games.”

The tall, athletic McGonigle made 4 saves against Holbrook and 8 saves against Old Rochester to record his eighth and ninth shut outs of the season. 

“He’s been doing a pretty good job,” Skov said of his keeper. “He’s not as polished as Noah, but he’s been putting in the work and he’s getting there. We have been doing a good job with clean sheets and not conceding a lot of goals.”

Wildcats head coach Chris Parker also commended his senior keeper.

“Elijah has quickly established himself as one of the best keepers in Southeastern Massachusetts,” he said. He has elite reflexes, which contributes to his ability to make extraordinary saves. He continues to improve his technical skills, game management and leadership skills, which may be his most important contribution to the team.”