[ccfic caption-text format="plaintext"]
By Michael Flanagan
Hometown Weekly Sports Editor
The Dover-Sherborn High School boys and girls varsity soccer teams had their strong seasons come to an end in the MIAA DIII South Sectionals this past week with the girls losing in the semifinals to Norwell (2-1), while the boys fell to Martha’s Vineyard (3-2, PK’s) in the quarterfinals.
The lady Raiders finish the season with a record of 11-6-4 following a 9-5-4 regular season, while the boys finish 14-2-4 after a 13-1-4 regular season that won them the Tri-Valley League regular season title outright.
Eli Yasuna (23) finishes his career at DS, but his presence will never be forgotten after all the hard work he and his teammates put in that has allowed DS to become a soccer powerhouse in the TVL.
Senior captain Eli Yasuna was the clear MVP of the boys team, bringing a fierce competitive drive and an elite set of skills to the pitch every game for DS. Yasuna was arguably the most clutch performer for the Raiders throughout the entire 2016 season, as whenever the Raiders were in need of a pick-me-up or a big goal, it was Yasuna who answered the bell and gave the team a lift. Yasuna’s biggest goal of the season came in a 1-0 victory over Holliston on September 28, knocking the Panthers from the unbeaten records and allowing the Raiders to surpass them for first place in the TVL.
Goalkeeper Robbie Black did an exceptional job serving as DS’s last line of defense throughout the 2016 season, as Black put together a TVL-best (amongst active goalkeepers) seven shutout victories during the regular season.
On the girls side, senior captains Emma White, Ali Jordan, and Leah Balmer provided exceptional leadership throughout the entire 2016 season and helped guide the Raiders to a postseason berth by providing production, confidence to the group, and demonstrating the correct way to do things as a team leader.
In 2016, Leah Balmer (3) and the rest of the senior captains helped guide DS girls soccer to one of their most successful seasons in recent years.
Along with the postseason berth and run to the South Semifinal, another highlight of the 2016 season for DS girls soccer came on September 20 when head coach David Wainwright earned milestone win number 100 against Bellingham (4-0).
Goalkeeper Sabrina Doyle played stellar all season long and allowed DS to stay in multiple low-scoring contests and steal several key victories on nights where the offensive production wasn’t all there. Doyle’s ability to step up when the going got tough proved to be pivotal in the Raiders’ qualification for the state tournament later in the season.
