Captain Ethan Prescott about to hoist the New England Championship trophy
For over a decade and a half South Kent School (SKS) Soccer has been a dominating force in the New England and the national soccer scene, this year has proven to be no different. With their November 21st win over Westminster School in the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) finals, South Kent Soccer secured their tenth New England Championship and their fifth National Championship.
“I am so proud of the guys and all they have achieved this year. This group overcame many obstacles – absences due to visa issues, multiple injuries to key players, and some difficult matches. However, their ability to learn from experience, come together as a group, support each other and persevere through difficult circumstances was remarkable. To come from behind in the first two rounds and play such a dominant game in the final is a testament to this team and the buy-in to the core values of this program,” shared Director of Athletics and Head Soccer Coach Owen Finberg.
“It was so rewarding to defend our 2019 National and New England championships after not having had the chance to compete for those titles last year due to COVID. We graduated such a special group of players last year and it was important to represent for them and all our alumni who continually support us.”
2021 Sportsmen’s/Cardinal Classic Champions
In this past season, the SKS Cardinals recorded 15 wins, 2 losses, and 3 draws against the top teams in our region. Included in our wins were five against teams ranked in the prepsoccer.net national poll! Read the full Co-National Champions article here. They also earned the Ray Brown Cup as Western New England Preparatory School Soccer Association (WNEPSSA) regular-season champions and won the Sportsmen’s/Cardinal Classic title in early October.
Top Wins:
- #5 Loomis Chaffee
- #6 Black Rock FC Residential Academy Northwood
- #8 Kiski
- #9 Westminster School
- #11 Rivers School
- #15 Woodstock Academy
NEPSAC Player of the Year Matthew Bell (front), Danny Istambouli (center), Kelvin DaCosta (left), Max Dunphy(back)
During the Championship Quarterfinal SKS came from behind against #7 seeded Roxbury Latin with Matthew Bell ‘22 scoring two goals in the second half to win 2-1. Then, in the Semifinal, the Cardinals were again down by one against #3 seeded Rivers, the Independent School League Champions, when right before halftime Steven Pickering Jr. ‘22 tied the score. During a tense second half Matthew Bell managed to score a beautiful game-winner with only a few minutes remaining, to put the score at 2-1 and earn SKS’ place in the championship match.
In the final the Cardinals took on #4 Westminster at the Loomis Chaffee School in Windsor, CT. Danny Istambouli scored the first two goals, with assists from Bell, and Marco Silva ‘22 scored the final goal, bringing the score to 3-0 as the Cardinals finished their season as the NEPSAC Champions! Special recognition goes to Max Dunphy ’22 for his stellar play in goal for all three playoff games.
“We had a lot of work to do when we arrived in August with so many new players to our program. It is a truly incredible feeling to have all our hard work pay off and finish the season as New England and National Champions. It was a special season that will connect this group together forever,” said Team Captain Ethan Prescott.
Congratulations to the boys, Coach Finberg, assistant coaches, support staff and the whole community who helped in their remarkable showing this season!
The season may be over, but that does not mean these guys are finished, as in past years these boys will continue working hard through to the end of the school year to ensure their continued development and that the graduating players secure admission to the best possible schools. Follow the Cardinals on social media to stay up to date with all of the team’s happenings.