The 2024 ISL campaign opened on a chilly and wet Saturday in Concord, as Middlesex hosted St. Mark's.  Olly Mylon took advantage of isolation to drive at a St. Mark's defender and draw a penalty that Bryan Mayhew dispatched in the 3rd minute for the early lead.  St. Mark's showed great resolve over the next stretch of play and earned a corner kick in the 15th minute.  Hugo Owens' service found the head of Braylon Kim, who looped the ball over the Middlesex defense and into the far corner to knot the score at 1-1.  With renewed energy and compact defensive organization, St. Mark's kept the game in front of them until the dying minutes of the first half.  Mylon was brought down in the area for a second time in the 43rd minute and Mayhew made no mistake with his spot kick to advance the score to 2-1 for Middlesex.  Within two minutes, Mylon drove a ball to the near post that Colin Hope was able to flick over the keeper and into the net for a 3-1 halftime lead.  The visiting Lions stayed resolute and organized in the second half until Adriano Valmora pounced on a pass from Baze Kalisa and hit an early shot that ricocheted into the net in the 65th minute.  Co-captain Bear Tibbitt closed out the scoring with a near post shot to the roof of the net from a feed by Valmora.  There was a lot of energy and intensity on display and St. Mark's Moussa Seydi stood out for his tough tackling and leadership.  Olly Mylon earned man-of-the-match honors for Middlesex with a tireless effort and dangerous runs behind the defense.