BY BRAD ANDERSON ‘18
When first tossing on their warm ups for this years upcoming season, the Saint Ignatius Soccer team wore a crest topped with eight stars. Those eights stars, representing each of the State Championships won in the last fifteen years, set a precedent in soccer around the state and the nation. Saint Ignatius expects excellence. The school expected no different from this set of men.
Composed of fourteen sophomores, six juniors, and three seniors, they were one of the youngest Ignatius teams in years. This led many to doubt their skills. More doubters started to appear when the Wildcats lost early in the season during Jesuit Cup to St. Xavier 4-2. This was the first loss in 61 games, the longest streak in the program’s history. The Cats came back with a 7-game unbeaten streak of their own. Their most impressive win of this streak came at the hands of Lake Catholic, winning 9-0. As the Wildcats’ season wore on, the team got stronger and more experienced. A few tough games such as the draw against University School and lost to Dublin Coffman 5-2 tested the team’s toughness.
The Cats finished the regular season 15-4-3, earning themselves the top spot in the Parma District bracket. The Cats saw good contributions from the entire squad, and a late season change to the starting formation made junior Bryce Horton the breakout striker of the season. His most special goal scored in double overtime against University School, sending the Soccer Cats into the state final four. Bryce added pace and strength that made him a headache for defenders.
Matthew McLaughlin and his ability to control the ball made him the man to beat on nearly every kick from spot. Corners, free kicks long and far, direct and indirect, Matt was the man for the job. His most impressive goal was a curled in corner into the top right without a touch from anyone else. Working with Matt in the middle, senior Kevin Shearer started to shine late in the season with his ability to win headers and body players off the ball. Nicknamed the “villain” for how much he irritated his opponents, he was a tough man to handle in the middle. Assistant coach Dan Crew described him as “the find of the season.” Shearer started off the season with small minutes then worked his way to a consistent starter.
The Wildcats held a strong defense all season, holding their opponents to 23 regular season goals and 4 playoff goals. The back was led by senior captain Alex Rohr, an anchor in the middle of the defense. With his long legs and high soccer IQ, he was the backbone of the Wildcat team. His abilities earned him a spot on the All-Ohio team. One of the best qualities of this young team was its depth. Impact substitutions like Henry Curtis, Theo Kudlo, Everett Shorey, and Daniel Kalic added sparks to the team when needed. Switches came often and gave Wildcats’ starters breathers.
The Wildcats started their playoff run in perfection, as Valley Forge fell to the Cats 11-0 in the second round. This surged the Cats forward through many other easy games, most notably a 2-0 win over the Lakewood Rangers on a cold night at the same time as the St. Edward football game. Eventually the Wildcats were met with a skilled University School team during the Regional Final and were really tested for the first time in the playoffs. The Wildcats held the majority of the possession but couldn’t break through the defense. Finally, Horton’s late heroics sent the Wildcats fans screaming. A goal off of a Matt McLaughlin’s cross made Horton the player of the game. Only the Medina Bees stood in the way of the Wildcats’ fifth consecutive state final. Unfortunately, the scoreboard didn’t reflect the hard-fought match as the wildcats season ended a game early losing to the Bees 2-0.
A team that many counted out early, the Cats fought and battled through diversity, injuries, and losses to be the part of the final four of the state. As most schools would be up in triumph for a top four finish, the Wildcats were disappointed with the lost. They held their chins high as the walked off the field one last time together that cold November night. With only three players not returning next year, head coach Mike McLaughlin ‘85 plans to take this young team higher and pursue that 9th star next year.
