Unforgettable Experience

HARVARD – In the waning moments of overtime of the Division 5 state high school soccer championship game, Bromfield defender Geraghty Vellante found an opening in the Douglas defense and made a quick pass to his teammate, midfielder Amlyl AitDowd, who moved the ball into the box.

AitDowd’s drive caused the defenders to shift and leave senior forward Ryan McNulty open. AitDowd, recognizing the momentary lapse in defensive coverage, quickly passed the ball to the open McNulty who promptly kicked the ball into the back of the net to clinch the win and another state title for the Trojans in the 1-0 victory.

The play proved to be McNulty’s last ever kick as a member of Bromfield soccer team, a program that goes beyond the high school playing field. Soccer is part of the fabric of the Harvard community and it will be a moment he will never forget.

“I don’t think I could ask for anything else, you know?” McNulty said about the title-winning moment as he reflected back on his soccer career in the town. “Having the last kick of my career be the one that gives us the trophy, it doesn’t get any better than that. It’s really just been a great ride.”

His soccer journey for Bromfield may be over, but it was a trip that began early on with youth soccer in the town. Although he became captain of the Bromfield varsity high school team, led the team in scoring throughout the regular season and playoffs, he had an inauspicious start with the sport.

Ryan McNulty with his mom and the state championship trophy. Submitted photo

Kyounghee McNulty, Ryan’s mother, remembers her son shying away from contact at an early age. “He had a little bit of fear of his body colliding with another player,” she said. “So, his reaction on the field when he was younger was a little bit scared. Whenever the ball came close, he would kind of move or step back a little bit and that lasted for a while. But as he grew older, his fear gradually disappeared and he became more confident.”

Ryan said he was not as quick, agile, or as big as the other players his age. He was even cut from the varsity team his freshman year. When I was younger, I definitely was not as quick as I am now,” he said. “I never was really fast. I had to rely on dribbling and making moves to get by faster players. I definitely struggled with that. So, I wasn’t naturally gifted with speed, which I think helped me later on ‘cause once I gained that agility and quickness, my dribbling was already pretty good. When I got cut from the varsity team because of my size and my speed and my physicality, I had a whole year on JV to acclimate to it.”

Ryan worked on his soccer skills so much that season, he was called up to varsity for the playoffs. By his sophomore season, he was a starter. “I think during the time between the summer of freshman year and the beginning of sophomore year where I definitely improved a lot in almost my entire game. The work allowed me to become a starter on a championship winning team that year. I think just growing up through the town team and working hard on my game on JV honestly helped me evolve as a player. I definitely changed as a player and improved.”

Ryan is quick enough to beat players to the ball, but there is always someone faster. Although his soccer skills have improved, it is

Bromfield senior captain Ryan McNulty scores his first goal of the 2021 postseason with this shot against Maynard. Photo by Kevin Paul Saleeba

his “soccer sense” and knowledge of the game that sets him apart from his opponents. “Having good soccer sense, I think, is really important for players to have. I’ve seen players who are naturally gifted with just athletic ability, but they don’t see the gaps in defenders, and they can’t really see the trajectory of some of the passes, but I think that’s probably my biggest attribute. I think that’s a really big part of my game. I don’t always try to run by players. I don’t just try to kick the ball forward and beat them with speed, but I’d rather just slow the game down and check my surroundings and make the right play … I try to play more of a thinking game, slow it down when I get the ball, check where my teammates are and then see where the best play is to be made.”

Ryan and his team have always made the right plays his entire high school career. The only year Ryan was not on a state championship team was in 2020 because the state championship was canceled due to COVID restrictions. Regardless of where he practiced or where he played games, every step of the way, his parents were there to be his biggest supporters.

“It’s been a fun ride,” said Brian McNulty, Ryan’s dad. “Ryan has had a lot of moments in his life. Obviously, it culminates by being calm and collective when it counts the most. I mean, he’s always been amazing as far as his attitude and how he approaches a game and in life. Ultimately, he seems pretty calm and collected all the time. He never gets flustered out there.

“Obviously, he’s my kid,” he said. “He’s the only one I have. I mean, I have a special affinity towards this particular season and his whole career [at Bromfield] and I’m gonna miss watching him play here, but I couldn’t be any prouder.”

Kyounghee said she is proud of the role model Ryan has become for the younger soccer players in town. This season, he did his service project with the Harvard Youth Soccer Club where he tried to pass on his soccer knowledge to the kids.

“A lot of parents appreciate Ryan,” she said. “The little players became fans of Ryan and at one of the games, my husband heard them say, ‘oh, when I become a varsity player or high school player, I wanna be number fourteen like Ryan.’ That really was such a heartwarming comment for me.”

His team’s success at Bromfield has become a major source of pride for Ryan, as well. The identity of Bromfield High School and the town of Harvard is wrapped up into the town’s soccer program. He is happy to be a small part of that legacy.

Ryan McNulty finished his high school career with an overtime goal in the title game. Photo by Kevin Paul Saleeba

“When I was younger, obviously I grew up watching the varsity team,” Ryan said. “And I used to think like, ‘oh my God, playing at that level and for the school would be so awesome!’ And I saw amazing players for our school and they did great things when they won championships … So, there were definitely a lot of emotions, because running through my whole career, I had to live up and match some of these great players and I hope that I set that same example for the younger players coming in next year.”

Now that his high school soccer career is over, reflecting back on his last kick and goal for Bromfield, Ryan could not help express feelings of nostalgia and sentimentality.

“Obviously, it’s been bittersweet,” he said. “I mean, the soccer program has been my whole life. I’ve put so much effort into it and for it to end this way is just amazing to me. I don’t think I could ask for anything else, you know? … It still has not hit me fully. I mean, these last couple weeks have been a whirlwind. Lots of celebrating. Lots of just laughing with teammates and we still see each other every day. And we’re still celebrating in the hallways, so you know, it is bittersweet, but I think overall it’s more sweet than bitter, for sure.”

After his team won the championship, Ryan said he will have fond memories of coming home on the bus and being greeted by five or six police cars and firetrucks to be escorted back to school. The next day at school they were cheered on by their fellow students and teachers. “That bit of recognition for all the hard work we put into this season felt good,” he said. “But we had to just act cool and just, you know, take it all in. And yeah, we carried the trophy around for a bit. I had it in my house for a couple of days. Good memories!”

Ryan is now exploring his options to play soccer at the collegiate level, although he is undecided. But soccer is not his only interest. He is a member of his school’s varsity hockey team. He also has several interests outside the realm of sports. He plays the piano and oboe and enjoys math, science, and his public speaking classes.

Before he looks ahead to a bright future in college, Ryan said he was going to miss playing with his fellow Bromfield captains, Vellante and Cameron Avola. “Unfortunately, Geraghty got hurt for a good chunk of the season,” he said. “He was really a leader out there and it showed the second he came back into our lineup. Our gameplay excelled, and everyone was more confident ‘cause he’s talking in the back. I mean soccer is a vocal sport … He was our voice.”

Ryan said Avola may not show up in the scoresheet all the time, but his strong work ethic set a tone for the team. “He is the hardest worker on our team for sure … When he was cut from varsity a few years ago, he did something about it. He took time after practices and grinded it out with coaches. They would stay after with him and no one expected him to be a starter and he’s a captain now. He is just someone to model ourselves after.”

Most of all, Ryan will remember the friendships he has made through the years. “I’ve played with a lot of the kids on our varsity team my whole life,” he said. “We’ve gone through the whole town system playing together. I see them at school every day. It’s a small school so we’re in the same classes, so you know I’ll miss everyone. But probably I’ll especially miss the seniors. I spent my whole life with them in one aspect or another. They’re really great guys and great soccer players, too. It’s really fun to win with your friends and we had fun doing it, for sure. I will never forget this experience.”