RallyNorth.net

LOWELL | Haverhill boys soccer coach John Coppola hopes the town's elementary and middle school soccer players have been watching lately.

The program, despite the Hillies' 3-2 overtime loss to Woburn in the Division 1 North semifinals yesterday at Cawley Stadium, is on the upswing.

No. 5 Haverhill picked up perhaps the biggest win in program history.

By defeating No. 4 Acton-Boxboro 2-0 in the Division 1 North quarterfinals, the Hillies | according to Eagle-Tribune records | advanced to the North semifinals for the first time.

Steve Lesiczka took the ball down field and crossed it to Alex Sindoni at the 20. Sindoni then went past two defenders and fired it past the goalie into the lower left corner of the goal midway through the first period to give No. 5 Haverhill a 1-0 win over No. 10 Cambridge in the Division 1 North first round.

Haverhill beat Andover 3-1 with stellar play from the Hillies defense. Peter Maranto, Alex Hussein and Steve Leszicka scored for the winners. Alex Herlich scored the Golden Warriors' lone goal. Andover keeper Mike Birecki (19 saves) put up a great effort for the Warriors.

Charlie Roche scored with 16 minutes remaining to pull Haverhill even with St. John's Prep in a 3-3 deadlock. Alex Hussein and Will Menter scored the other Hillies goals. Graham Hart made seven saves to secure the tie for Haverhill (8-1-3).

Haverhill got goals from four different players as the Hillies pounded Tewksbury 4-0. Steve Lesiczka, Peter Maranto, Mike Hurtardo and Alex Hussein all struck for the 6-1-2 Hillies, and Luke McCartney made eight saves to earn the shutout.

Through six games the only question surrounding the Haverhill boys soccer team it seems is which kitchen to head to the night before games for the best pasta.

Tri-captain Peter Maranto says right now it's a dead heat between the sauce at Zach Greene's house and the fixings that can be found at fellow captain Alex Sindoni's home.

Haverhill rolled past Andover 4-0. Alex Hussein, Alex Sindoni, Charlie Roche and Mike Hurtado all scored for the Hillies, who improved to an impressive 5-1.

The Wildcats won the non-league matchup, 3-2. Peter Maranto tallied both Hillie goals.

As debuts go, well, Randy Moss' first game with the Patriots received more publicity. But Fred Tarbox's first game coaching the Haverhill High School girls soccer team was certainly memorable.

Playing highly touted Central Catholic at Haverhill Stadium, the Hillies defeated the Raiders 2-1 in Tarbox's Haverhill High coaching debut. The win was Haverhill High's first over Central Catholic in girls soccer this decade. Jami Styrczula, the 2006 Merrimack Valley Conference Small School Division Player of the Year, netted both Haverhill High goals. Goalie Christina Gould came up big in net as she made 12 saves to preserve the victory for the Brown and Gold.