By Mr. Eddie Dwyer, Copyright Credit September /October 2016
Cleveland, Ohio - As always, Saint Ignatius' state and nationally acclaimed Head Soccer Coach Mike McLaughlin '85 offered no excuses in summing up Friday's scoreless tie with visiting St. Louis University High School as a night of missed opportunities.
The now 8-0-2 Wildcats, the top-ranked team in Ohio by the Coaches Association and the No. 1 ranked program nationally by USA Today and the Top Drawer Soccer SIMA Fab 50, found the defense employed by the Junior Billikens to be as advertised for most of the 80 minutes on the pitch at Wasmer Field.
"They were a really well organized team," Coach McLaughlin said of Saint Ignatius' Jesuit brothers from Missouri. "It was hard to get through them, but we did. We got through them and we traded chances, and we just didn't finish our chances.
"We've been working hard on just making sure we're playing smart and safe out of the back," continued the man who has guided his alma mater to a record seven OHSAA Division I state soccer championships and three national titles. "We gave them too many chances by playing casual in the middle part of the field. But give them (the Junior Bills) a lot of credit, they worked, they were organized and they made it difficult for us to break through them."
Saint Ignatius, carrying an unbeaten streak of 46 consecutive matches and seeking what would be an Ohio record of three consecutive boys state soccer championships, will look to erase the memory of a frustrating start to the weekend when it returns to the pitch on Wasmer Field to face the Celtics from Dublin Jerome tomorrow (Saturday) at 7 PM.
St. Louis University High School, 12-4-4 after Friday's tie, will close out its Ohio trip with a matchup versus Hilliard Davidson's Wildcats on Saturday at high noon. The Junior Bills are Missouri's sixth-ranked soccer program.
As for Friday night, you don't have to look any further than the respective goalkeepers - Saint Ignatius' big-match tested senior Lodge Dils and the SLUH's junior keeper Alec Meissner - when discussing the match's most valuable players.
Dils and Meissner turned in stops that highlight reels are made of, including a leaping two-handed turn away by Meissner off an authoritative shot by Saint Ignatius' All-American senior forward Steve Milhoan in the final stages of the first half.
The postgame numbers provided by Wildcats outstanding Assistant Coach Joe Popelka '84 had Saint Ignatius outshooting the Junior Bills, 12-8, and both goalkeepers were credited with four saves. The athleticism and recovery Dils and Meissner displayed around the cages were beyond numbers, however.
Along with Dils' denials, Saint Ignatius got two exceptional clears in front of the net from senor defense/captain Adam Haas, including one at the start of the second half where Adam came out of nowhere and turned away a shot that was already reserving its spot on the scoreboard. The Junior Bills' faithful went from jubilation to "Where the heck did he come from" after Haas' savvy defensive gem.
Another brilliant save by Dils that was followed by a nice clear from senior midfield Thomas Hogan had the Wildcats smelling late-match heroics, but that kid named Meissner and the rest of the SLUH defense were equal to the challenge as the minutes ticked away.
Diving and stretching his 6-foot-3 frame to the limit, Meissner distracted a shot that at first appeared to have a clear path to the left corner of the net. The Cats also missed on another offensive opportunity with just over two minutes remaining.
"You have to finish your chances, that's what it comes down to," Coach McLaughlin said. "But, it's all about getting us ready for November."