From early November to January, the MAST Makos boys’ soccer team managed to finish third in the district with ten wins, three losses, and a tie, allowing them to go through to the district quarterfinals and try to win their first-ever district trophy. Led by senior captains Lucas Keller, Beltran Marotta, and Pedro Mendez, the 2022-23 Boys’ soccer team have entered the history books as the first MAST Soccer team to remain undefeated at home in an entire regular season, with five wins and a single tie.

This home record came from solid defensive work, as they conceded only four goals in six games at home. This 1.2 goals conceded per game rate is almost half the amount conceded in the 2021-2022 season. The team averaged 3.2 goals per game, a total of 45 goals in 14 games. 

MAST Makos also participated in the Greater Miami Athletic Conference (GMAC) tournament, coming in favored to win. But a heartbreaking 2-1 loss against Columbus in the semifinals knocked the Makos out. Dreams of bringing the GMAC trophy home for the first time since 2017 were crushed. 

The soccer team cruised through the quarterfinals with an astonishing  8 – 0 performance against Killian. 

Disqualifying MAST from districts in the 2019-20 campaign 4-1 and then again in the 2021-22 campaign 2-1, Gulliver was deemed the favorite to win the upcoming semifinal game. 

But after a freekick goal from Lucas Keller that tied the game, 2-2, and a last-minute penalty save from senior goalkeeper Jorge “Ginger” Feijoo that took the game to extra time, the game was pushed in MAST’s favor. Feijoo’s saves sealed MAST’s spot in the district finals for the first time since the 2014/15 campaign.  

Ready to make history and win districts for the first time ever, our makos faced off against the undefeated state champions, St. Brendan. MAST had an incredibly strong start leading 2-0 after the first quarter; however, before half-time, St. Brendan was able to score twice. But MAST Senior Luka Szymanski was also able to score twice, leaving the scoreboard 4-2 in MAST’s favor before the break. 

Szymanski then went on to complete a hat trick, racking up his goal tally to 4 in the final. The game ended 6-3, crowning MAST as champions of their district for the first time in history. After a fairytale ending to their season campaign, the boy’s soccer team will now go on to try and win states, which was not something they even considered possible at the beginning of their 2022-23 campaign.

A run to the state final was not to be, as the team was knocked out of that tournament by Key West in a 1-1 draw that was decided on penalty kicks, 4-2. The Conchs would advance, but the Makos can rest easy knowing they made history this year.