LUKE BLADES AND YIANNI SARRIS FUEL A DOMINATE FIRST HALF, AS THE WILDCATS ELIMINATE THE RAIDERS AND ADVANCE TO THURSDAY'S DISTRICT FINAL AGAINST SOLON.
SAINT IGNATIUS COULD TAKE OVER THE TOP RANKING IN THE NATIONAL POLLS, WHICH WILL BE RELEASED ON TUESDAY.
POSTED ON 10/25/10 AT 11:41 P.M.
By Eddie Dwyer
Copyright, October 2010
Just moments before the traditional post-game prayer, Saint Ignatius soccer coach Mike McLaughlin '85 reminded his players that there are 32 Division I teams still alive in Ohio, and the undefeated Wildcats are among them.
Top-seeded Saint Ignatius, with gifted senior co-captains Luke Blades and Yianni Sarris showing the way on Monday night, took the second step in the path that leads to its ultimate postseason goals – state and national championships.
The 'Cats, with Blades and Sarris each scoring twice, took a 5-0 lead in the first 40 minutes, cleared their bench with just over 22 minutes left to be played and defeated the Shaker Heights Raiders, 6-2, in a district semifinal on Wasmer Field.
Saint Ignatius (18-0-0), the No.1-ranked team in Ohio and the second-ranked program in last week's national polls, will be seeking its 12th district championship since 1995 when it faces third-seeded Solon on Thursday at Wasmer Field. Game time will be 7 p.m.
Shaker Heights, which scored twice in the final 1 minute and 25 seconds, slipped to 10-5-3.
“Their game plan was to sit back, clearly,” said Coach McLaughlin. “They weren't even coming into our half of the field in the first half. They weren't pressuring the ball at all.
“They wanted us to press and press, and they were hoping to counter. They had a kid (David Anderson) up top who was really fast and they were looking to release him. Our focus is defense, just to shut teams down. And the offense is going to take care of itself.”
Playing their trademark relentless defense and attacking the Raiders' get-back approach, the Wildcats' offense erupted behind an authoritative shot by Blades. The Davidson recruit rocketed home his sixth goal of the season from about 25 yards out with the game less than seven minutes old.
Saint Ignatius pushed its lead to 2-0 on a goal by junior forward Matt Foldesy off a nice pass from sophomore forward Tyler Sanda. Foldesy's team-leading 16th net-finder of the season found the right corner, or the left side of the goalie, and came with just over 14 minutes remaining in the first half.
Three minutes later, the smooth and savvy Sarris got into the scoring act by sending his 12th goal into the net off some out-front hustle. Blades got his seventh off a header at the 5:58 mark, and Sarris closed out the take-charge first half by firing in a monster from 30 yards out. Yianni's 13th drew some oohs and ahhhs from the knowledgeable and sportsmanlike Shaker Heights faithful.
The Wildcats closed out their offensive production five minutes into the second half, as a hustling Sanda beat the goal keeper for his eighth tally of the fall.
Shaker Heights, which lost to the 'Cats for the sixth time in eight meetings overall, gave its fans something to remember by scoring twice in the final 85 seconds. Anderson and Khari Ferrell did the honors.
“We've got a pretty explosive offense,” Coach McLaughlin said. “I don't care if it's Brazil playing. If a team puts eight guys back in the box to defend, it's really hard to be patient and to look for openings. But we stuck to our plan of getting wide and serving it in. Once you score a few goals, then the game changes. It opens it up a little bit more.
“Solon is an up and coming program, they have some good young kids,” Coach McLaughlin said of Thursday night's matchup. “They are a group of hard working kids and they'll come fighting, that's for sure.”