By Mr. Eddie Dwyer, Copyright Credit September 2016

Cleveland, Ohio - During halftime of Thursday night's Varsity Soccer matchup between Ohio's top-ranked Saint Ignatius Wildcats and the state's 10th-ranked Copley Indians on the pitch at Wasmer Field, Wildcats nationally acclaimed Head Coach Mike McLaughlin '85 urged his team to put their stamp on the final 40 minutes of play.

The two-time defending and record seven-time state champion Soccer 'Cats got the message and, after reigning Ohio Player of the Year, senior forward/captain Steve Milhoan, and senior midfielder Thomas Hogan staked the 'Cats to a two-goal lead in the first 40 minutes, that stamp was sealed with authority in the second half.

Saint Ignatius, extending its unbeaten streak to 43 matches and improving its overall record to 6-0-1, rode an authoritative goal by senior midfielder Johne Vrablic and another scoreboard lighter from the ever-present Milhoan to a 4-0 advantage with 8:38 remaining to be played.

Vrablic, who will be furthering his education and soccer career at Brown University, sent home a shot that almost tore a hole in the net of the Lorain Avenue goal. "A Vrablic rip" was how Coach McLaughlin described it.

Milhoan, a preseason All-American who is bound for Xavier University, scored his second goal on the night off an assist from senior forward Alexander Gotsky.

Those offensive efforts, combined with another strong night from the defense and big-match tested senior goalkeeper Lodge Dils, were a little more than the always sound Copley Indians could handle. The Indians now stand 5-2-1.

Saint Ignatius outshot Copley, 18-7. Dils was credited with three saves and the Indians' keeper, senior Jared Miller, had eight saves.

Copley, a team Coach McLaughlin sees as a possible state semifinal opponent in November, found the back of the net against the Wildcats' late-match rotations to make the final score 4-1. Doing the honors for the Indians was junior forward Evan Malpass.

Thursday night was a special one for the McLaughlin family, as ever so promising freshman midfielder Matthew McLaughlin, Coach McLaughlin's son, made his first start for the Varsity.

Coach McLaughlin had nothing but praise for Copley's senior midfielder Vinny Worner, telling his players at halftime that "everything goes through Vinny." Milhoan echoed Coach McLaughlin's praise, saying that Vinny is "a great kid and a great player."

Here is how Milhoan, senior defenseman/captain Adam Haas and Hogan looked at Thursday night's victory over the Indians.

From Adam Haas: "I think it was a great response from the team," Adam said, referring to the 'Cats coming off a 1-1 draw with Cardinal Gibbons (Raleigh, N.C.) last weekend. "It definitely brought our motivational level back up. Everyone was a little frustrated after the game Saturday (versus Cardinal Gibbons), but this was a great response. The boys came out and fought hard tonight. I thought it was a great performance.

"It wasn't just the back line, the whole team had a great defensive performance tonight," Haas continued. "Everyone was working hard getting back, talking and communicating."

From Thomas Hogan: "I just saw the ball floating up there," Thomas said of his smooth and composed header that gave the 'Cats a 2-0 lead with just under four minutes to play in the first half. "I saw the goalie was hesitating a bit and I knew I had to put it over. Right place, right time."

From Steve Milhoan: "I don't even like to look at it as a response, more of a step in the right direction," Steve said of Thursday night's victory. "Our goal is a state championship and there are going to be bumps along the road. We just have to stay strong. It was a good step, a good answer. We played our hearts out."

JV A 'CATS  REMAIN UNBEATEN: Coach Jim Brennan's outstanding Junior Varsity program trailed, 1-0, after sophomore River Harter sored for the Copley Jayvees (now 2-3-2) with 30 minutes and 31 seconds remaining in the first half.

It stayed that way until 'Cats freshman defenseman Gavan Richards knotted the score with 23:21 left to be played.

Keeping the Indians' offense under control, Coach Brennan's savvy for their age freshmen and sophomores sealed the deal on two goals by sophomore forward Kory Nekoloff , the second one coming with 1:29 to go.

UP NEXT: The 'Cats will travel to the pitch at Padua Franciscan High School on Tuesday to face their long-time opponent, the Bruins. Saint Ignatius and Padua have been matching soccer skills every season for nearly the past 40 years.

The JV matchup is scheduled for 5 PM, with the Varsity match to follow at approximately 7 PM.