HOOKSETT – Having one team represent its school in a championship game is quite an accomplishment. When one school sends both its boys and girls soccer squads to its respective title rounds, it’s borderline mind-boggling.

At Cawley Middle School, the boys and girls soccer teams garnered plenty of attention for a pair of memorable seasons. Each team posted perfect 10-0 regular seasons in the Capital Area Soccer League, two first-round playoff byes, two title-round appearances and one well-deserved championship.

“Both teams had outstanding seasons,” said Cawley athletics director Jon Frazier. “They both played hard and they both played with enthusiasm. (Boys coach) Luis Reyes and (girls coach) Mark Brunelle did an outstanding job preparing their teams for the season.”

CHAMPS – The Hooksett Cawley Middle School boys soccer team capped an undefeated season by winning the Capital Area Middle School Soccer League championship. (Courtesy Photo)

The boys

For these Hawks, the ’04 campaign was a crowning achievement. After beating Bow, 5-1, and 3-0, during the regular season, Cawley made it a clean sweep with everything on the line.

After the boys saw their 3-0 lead evaporate on the strength of a furious Bow comeback, the game continued through two scoreless overtime sessions before Cawley outdueled the opposition in a penalty-kick shootout, 4-for-5 to 3-for-5.

“When we had that 3-0 lead I thought we had it in the bag,” said eighth-grade co-captain Colby Aiken. “But then we started to slack back because we already beat that team twice this season.”

“Yeah, that’s usually how it is with us,” said fellow eighth-grade co-captain Alex Reyes. “Sometimes we’d come into games a little too cocky.”

But once that lead dissolved, the boys got down to business, especially the team’s goalkeeper, Bryan Medeiros, according to the captains.

“He was great,” Reyes said. “His defense was really important because any shots at him, he’s gotta be able to dive or reach over the cross bar. Without that defense, you’re gonna get a lot of goals scored against you.”

With their clutch keeper between the pipes, the Hawks’ offense went to work in the shootout and brought home the school’s second boys title in three seasons.

Led by Aiken and Reyes, the boys team included eighth-graders Cole Alois, Brian Byrd, Kevin Germain, Hussein Jaber, Randy Mudge, Nicholas Phagan, Keith Pilotte and Kyle Thornton; seventh- graders Christopher Beauchesne, Chase Ciechon, Brendan Covey, Evan Graham, Medeiros and Adrian Reyes; and sixth-graders Taylor Sargent, David Scarpetti and Erik Shaw.

“We were a smaller team than the others,” Aiken said. “I guess we had more skill than them.”

FINAL APPEARANCE – The David R. Cawley Middle School girls soccer team took its undefeated regular-season record into the playoff finals, but fell to Bow, 4-0. (Courtesy Photo)

The girls

Although the girls had a hiccup against Bow in the championship match, 4-0, first-year player and eighth-grade co-captain Jennifer Bernsten said every athlete kept her head up.

“The championship game was most memorable for me,” she said. “It was an experience and something I will always remember. I’ll remember the people and how well we got along for being together such a short period of time.”

Fellow eighth-grade co-captain Elizabeth Belanger noticed the team was special right from the start when the Hawks beat Bow, 2-1, in the season opener.

“That first game was good,” Belanger said. “We came out and won even though none of us really knew each other or knew what we needed to do ... By the end of the season we had gotten to be so good together. We played really well.”

Both captains said they took the most pride in being part of a team where a player’s age or grade meant nothing; everyone was treated with respect and welcomed into the group.

“Nobody looked at another player and thought she wasn’t as good because of the grade she’s in,” Belanger said.

“We all had the same priorities,” Bernsten said. “Soccer is a big part of our lives, so we got along even though there were some age differences.”

Along with Belanger and Bernsten, the girls team included eighth-graders Sarah Barnes, Angela DeFreest, Michelle Fecteau, Dani Ithier, Kathryn Piszczek and Gabrielle Velasquez; seventh- graders Lindsay Johnson, Paige Morelli, Alyssa Nelson, Tanya Robidoux, Samantha Walker and Abby Wurtele; and sixth-graders Carly Auger, Taylor Frazier, Deven McKiernan and Sarah Velasquez.