VIDEO: Joey Carney’s OT goal lifts OA boys soccer to title
Joey Carney’s goal lifted the Oliver Ames boys soccer team to a Division 2 state title.
LYNN ― This was the reason Oliver Ames High senior Joey Carney came back.
The soccer star initially accepted an offer to play in MLS Next in May, which would have ended his career with the OA boys soccer team. But over the summer he changed his mind, committed to play soccer at Bentley University, and returned to the Tigers.
In the Division 2 state championship on Saturday, Carney and the Tigers collected their second consecutive title in thrilling fashion as he delivered an overtime winner in a 1-0 win over Wakefield.
“I just really wanted to come back and play for my hometown for my senior season,” said Carney, who rejoined the team a week before training camp in August. “I just knew I had to come back.”
On the winning goal 3:30 into the first extra frame, Carney weaved through a pair of defenders and found space to his right to sneak a low shot inside the far post to beat Wakefield goalkeeper Andrew Valley, who was stellar all game.
For the celebration, Carney ripped off his shirt, mimicking teammate Craig Churchill when he scored the overtime winner in a 2-1 semifinal win over Melrose, and sprinted to celebrate with the Tigers’ fan section. That group had about a dozen people donning body paint instead of shirts in the blustery conditions.
Carney was awarded a yellow card for the celebration.
“I didn’t see it,” joked OA coach John Barata. “Give me the yellow, I’ll take it. Joey ends his career with a yellow, an amazing goal and a back-to-back title. We’ll trade it off.”
Carney’s return was a huge addition for the Tigers. In addition to graduating a strong senior class from the 2022 title team, All-American Casey Millikien went to MLS Next and Andrew Martins transferred to prep school Noble and Greenough.
“The whole season changed when Joey came back because it gave us this attacking threat,” said Barata. “Then we knew Luke (Churchill) would come back (from injury) healthy at the end of October.”
More: It’s tourney time: Follow all South Shore high school MIAA playoff scores right here
Until Carney’s tally, Saturday was a frustrating day for the Tigers. OA held a heavy edge in chances and had limited Wakefield to one true scoring chance, according to Barata. Still the game was 0-0 at the end of regulation.
“We deserved to win,” said Barata. “Sometimes we may not, but they didn’t have one actual shot on goal. The concern with that, though, is we’ve still got to go overtime.”
Although OA kept Wakefield’s Darragh Casey and Jack Millward under control, the Warriors nearly struck first. In the 71st minute, OA goalkeeper Drew Hall mishandled a ball in the box. Millward collected it and fired a shot at the goalie-less net, but Diego Rivera was there to clear the ball off the line.
“Diego’s one of the best center-backs, one of the best defenders I’ve ever played with,” said Carney. “I’m so happy for him to get such a crucial play for us.”
More: FOLLOW LIVE: Massachusetts high school football semifinal scores and highlights
Rivera also had a similar play in the first half, clearing another potential goal off the line.
Rivera and Jackson Mercieri led the way defensively from their center-back positions. Nicky Babanikas, Luke Churchill and Craig Churchill were also key.
“They were absolute legends in my mind and they pulled off a legendary back-to-back,” said Barata of his team’s third state title since 2015.
