Tip of the cap to La Salle, Smithfield and Johnston.
Those three boys soccer programs have already achieved something in this 2026 season. The Rams, Sentinels and Panthers have secured the No. 1 seeds in their respective playoff fields, which will begin play this week.
La Salle closed with a 4-0 shutout of Chariho in a rare Friday night showcase, handing the Chargers a first loss of the season. That knocked Chariho down one spot and set up a potential semifinal between the Rams and rival Bishop Hendricken – what a tasty occasion that would be if both teams advance.
Defending champion Barrington and North Kingstown could be headed for a rematch one round earlier this time, with the Eagles outlasting the Skippers on penalty kicks to lift the 2025 crown. East Providence and Lincoln also closed above the .500 mark and should be considered dangerous at the top level.
Smithfield climbed ahead of Scituate to top its league table thanks to a closing 2-0 win at Classical. It was just a second defeat of the season for the Purple, who would be a tough semifinal opponent for the Spartans if the seedings hold. Mt. Hope, Coventry, Narragansett, Tiverton, Central Falls and Cranston East all finished .500 or better – that makes for a deep pool of contenders starting in the quarterfinals of that draw.
Johnston is the only boys team without a defeat entering the playoffs, and Ponaganset has jumped ahead of Exeter-West Greenwich for the No. 2 seed in that field. Defending champion Toll Gate lines up against the Panthers in the semifinals while Middletown, Davies, Providence Country Day and Woonsocket could all spoil the party at the top.
With the playoffs starting this week, we offer this note – this will be the final Player of the Week poll until the middle of November. The next will decide the premier performer over two weeks of the postseason. That also won't determine All-State, the Player of the Year at our annual June show downtown or your college future. We're just here as always to highlight your accomplishments in a given week and shed a little light on performers throughout all three divisions.
Who won last week's poll?
Damian Monteiro was our winner last week with 69.1% of the vote, an impressive margin for the East Providence attacker. He netted a pair of goals apiece in a 3-1 victory over Bishop Hendricken and a 5-3 triumph over East Greenwich, helping the Townies build some momentum into the last week. They were a semifinalist last year and open the preliminary round hosting Cumberland in a 6 p.m. start Monday night.
We need your help
Expect to see your name here and didn't find it? Could be a couple reasons for that. First among them – we need to hear about how your games went every night, and we're asking for some help with that. Our staff would love to be everywhere all at once, but it's simply not possible.
Coaches and athletic administrators – home or away – are asked to contact us with their results every time you play. This is recognition for your players and communities, and we’re happy to offer it. We just need some cooperation, and we hope that’s not too difficult.
We can’t take submissions from parents, family or club coaches. We appreciate your passion and interest, but we’d like to keep this as official as possible. Please reach us via phone Monday through Friday from 6-10 p.m. at (401) 277-7340 or via email at pjsports@providencejournal.com. Thanks in advance to everyone who will be in contact with us throughout the season.
Our next five nominees are here. Voting in the online poll ends later this week. Phone calls, emails and social media contact won’t be considered. Logging into this story and participating through the link provided is your only option.
With that, on to the nominees.
Meet the nominees for The Providence Journal Boys Soccer Player of the Week
Merritt Birbiglia, Barrington
Birbiglia scored the lone goal for the Eagles in a finals rematch with North Kingstown, a 1-1 draw last week. He also set up one of Ollie Cope's two goals in a 2-0 shutout of Moses Brown. Barrington enters the playoffs as the No. 2 seed.
Collin Etheridge, Ponaganset
The Chieftains are in good form entering the Division II playoffs, rising to the No. 2 seed in the Division III field. Etheridge netted two goals in a 4-3 win over Davies and added an assist in a 3-0 shutout of Middletown, two victories over programs Ponaganset could see over the next two weeks.
Brayden Jenison, North Kingstown
Jenison starred in a pair of rivalry matches for the Skippers last week. He netted the opening goal in what turned out to be a 3-0 shutout of Bishop Hendricken and hit for another pair of goals and an assist in a 5-0 cruise past South Kingstown.
Liev Russo, Narragansett
Russo continues to be in red-hot form up front for the Mariners. He scored one goal and set up another in a 2-1 win over Tiverton and racked up a hat trick along with an assist in a 6-1 victory over Prout.
Sebastian Santos, Smithfield
Santos netted a goal in each match last week, two important victories to give the Sentinels the top seed in Division II. He scored in a 4-0 shutout of Pilgrim and added some insurance on a rebound as Smithfield held off Classical, 2-0.
On X: @BillKoch25
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Who should be The Providence Journal Boys Soccer Player of the Week? Vote now