**TAKING THE CUP:** The Hull Boys 7/8 Soccer Team is this year’s Coastal Cup champion after an incredible 1-0 overtime victory over Norwell last weekend. The team was welcomed back into town with a victory parade on Sunday afternoon. See page 7 of this edition for an account of the game and more sports news. [Courtesy photo]

Compiled by Matt Haraden

• It took 78 minutes, two scoreless regulation halves, a red card, and one perfectly placed chip over a helpless goalkeeper, but the wait was worth it. Coastal United’s 7-8 boys soccer team captured the South Coastal Cup Sunday, June 21, with a 1-0 golden-goal victory over Norwell, the kind of tense, low-scoring battle that turns a youth soccer match into the sort of afternoon a town remembers.

For the better part of an hour and 10 minutes, neither team could find the breakthrough. Two full 35-minute halves of regulation play came and went without a goal, both sides canceling each other out in midfield, neither willing to take the risk that might open the game up and leave them exposed at the other end. It was the kind of soccer that tests patience more than skill – disciplined, cagey, and tight from start to finish, with both defenses holding firm against everything the other side could generate. With the score still level after regulation, the match moved to golden-goal overtime: two five-minute periods, sudden death, first goal wins.

The tension on the sideline was unmistakable. Parents who had been chatting easily in the first half were on their feet, silent, watching every touch as if it might be the one that decided the championship. The turning point came midway through the extra session, when one of the opposing defenders, caught out of position and reacting in frustration, shoved a Coastal United attacker to the ground inside the penalty area. The referee’s whistle blew immediately, and after a brief discussion, out came the red card. The defender was sent off, leaving his team to play out the remainder of the game a man short and suddenly far more vulnerable in the back.

Hull wasted little time making the numerical advantage count. Just minutes later, with the opposing Norwell defense scrambling to cover the gap left by the ejected player, the ball found its way to Max Johnson, who slipped a pass through to teammate Eathan Medina in space near the top of the box. With the goalkeeper committed and inching off his line, Medina didn’t blast it. He chipped it – a delicate, confident touch that lifted the ball over the keeper’s outstretched hands and dropped it just under the crossbar and into the net. It was the only goal anyone would need. The bench emptied. Parents who had spent 70-plus minutes gripping the fence in nervous silence erupted.

For a team that had absorbed pressure all afternoon without flinching, the payoff arrived in the form of one clean, composed finish when it mattered most. Medina’s chip was the kind of shot that looks simple in the moment and gets harder to appreciate the more you think about it. Lobbing a goalkeeper under pressure, in a scoreless championship final, with a man advantage that still has to be converted into something tangible, requires a level of poise that’s rare to see from any player, let alone an eighth-grader playing in the biggest match of his young career. Johnson’s setup pass deserves equal credit – the kind of forward-thinking pass that exploits a defense still adjusting to playing down a man, threading the ball into exactly the space Medina needed to make the finish possible. Other noteworthy shoutouts were to the whole defensive line, which played flawlessly all game long. Jack O’Mara had many sweeping strikes, clearing the ball out of his half. PK Gunderson took charge and led the defensive line; his ability to read the ball and be there at the right time was a joy to watch. Cody Miller can throw the ball into orbit and does a phenomenal job of getting it out of Hull’s part of the field, bringing up the line for the midfielders and offensive team. Slava Rzhevskil, Liam Fahey, and Derek DelGallo all did an amazing job. Stellan Kilroe led the goal and the defensive line to ensure no goals were scored. The midfielders, too, fought tirelessly and never relented. They knew they had it in them and they would get it done. Applause for Henry Littlefield, Tristan Misdea, Eathan Medina, and Macklin Concannon. And last but not least, the offense – “Big Joe” Johnson and Max Johnson for their relentless attacks on the Norwell team. Jacob Greenburg for swerving in and around the opposing team, Charlie Montgomery’s impressive attacks, Big Finn Smith for being a force of nature and pushing the ball up the field throughout, Reefe Markowitz using his left foot to help give the Pirates the upper hand, and Macklin Concannon for getting last week’s lifesaver goal in the final minutes and for his endless energy in this game.

**THE WAY TO WIN:** The Hull Girls 7/8 Lacrosse team hosted the annual Jamboree by the Sea on June 14, welcoming teams from across the South Shore for a beautiful day of lacrosse at the high school and the Dust Bowl. The team turned in an impressive performance, going 4-0 on the day against a field of highly competitive opponents. [Courtesy photo]

• The Hull Youth Football Association is excited for another great year and organizers have been working hard planning for the upcoming season. Families are asked to register as soon as possible so that HYFA can plan accordingly. As many of you know, Hull has faced challenges with numbers in the last few years. With athletes playing multiple town sports, the rise of club sports, and other activities competing for schedules, it can be very difficult and time-consuming to keep the program running. The sooner families register, the better chance there is to make all seven teams work for the 2026 season.

For details and to register, visit https://clubs.bluesombrero.com/Default.aspx?tabid=465294

• Congratulations to the Hull Youth Baseball champions – D1 Minors team Hull Fire and D2 team Star Waste both wrapped up their seasons with a win in the league championship! Congratulations to all players and thank you to all of the coaches who dedicate their time to this program.

• Have you ever watched the sailboats out on the bay and wished you were there? Now is your chance! The Hull Yacht Club is offering adult sailing lessons to members and non-members. Upon completion of the learn-to-sail course, you will be able to handle a small boat, including rigging the boat, principles of sailing, safety equipment, and procedures and terminology.
Adult Learn-to-Sail classes will begin the week of June 29. There are multiple time slots available, with classes running for six weeks (one lesson per week).There is a minimum of two adults with no more than three adults per class. Tuition is $300. Class options are Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday mornings or afternoons from 10 a.m. to noon or 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Students are required to provide their own life jackets. The 2026 instructors are HYC members Claire Guerin, Joe O’Neil, and Charlie O’Connor. Register at https://hullyc.org.

• Coaches, league organizers, and superfans – We need your help to report the scores and results of the latest events in Hull’s sports world! Please send local sports news and photos to sports@hulltimes.com. Deadline is Wednesday at noon. When providing details of the games or races, please be sure to include the sport/team, the players’ full names, and the final scores. When sending photos, names (first and last) of those pictured are greatly appreciated, as well as who should get credit for taking the photo.

Thank you for your help!

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