IN WHAT WAS A TRUE TEST OF WILLS, SAINT IGNATIUS WINS ITS FIFTH CONSECUTIVE DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIP AND MOVES ON TO FACE MASSILLON JACKSON IN TUESDAY'S REGIONAL SEMIFINAL IN RAVENNA AT 7 P.M.
BY EDDIE DWYER, COPYRIGHT OCTOBER 2011
The storied West Side rivalry between the Saint Ignatius Wildcats and the St. Edward Eagles has had moments that are now legendary, including a one-point triple-overtime victory by the state and national champion football Wildcats of 1993 and a six-overtime triumph by the Eagles in a district level ice hockey game in 2009.
Thursday night, under a dry, but brisk late October sky at Wasmer Field, the soccer teams from Saint Ignatius and St. Edward took their rivalry to another level before Saint Ignatius prevailed, 1-0, in the second 15-minute "Golden Goal" overtime of a Division I district-final match up.
The Wildcats (18-1), the defending big-school state champions, and the Eagles (13-4-2), who have a program that is approaching that championship level, challenged each other for nearly 108 minutes before versatile junior midfielder Nate Fahey sent home a rebound with 2 minutes, 38 seconds remaining in the second overtime.
After an authoritative shot on goal by gifted senior midfielder/forward Preston Spurrier bounced away from St. Edward's standout junior goal keeper Stuart Ford, the savvy and speedy Fahey was there for his follow and his ninth goal of the season.
Just seconds after Fahey sent the ball into the back of the Lorain Avenue net, the Saint Ignatius student body, which was part of an outstanding youth and adult crowd at Wasmer Field, joined the soccer 'Cats in a jubilant celebration on the field that included the singing of the Jesuit Preparatory School's Alma Mater.
Years from now, those in attendance on Thursday night will sing the praises of both teams and the amazing talent and endless will they displayed.
"During the interval between the first and second overtime Coach (Mike McLaughlin '85) told us to just hammer it on net, to just hit it as hard as we can and hope that Ford drops it," said Fahey. "Spurrier just ripped it, he (Ford) dropped the ball and I was there to clean it up.
"I can't describe it," Fahey continued. "It's just one of those feelings that when you beat Eds in dramatic fashion, it's just indescribable."
Today, they describe it as leaving it all on the field. But what the Wildcats and the Eagles left on Wasmer Thursday night was immeasurable.
With Ford keying St. Edward's resilient defense with one remarkable save after another, including a highlight-reel stretch of five consecutive diving saves in the first overtime, and Saint Ignatius, playing without talented sophomore midfielder Alec Nagucki (concussion), displaying its trademark team defense, it appeared the rivals might play into the wee hours of the morning.
The other key element to the Eagles' defense was the decision to focus on Wildcats brilliant senior midfielder/ forward Matt Foldesy, who has 17 goals and 15 assists this season. With senior midfielder Sean O'Donnell shadowing the University of Akron recruit, St. Edward even double- and triple-teamed Foldesy when the opportunity presented itself.
"They played unreal, one of the best games I've ever seen them play," said Fahey of Coach Tony Dore's Eagles. "This makes us stronger as a team. We know that we have to step our game up and play even harder to keep advancing."
While both teams saw opportunities slip away in the 80-minute regulation, it came down to what Coach McLaughlin described as realizing what you're all about.
"They gave us everything we could handle," said the man who has guided Saint Ignatius to four Division I state championships and two national titles. "We play tough games during the regular season so we get tested, get exposed and make ourselves stronger. These guys tested us like nobody has tested us all year.
"They (St. Edward) went hard and it didn't stop. We had a difficult time getting into a rhythm and that's a credit to them. They marked Foldesy out of the game, so it was difficult to find him.
"But we didn't stop," McLaughlin continued. "We could have started bickering at each other, but we just kept working and working. Wow, what a game. That was a classic, a real classic."
Saint Ignatius finished 2-0 against the Eagles this season, as the 'Cats also defeated St. Edward, 2-0, in a regular season encounter at Wasmer Field on Sept. 21.
NOTE: For those of you wondering, the end result of the emotional incident late in the game that saw Wildcats outstanding senior defender and Co-Captain Zach Martin thrown to the ground, shaken up and helped off the field could have ended up with both teams being issued a red card.
Coach McLaughlin and his staff were satisfied with the explanation and decision by the officials who were working the game. They decided that instead of issuing red cards and removing a player from each team from the game, they would play on.
Coach McLaughlin emphasized that it was a good decision on the part of the officials, not only for Thursday night's game, but for future games. Under the OHSAA rules, if a player is ejected he or she is ineligible to participate in the next two games.