The Boston Latin School soccer team soars into spring after a successful winter futsal season where five teams competed for a trophy in the Massachusetts Youth Futsal League (MYFL). 

Futsal is a soccer-based game that is played on a hard court surface with different dimensions. Instead of eleven players against eleven players, the format is a five versus five with less space, a smaller ball, and smaller goals. 

Following their record-breaking appearances in the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association Division 1 State Tournaments, both the boys and the girls soccer teams continued into the offseason with less than a month’s break until the beginning of the season. The five teams played at multiple locations in Hyde Park, Brookline, Newton, Norfolk, and Marlboro, going up against some of the premier futsal clubs in Massachusetts. 

The boys program had three teams, each ready to be challenged against the many difficult opponents. The Varsity squad finished as the runners up in the MYFL High School Division 1 after falling to the Athletic Club Independence from Cape Cod in the finals. 

Captain Gavin McDermott (I) stated after the loss that, “our biggest accomplishment as a team this season was making it to the finals.”  He also made note that the BLS Futsal program has taken off in the last few years, becoming a “fantastic way for members of the soccer program to have a low-commitment yet physically demanding activity to keep fitness up during the offseason.” Testing themselves against teams that “are technically, tactically, and creatively gifted” provided the opportunity to practice multiple times a week. 

None of the BLS Futsal teams hold official practices due to the difficulty in getting court space, as well as the commitments of the busy student-athletes. 

In the MYFL High School Division 2, the boys Varsity 2 squad reached the semifinals before losing to the German International School of Boston in Norfolk. The final team was the Freshman squad, who completed their season with 7th place in the MYFL U14 Division. 

The girls program only had two teams competing in the talent-filled league. The girls Varsity squad competed in the MYFL High School Division 2, reaching the quarterfinals and falling to a competitive New England Futbol Club team. 

Maya Seide (III) expressed a heartfelt moment when sharing her biggest accomplishment during the team’s final game: “I played my best and it was my last BLS game with my friend who is a senior.” Seide went on to assist this senior’s goal in their final game together. 

In the MYFL U14 Division, the combined JV & Freshman squad finished 6th place in a competitive bracket. 

Winter futsal is a final chance to say goodbye to our beloved seniors who wear their Wolfpack soccer shirts for the final time as a BLS student. Senior forward Ryan Malone (I) reflects on the season, reflecting that he will miss both Senior Night because of the speeches and “practices since they were always a great time to talk with teammates and have fun on the field.” 

McDermott also jokes about this past futsal season, describing his most memorable moments as “getting [my] fifth yellow card, reaching a new personal best, [and] proving to myself that I still had my defensive physicality attributes from the outdoor season.” 

The Boston Latin School soccer teams were lucky to have a total of 17 incredibly talented seniors this year who made incredible differences both on and off the field, proving the leadership and excellence among BLS student-athletes. Next year, with a schedule filled with highly skilled competitive Dual County League opponents, the teams are hoping to continue their state tournament success and make a playoff run.