Perseverance paid off for the Mariner Comets U19 soccer team who took home the Massachusetts Tournament of Champions title this summer after falling short the previous three years.

The team defeated Tyngsboro 1-0 last month and it was recognized at halftime of the New England Revolution’s July 12 game in Gillette Stadium.

The team advanced deep in the tournament in previous years; however, Head Coach Dave Francis said the Mariner Comets were prepared to make a run at the championship title.

“This team defines the word perseverance,” Francis said. “It took a huge commitment to stay together all these years to make this happen. We’ve experienced a lot of previous success competing at [the tournament], but this is the first time we walked away as a state champion.” Francis and his Assistant Coach Mike Bouvette have coached the team for the past 12 years.

On its way to the championship game, the team faced Auburn, Dracut and Kingston. Most of the girls on the Mariner Comets are from the tri-town.

Auburn was dispatched 2-1 on a goal that arrived in the final ten minutes of the game courtesy of Hannah Walsh. She tapped in the winning goal on an assist from Kayli Berche, the 2012 South Coast High School Player of the Year.

Dracut and Kingston were beat 3-0 and 2-0, respectively. Next up, Tyngsboro – a team that soundly beat Auburn 6-0 in its previous game.

“Going into that game, we were somewhat familiar with Tyngsboro having defeated them last year. They have a high-powered attack and many of their players play at the collegiate level. Although we were playing strong defensively, I knew adjustments would need to be made to contain their speed and attack,” Francis said.

One hour before the match, Francis adjusted the team’s defensive formation by moving an offensive player to the backfield.

“It was important to get buy-in from the entire team,” he said. “Once they understood the logic, the team was on board and I gained the added confidence that it would work.”

The game started slowly as both teams struggled to control possession of the ball. Late in the first half, Michaela Bouvette was fouled resulting in a penalty kick for the Mariner Comets.

Francis chose Bouvette to take the kick. She had been in a similar situation before. This spring, she won a tournament game for the Old Rochester Lady Bulldogs on a penalty kick in sudden death overtime.

After the score, Mattapoisett’s Alex Gordon kept Tyngsboro from scoring as she tended goal.

This is the first time in nearly 25 years that a Mariner Club Team brought back a championship title.