Branco blossoms as Brockton’s top scorer

By Justin A. Rice
Globe Correspondent / November 5, 2009

Morgan Branco has recorded a staggering six 3-goal performances for the Brockton High girls’ soccer team this fall. But the goal that stands out the most in her mind didn’t even come off her own foot.

In a match against Durfee late last month, the sophomore forward broke free at midfield and dribbled untouched into the box. When a defender approached, Branco dished a feed just in time to freshman Felicia Mulholland, who converted an insurance goal for a 3-1 lead with 3:01 left.

“For me that was a big thing,’’ said Branco, who has netted what is believed to be a school-record 28 goals, along with seven assists, through 18 games.

“Everybody thought I could shoot and I could’ve shot, but I thought passing to Felicia was a better thing.’’

That kind of unselfish play has been prominent for a Boxers squad that has qualified for the state tournament for the first time in five years, its 13-2-3 record a major turnaround from last year’s 5-9-3 finish.

“This was a long time in the making, we really struggled,’’ said eight-year head coach Andrea Tassinari. She saluted the leadership of her three senior captains, stopper Jennifer Love, forward Kate Wegener, and midfielder Sunshine Yang, who have never appeared in a tournament game.

Team records do not date back to the program’s first season in 1969, but the 13 wins are believed to be a school record. The impressive numbers continue in goal, where senior keeper Kelsey Sheridan has registered 10 shutouts. A three-sport athlete, Sheridan was shifted to goal as a sophomore.

“Literally after one game, I pulled her into the coaches’ room and said: ‘Look, Kelsey, you’re a basketball and softball player, a natural athlete. Guess what? You’re our new goalie,’ ’’ Tassinari said. “And that was it.’’

Sheridan said she didn’t feel comfortable in goal until last season and “I’m still not completely 100 percent. I don’t feel like a goalie because I played my whole life as a field player.’’

Branco, however, said it’s hard to tell that she is a relative newcomer at the position.

“You would never think that if you saw her play,’’ she said. “Without her we wouldn’t have the season we’ve had. She’s had so many big stops and really makes the difference on our team.’’

Sheridan, who plays the saxophone, is one of four Boxers who’s also a member of the school’s marching band, joining Evelyn DeJesus (flute), senior Jill Lynch (flute), and senior Lesley Blanchette (trumpet).

The four often rush from their soccer games to perform in the halftime show at Boxers football games. “When it comes down to it,’’ said Sheridan, “I’d rather save goals than play notes.’’

Branco has been playing sweet notes all season.

She earned a spot on the varsity as a freshman, but because of the team’s depth up front, she settled in as a midfielder, moved into the starting lineup at midseason, and scored four goals.

“I wanted to prove myself to [Tassinari],’’ she said. “That I could be on the field with everyone else and I was not just a freshman who should just be practicing. I tried to prove I have the same skills.’’

In her second season, she has developed into the Boxers’ top scoring threat since Ashley Bourne scored 20 goals in 2002.

Her first four-goal game came Sept. 15 in an 8-1 victory against Taunton. Two days later, she had three goals against Mashpee in a 5-0 win, then scored four goals the next game against Attleboro in a 6-0 victory.

“When I started scoring a lot in the beginning of the season, I knew this was our season,’’ said Branco, who credits all the goals to better ball movement. “Our team was doing really good, and I kept getting that many goals. After a while, I said if I can get this many in one game, I can get them in another game.’’

Midway through the season, foes were marking her with multiple defenders, and yet she still managed to score three goals in a 5-1 win over Fontbonne Sept. 3 and then all three in a 3-1 victory against Framingham Oct. 5. Her final hat trick came against Mashpee Oct. 29.

But the Boxers have plenty of depth. Wegener (10 goals, 12 assists), freshman Amy Yang (10 goals, eight assists), and Mulholland (10 goals, nine assists) are all double-figure scorers, which Tassinari attributes to Branco’s unselfish play.

“In the second week of September [Branco’s] goals started piling up and it was like ‘this is weird,’ ’’ the coach said. “But she’s never been the player who says ‘I’m the leading scorer, it’s all about me, me, me, give me the ball.’ ’’
© Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company.