Congratulations to head coach Mike McLaughlin '85 and his Wildcats varsity soccer team on an impressive 7-0 victory over Cleveland Heights at the Tigers' newly renovated Dennison Park Field on Wednesday night.

With the victory, the Wildcats improved to 8-0 and stretched their winning streak to 25 matches, a mark that dates back to last year's second consecutive state-championship season. The 'Cats have won 53 of their last 54 matches, with their last defeat coming in game six of last season, a 2-0 setback to Louisville, Kentucky St. Xavier at Wasmer Field. Saint Ignatius has not lost to a team from Ohio since the shootout setback to Gahanna Lincoln in the 2009 state championship game.

Providing the offense on Wednesday night were Colin Cleary, Alec Nagucki, freshman Lawrence Karpeh, Chris Pietrow with two goals, Bryan Leneghan and co-captain Ty Sanda.

HERE IS A RECAP OF THE SCORING, COURTESY OF ASSISTANT COACH JOE POPELKA '84.

Varsity Scoring 1st half: Sanda with 23:01 left from a cross from Matt Ivancic - a powerful strike with the right foot from corner of box 11m out.

Karpeh with 15:31 left--beautiful pass from Sanda to the right side of the box; Karpeh ran onto the ball, beat one man and finished to the far post--this was Karpeh's 1st varsity goal (he was on the field only 5 minutes at this point).

Pietrow with 30 seconds left in the half--another pass from Sanda--a beautiful back heel in heavy traffic in the box and Pietrow hammered it home for his first goal of the season.

2nd half: Cleary scored 19 seconds into the half after a scramble at the top of the box - a nice right footed strike from 20m out.

Nagucki scored a penalty kick - to his always comfortable right corner (his fourth of the season already) at 26:58.

Karpeh, after a crowd pleasing move to break away from two defenders, was taken down in the box to get the penalty - Leneghan 21:59., and Karpeh again electrified the crowd with a deft, no-look back heel touch to a wide open, breaking Leneghan who tapped in the finish.

Pietrow again from Sanda at 19:36.

Recap:
Goals--Pietrow 2; Sanda; Karpeh; Cleary; Nagucki; Leneghan
Assists--Sanda 3; Ivancic; Karpeh

Goalie Clark Gronik made the start--had 3 saves, but two were on breakaways

Several starters are still injured and did not start - David Sisson (broken arm), Nick Taljan (ankle) and new to the list co-Captain Nate Fahey (had some back pain and doctors still doing tests).

"We were the better team, but Heights played with high energy backed by a nice sized and vocal crowd complete with the Jamaican flag (three of their players are of Jamaican descent)." - Coach Popelka

JV game: 9-0, Saint Ignatius. JV 'Cats improve to 7-1.

Goals- Bobby Barsic 2 goals; Nick Malik; Zack Senft; Matt Nigro; Sam Brown; Aaron Zorij; Christian Stano (his first of the year) and Dean Miller (his first of the year).

NOTE: Only 14 minutes of the second half of the JV game were played, as four minutes minutes into the half the Cleveland Heights keeper was injured. He caught his leg in the turf going backwards and then banged his head on the post. An ambulance was called. The game was delayed for 30 minutes (as a result the game was shortened).

****Congratulations: Assistant Varsity Coach Dan Crew '99 returned to the sidelines yesterday after the birth of his first child Sunday - a baby girl Leyna Alexandra Crew. Mom and baby are doing well.

The soccer 'Cats, ranked No. 1 in the state and area polls, return home on Saturday afternoon to face the Hudson Explorers at 3 p.m.

****Next Wednesday night, it is the much-anticipated encounter with the St. Edward Eagles at St. Eds. In case you don't remember, the last time the Eagles and the Wildcats met in soccer Saint Ignatius came away with a dramatic Golden Goal victory in a district final at Wasmer Field last fall.

As we reported earlier in the week, Dr. Mike Gallagher's cross country team will be competing in the annual McDonough Invitational on Saturday and Coach Chuck Kyle's varsity football team, ranked No. 1 in the area and state polls, travels to Erie, Pennsylvania on Saturday to face Strong Vincent at 2 p.m. For a preview on the Strong Vincent game and the Wildcats' Players of the Week from the Mentor game, check out the corner's story below.