The votes are in as the season comes to a close for the Scituate High School Girls Soccer team, and Coach Ross Maki was chosen as the Division II Patriot League Coach of the Year. He was honored with this award after the team earned a 15-4-2 record, the best the girls program has ever finished with.

    Voted by the other coaches in the Patriot League, including Duxbury, Middleboro, Quincy and Pembroke Maki is the winner. “It comes down to the amount of success you’ve had in your season, and if you won your respected section,” he said.

“This is something I’ve never gotten before,” Maki said. Not only did he receive this award for the first time in his ten years of coaching, the team achieved many other first time goals this 2011.

    As a coach, Maki recognizes the hard work of his team. “We had three goals this year for the girls,” he said. First, was to make State Tournament for the sixth consecutive year. Second, to win the Patriot League Fisher Divison. Third, to have many Patriot League All-Stars.

    Making Tournament again, winning the Fisher Division and awarding six All-Stars is what caused Coach Maki to congratulate his team on their success. He recognized that the Lady Sailors graduated a lot of great players last season, and wondered at first if his goals were set too high and if some of them could even be exceeded. But, with a season like they have had Maki knows that he owes his own success to his girls. “There wouldn’t be an award without them,” he said, “I’m very honored and excited, but this is a reflection of the team.”

    Having been involved in soccer since age eight or nine, Maki knows more than the basics. His keen knowledge of the game and excellent advice on the sidelines, during timeouts and during halftime is what helps his players continue to reach those high expectations. Sophomore goalie Meghan James said, “Mr. Maki is a great soccer coach, he really understands the sport and takes what we do wrong in the game and corrects it; that’s why we did so well this season.”

As a Business Education teacher in the school, he knows how to work well with students and he has a solid relationship with all of his players. “These are great girls, I’m very proud to be their coach.”