Yesterday evening, the Wildcats went face to face against one of the top teams in Ohio, the Massillon Jackson Polar Bears. The team kicked off their season with 3 wins, 1 draw, and 0 losses.
The Wildcats looked to change that on Friday in the season opener, with plenty of younger talent and a fresh season coming for them. Head Coach Mike McLaughlin ‘85 had a lot to work with this year, after last year’s class graduated a whopping 16 seniors last year. With new and exciting personnel, the Soccer Cats looked to kick the season off with a win.
The game started with some quick offensive chances from both sides; Jackson’s Evan Wilson and AJ Jaberm and Saint Ignatius’ Marko Rimac and Luciano Pechota bringing them up for the teams early on. The Wildcats did a good job of keeping themselves composed, and came close to getting multiple chances in on goal. In the 15th minute, the Wildcats finally broke the barrier.
On the ride side of the pitch, Marko Rimac slotted in a through ball to sophomore Nolan Spicer. Nolan dribbled in nicely and laced a nice shot front post into the bottom corner. The Wildcats took a solid 1-0 lead with 25 minutes remaining in the half.
The rest of the half slowed down offensively for both sides, with most of the action coming in the middle of the pitch with both sides trying to gain possession of the ball.
During the half, Coach McLaughlin talked to his boys about maintaining pressure, a staple of the Ignatius tactics for years and years.
In the second half, about 17 minutes in, the Wildcats struck again with another goal.
With a slow build-up from the back, Wildcats midfielder Luciano Pechota slotted in another through ball from the middle of the park yet again to sophomore Nolan Spicer. Spicer kept his composure with a few touches on the ball and finished nicely into the bottom left corner.
The rest of the game was filled with plenty of chances for both sides, particularly on the wings of the pitch. The Wildcats missed narrowly several times.
Nothing much else happened, with a final score of 2-0, the Wildcats won their first game of the season.
“I’m so excited we got the chance to play them...we played them and we did something special,” remarked Coach Mike McLaughlin. “We graduated one of our finest classes last year, and these boys haven’t missed a beat.”
I had asked Coach McLaughlin for a word about Spicer, who had scored both goals last night. “He’s a special player… he’s not the biggest guy on the field, but when the ball is at his feet, he knows that he’s in charge of what’s going on.”
With an all-round great effort by the team, and a masterclass shut-out brought to you by senior captain Liam Sowell, the lads are ready for a fulfilling and successful season.
The Wildcats will play their next game on Thursday, September 10 against Copley at 7 p.m.
A clean sweep
The JV B Cats won the first game for new JV B head coach John Rowell '11, with a 2-0 victory.
The JV A Cats also began the season on a high note, ushered by JV A coach Jim Brennan '85, with a dominant 3-0 triumph.