‘A really tough conference’: Checking in with Dartmouth High School’s boys soccer head coach

With a “fairly young team” and a “tough schedule,” Dartmouth High School’s boys soccer team has battled to a fairly even record of five wins and six losses. 

“Our conference games are really competitive, we play in a really tough conference,” said Head Coach Josh Silva. 

Along with conference games, local games present a different challenge: players know some of the kids from Bishop Stang High School and Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School, and “there’s a lot of bragging rights” on the line, Silva said.

This season brought two Stang games, one of which Dartmouth narrowly lost. For the second, Dartmouth took a commanding 6-0 victory. 

“We score quite a few goals, … but I really think we’re more of a defensive team,” Silva said. “Our defense builds into our offense, so if we can defend well as a unit, it really leads to a lot of opportunities offensively.”

With a tougher schedule and more room for growth, Silva said the players will need to learn how to deal with losses and setbacks: “The teams that make it far are the teams that can handle adversity.”

One setback so far this year has been the injury of a key player, Nicholas Silvia. 

Still, other players have been shining bright this season. Silvia’s cousin, Lucas Martinez, got off to a nice start.

“He’s not necessarily lighting it up on the scoresheet, but it’s more the stuff that he does to impact the game,” Silva said. “He creates a lot of opportunities for other kids.”

Tyler Medeiros, the center back and senior captain, has been “phenomenal” this year, Silva said, despite having to adjust to a “whole new role” after playing the midfield last year. 

On the younger side, Silva shouted out sophomore Landon Raposa, who “has been off to a nice little start” and is a “very dynamic player.” 

Despite the team’s mixed record, Silva thinks they have the ability to make a serious run into the playoffs.

“We’ve had some bumps in the road, but I do think it’s gonna make us better in the end,” Silva said. 

The brightest spot so far came during the first Durfee High School game, Silva said, when the team was able to pull out a last-second victory and hand them their first loss of the season. 

“Anytime you can win a tight game like that — last year we lost a lot of those games — it just builds confidence,” Silva said. “Playing in those tight games, it's only gonna prepare you for the playoffs, because come playoff season, everything’s tight.”

Other strong showings include a 4-1 win against Bridgewater-Raynham High School and a 4-0 victory against Apponequet High School. The team also secured a bragging-rights local victory against Voc Tech, 2-0. 

While the team had a senior-heavy class last year, Silva said they’re “starting to build something” strong this year, with a team that holds “each other accountable.”

“We’ve gone through some growing pains, [but] I’m hoping we can finish strong,” Silva said. 

Dartmouth High School next plays Durfee High School for the second time, now at Dartmouth Memorial Stadium, on Oct. 17 at 4 p.m.