The MFS Boys’ Soccer team overcame both an early red card on their goalie and the cold weather to continue their winning ways on Tuesday, defeating the fourth-seeded Ranney by a score of 5-2.
The Foxes are the number-one seeded team in the Non-Public South B Bracket and entered Tuesday’s game coming off a tightly contested quarterfinal win against Holy Cross. To reach the semifinals, Ranney defeated Noor-Ul-Iman in the first round and Wilberforce in the quarterfinals.
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Preston Galanis ’25 opened the scoring for the Foxes just 10 minutes into the game, putting the team forth a 1-0 lead. However, the momentum quickly shifted when MFS goalkeeper Jack Anaya ’28 was given a red card for a dangerous challenge made just outside the box. The red card meant that Anaya was out for the rest of the game. As a result, the Foxes were also forced to play with 10 men instead of the typical 11 for the remainder of the game, with Anaya replaced by backup goalie Aiden Eickhoff ’27.
After the game, Anaya gave his thoughts on what happened.
“It was a lack of communication on me and Matt’s part, and I just dropped the ball. I’m not sure what this means going forward and if it’s a suspension or not but it just means that I’ve gotta be more locked in,” he stated.
Ranney tied the game with 19 minutes remaining in the first half with a skillful strike by senior Saeed Torres. With 11 minutes remaining, Eickhoff made a massive save that kept the game tied and turned the game back in the Foxes’ favor. Then, the Foxes’ offense came roaring back with goals by Jared Kolaris ’25 and Alex Kostopoulos ’26 late in the first half. Both goals gave the Foxes a much-needed boost going into halftime.
With a successful first half, the Foxes came out of halftime firing. Preston scored his second goal of the game just five minutes in, making it a 4-1 game. Kolaris followed with a second goal just minutes later, giving the Foxes a 5-1 lead and diminishing Ranney’s chance of a comeback.
Ranney scored with 16 minutes left in the game, but the Foxes closed out the match with some high-quality defense, clinching their spot in the sectional final on Friday, November 15.
Following the win, captain and starting defender Matthew Schlotterbeck ’25 explained, “Our coach always talks about the word resilience, and I think we showed it through [this game]. We had a disappointing performance on Friday, but we showed we can get it done.” As for his thoughts on the upcoming final, Schlotterbeck is “expecting a win just like last year.”
Starting defender Miles Wilkins ’25 noted, “I thought it was a great game and I thought we played hard. [We] definitely saw all the effort from everyone on the field today, compared to Friday, and I thought we played hard and strong and I’m so proud of our team. I can’t wait for Friday.”
The Foxes will be back in action this Friday at home against Princeton Day for the Non-Public B South Final, taking place at 2:00 PM.
