Boys soccer: Tam secures MCAL’s top seed after seven-goal thriller

The players on the Tam High boys soccer team took to its home field on Wednesday knowing that a win over the defending MCAL regular-season champions would allow them to claim the title for themselves.

The Red-tailed Hawks and Archie Williams battled in a wide-open game that saw seven goals, including a combined five by two of the presumptive favorites to win the MCAL’s player of the year award. Tam sophomore Marco Caruso completed his hat trick with a stunning goal in the 62nd minute to outduel Archie Williams senior Sean Chamberlin – who scored twice and had an assist – and the Red-tailed Hawks secured a 4-3 victory.

“In this league, to be able to win the regular season is massive,” Tam coach Shane Kennedy said. “Every game is paramount.”

Three teams entered the final match day still with a chance to win the regular-season title — Tam, Archie Williams, and San Rafael. The win gives Tam (12-3-4, 6-0-2 MCAL) the top seed in next week’s MCAL playoffs and a bye into Wednesday’s semifinals. The loss sends Archie Williams (10-5-3, 4-2-2) down to the No. 4 seed. The Peregrine Falcons will host No. 5 Redwood on Monday.

Caruso authored the game’s decisive moment on Wednesday after receiving the ball just past midfield following a cross by Declan Murphy. Caruso danced past his defender and blazed toward the end line before lifting his head and drilling a shot inside the far post for a 4-2 lead.

“I’m very confident one on one so I just decided to take that,” Caruso said. “Once I beat my defender I looked across goal, maybe for a cross. I did see my teammates there but I wanted to be a little selfish and try something and it worked.”

The moment didn’t surprise any of his teammates or coaches, who have been watching Caruso score impressive goals all season long.

“Marco’s been doing that the whole year,” Tam’s West Freau said. “Marco did that last year, his freshman year. That’s the kind of player he is. When we need him, he’ll show up for us. When we need someone to step up — of course it’s the whole team — but Marco especially is that player that we can look for if we need a goal or if we need something creative.

“I think today he cemented himself as the frontrunner to win MCAL player of the year. I think scoring a hat trick in this type of game – a game that decides who wins the regular season – I don’t know anyone else in Marin county who could do that.”

If there is another athlete capable, it’s Chamberlin, the reigning MCAL player of the year from last season. Chamberlin opened the scoring with a goal in the 26th minute to put Archie Williams up 1-0 but Caruso equalized with a goal just two minutes later.

A similar scenario played out early in the second half as Caruso netted his second goal for a 3-1 lead in the 48th minute only to see Chamberlin score two minutes later to make it 3-2.

In between those two exchanges, Tam scored a vital goal on the last kick of the first half to take a 2-1 lead into the break. Freau made a run through multiple defenders then managed to get off a shot that was initially saved by Archie Williams goalie Aidan Dunn. Tam’s Buba Mane was crashing the goal at the back post and pounced on the rebounds, tapping it in to give the Red-tailed Hawks a huge momentum boost.

“I don’t remember exactly how many defenders it was,” Freau said. “All I remember is getting the ball right in front of our bench on the left wing and I started driving toward the end line. I just cut inside and I saw the center back bite and when he stepped to me I realized I could cut inside again. So I cut back inside and then I started stumbling forward, I started falling, and I just tried to toe poke it in the goal.

“I don’t know if it was just luck or if it was gravity or whatever but it bounced straight to Buba and Buba was able to tap it in.”

Tam eventually went ahead 4-2 on Caruso’s third goal and held off Archie Williams until basically the last kick of the second half. Chamberlin played a ball out wide to the right to Henry Miller, who blasted a shot from outside the 18-yard box to pull the Peregrine Falcons within 4-3 deep into stoppage time.

Tam took the ensuing kickoff, the referee blew the whistle for full time, and the Red-tailed Hawks celebrated their first-place finish on senior day.

Around the county

• San Rafael scored four second-half goals to pull away from a game San Marin squad for a 6-2 victory. The Bulldogs (11-3-6, 6-1-1) locked up the second seed and a first-round bye with the win. San Marin (0-12-5, 0-5-2) scored just before the half to tie the game at 2-2.
• Charlie Ahlemeyer scored the game’s only goal to lift Terra Linda to a 1-0 victory against Branson on Wednesday. The win moved TL (8-4-4, 5-1-2) up into third place. Branson (6-5-3, 3-4-1) was already locked into the sixth spot and the two teams will face each other again in the first round of the playoffs at TL on Monday.
• Novato secured its first point of the league season after battling Marin Catholic (4-8-3, 0-6-2) to a 0-0 draw on Wednesday. Brayan Camey Martinez saved a penalty kick for the Hornets (0-8-2, 0-6-1). Novato also got strong performances from defenders Carlos Rivera and Christopher Divas and midfielder Joseph de Leon, according to coach Peter Serchia.