At the midway point of the league schedule, both the boys and girls Southeast Conference soccer races remain wide open. With a 2-0 win over New Bedford, the Brockton boys hold a slim lead at 3-1, while Durfee and New Bedford, having played to a draw, are on the Boxers’ heels at 2-1-1. The Durfee girls meanwhile pulled off a hard-fought, 1-0 victory over previously undefeated Bridgewater-Raynham to pull even in the standings at 3-1.

After getting off to a slow, 1-3 start, the Durfee girls have come around, winning their last three games to improve to 4-3 overall under first-year head coach Hayden Tavares. That run includes not only the win over B-R but also a 2-1 victory over the SEC’s other perennial power, Dartmouth. The Lady Indians and Brockton are still very much in the thick of it at 2-2 in league action.

In the win over B-R, Durfee controlled much of the first 15 minutes and jumped on top when junior Liv Rumsey won the race to the rebound of a diving save by the Lady Trojans’ keeper and buried it in the back of the net. B-R picked up the pace toward the end of the half, managing several shots, including one that caromed off the crossbar.

The second half was all B-R, as Durfee found itself playing defense against a relentless Lady Trojan attack. With the field seemingly tilted in its favor, B-R maintained consistent pressure, including the game’s final frantic minute, when the Lady Trojans had a handful of repeated corner kick opportunities. They failed to bury the equalizer however, as the Hilltopper defense staved off the relentless pressure to secure the win. Sophomore Ava Amaral posted the clean sheet in goal.

The Brockton boys managed to stay atop the standings with their shutout win over the Whalers. Midway through the first half, junior Alexandro Moreira put the Boxers on top with a goal. In the second half, Brockton converted a corner kick to double its lead. Junior Anthony Pina Santos was able to head in a ball off the foot of Moreira.

Current league standings: