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After working their way out of a 1-0 hole, the Lawrence Academy varsity boys' soccer team claimed their second straight ISL title on the strength of a 4-2 win over the Buckingham Browne & Nichols Knights on LA's home pitch in Groton, MA. Goals by Shawn Suzuki '15, Mbongeni Tshuma '15, Paul Schnebly '15, and August Martini '17 gave the squad the chance to lift the Gummere Cup in consecutive falls as they prepare for the New England tournament. "I'm just proud of the guys; really proud of the guys," said Head Coach Colin Igoe in the midst of the Spartans postgame celebration. "They've won 14 games in a row and in the ISL, that is really, really hard to do. "The leadership is unbelievable, the commitment is unbelievable -- I'm a little overwhelmed, I'm so proud of the guys." For a team that has been dominant over most of the past two seasons, this was not an easy victory. "I think the game showed our team grit," said Igoe, referencing the Knights early lead over the Spartans. "We went down early 1-0, and BB&N is a great team. "The turning point for me was how we responded to that first goal. Because it was so early. "And then, in the second half it's the same thing, they score, and all of a sudden it's 3-2. "How do we respond? And instead of getting down on themselves, they boys came together and they picked it up and they score a fourth goal to really put it away," he said. Despite the postgame excitement, when the team celebrated with their classmates, families, and fans, the boys will quickly turn their attention to the New England playoffs. "That's just it. You enjoy it tonight and then it's back to work tomorrow," said Igoe, whose club lost on penalty kicks in the 2013 Class B championship game. "We talk about it all of the time. You turn the page. " We will enjoy it and the guys will be happy," explained the coach. "Then on Sunday we'll find out who we play, and then we start to prepare. "It's just keep reinforcing those habits." Thankfully for Lawrence Academy, winning is a habit for the 2014 ISL Boys' Soccer Champions. [Video | Gallery] |
