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2018 Soccer Preview: Wildcats Look to Use Attack-Oriented Style to Reclaim Crown

By Joe Ginley, 08/16/18, 1:30PM EDT

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The Wildcats want to finish undefeated and bring hardware back to Ohio City in 2018.

Before the start of every season, the Saint Ignatius soccer team travels to the mountains of West Virginia. 

Conditioning, white water rafting, and team bonding are all part of the trip. But one of the most important parts of the trip is a campfire chat. Each year, the Wildcats discuss goals for the upcoming season around the fire, and select a word as a theme for the season. This year's theme is "Arete."

A Greek word, "arete" is translated to "excellence of any kind," or more simply, "virtue." The word will define a season with plenty of obstacles and challenges for the Wildcats.

"The word is about applying virtue and character and being the best person you can be with school, soccer, and in all of your relationships," Head Coach Mike McLaughlin '85 said. "Life will be good if you apply 'arete' to everything in your life." 

Around the campfire, three goals also emerged:

1. Defend our home.

2. Win the Jesuit Cup.

3. Go undefeated.

Without a doubt, the Wildcats have lofty goals for the 2018 season. But this team, the No. 3 ranked team in the nation by Top Drawer Soccer, has the talent to achieve each one of them. 

A Look at the Team

As a team, the Wildcats want to utilize an efficient, attack-oriented style to win games. The Soccer Cats want to surrender fewer goals in 2018, after allowing 25 in 22 games in 2017, versus just 12 in 23 games in 2016. McLaughlin hopes his team will create chances and place pressure on opponents all over the field this season.

The Wildcats have enough talent and experience at the forward position to keep the ball in the final third. Seniors Kory Nekeloff and Henry Curtis (a team captain) will play on the wings, while Bryce Horton and Everett Shorey will provide the power up the middle. 

"Between those four, we'll have a good rotation," said McLaughlin. "We have speed, quickness, and skill at the forward position. These four are capable of scoring plenty of goals." 

Don't expect all of the offense to come from the forwards, though. The Wildcats have a plethora of scoring threats at the midfield spot. 

Most notably, Matthew McLaughlin and Kyle Folds have star scoring ability. McLaughlin topped the team with 15 goals and 9 assists last season and looks to score in bunches again this year. Folds can find the back of the net, too, and has performed well in camp in the preseason. Folds landed on the Top Drawer's Fall 2018 High School All-America Watch List not long after committing to Louisville this offseason. 

The Wildcats will expect a lot from Kyle Healy, a senior and captain who will provide leadership and guidance at midfield. Joe Katic will be counted on to move the ball forward with efficiency. Juniors Danny Kalic and Ian Sugar have impressed so far this preseason, too, as both are strong center-mids. 

"We have lots of guys who are good in the middle part of the field," said Coach McLaughlin. "Each player is good with his feet and sees the game really well. The middle is a critical part of the field. In most games, if you win the middle of the field, you'll win the game."

The offensive firepower of the Wildcats' midfielders will also be a huge asset for the squad this season.

"You need guys in the middle of the field who can control the ball and are comfortable with the ball on their feet," McLaughlin said. "We have midfielders who are good in the final third, as well as comfortable and capable at the net." 

Looking at the defense, the Wildcats have players who can defend well and come into the fold on the attack.

The team is blessed to have two dangerous wing players in Austin Zeleznik and Theo Kudlo. Both are skilled with the ball on their feet, and aggressive in winning the ball back to the Wildcats. 

In the middle, Nolan Bartelone, Ryan Notarianni, and Alex Pauer will provide the muscle and toughness. Each middle defender can force opponents off the ball and move the ball out of harm's way. 

And even if opponents can find a way into the box, a formidable goalkeeper will stand in their way – Peter Van Euwen.

The Wildcats' junior keeper is extremely athletic and talented. Van Euwen can leap high to bat away a ball destined for twine or dive to deflect a ball away from the net. His athletic ability is a spectacle to behold. 

His intelligence and IQ are also major assets. Van Euwen reads the game well and makes good decisions with his hands and feet. The ball simply doesn't get past him often. 

"He has an ability to read angles, and read a shooter's body as to which corner he'll aim for," said McLaughlin. "That comes from years and years of playing the game. He's smart that way – he's one of the brightest players on the team. As a goalkeeper, he's smart and calculated. His hands and reflexes are outstanding and he's confident with the ball." 

Junior Danny Radigan will also feature into the action at keeper. As a sophomore, Radigan anchored the net for the JV A squad, acquitting himself well in game action.

"It's been fun to watch Danny grow over the last few years," McLaughlin said. "He's become more vocal and more of a shot stopper. Plus, his hands are secure. In order to win a state championship, you need great goalkeepers, plural." 

A Show-Stopping Schedule

Even at a cursory glance at the Wildcats' 2018 schedule reveals a challenging road for the men of Ohio City. 

The season begins at home vs. Avon Lake on Friday, the first of seven games at Wasmer Field on the slate. Twinsburg (Aug. 21), Solon (Aug. 30), Copley (Sept. 15), Lake Catholic (Sept. 19), University School (Sept. 25), and Toledo St. Francis (Oct. 6) all come to town this season. 

All of these games will present a certain challenge, but in a way, the season will be defined by the Wildcats' road games. 

The first road trip of the season will be a 2-hour trip west on I-90 to Toledo for the Jesuit Cup. Last season, the Wildcats relinquished the Cup to St. Xavier. The Soccer Cats want the Cup back this season.

The next sojourn will be a 6-hour bus ride to Louisville St. Xavier in Kentucky. The Tigers enter the season ranked as the No. 5 team in the nation by Top Drawer Soccer. St. Xavier brings back its top goal scorer and assist producer from last year. Forward Connor George and midfielders Case Cox (Kentucky commit) and Max Gordinier will be players to watch.

The annual rivalry matchup with St. Edward will occur on September 12 in Lakewood. The Eagles, guided by coach Emil Haitonic, always play hard and this year will be no different.

As the Football Cats host Elder on September 22, the Soccer Cats will journey south to play Columbus St. Charles. The Wildcats met the Cardinals in the 2016 OHSAA Division I State Championship game, winning the last matchup between the two squads, 2-1. 

The biggest trip of all is the Wildcats' two-game swing in New York. McLaughlin's men will face St. Benedict Prep (New Jersey) and Chaminade (New York) in arguably the biggest games of the season. St. Benedict enters the year ranked as the No. 1 team in the country after winning last year's national championship. St. Benedict returns eight starters, three of whom have committed to NCAA Division I programs.

As McLaughlin attests, this game is years in the making. The Wildcats and Gray Bees have won a combined 15 national championships, dominating the national landscape in recent years. The Wildcats vs. Gray Bees could be one of the best high school games in the country this season. 

Road games vs. Padua and Olentangy Liberty wrap up the regular season. The Liberty Patriots enter the year as one of the teams to beat in Columbus, offering a potential playoff preview down the road for the Wildcats. 

"We’re lucky because we’ve been down this road before," said McLaughlin. "The boys know that every day in practice, you wear the Saint Ignatius logo on your shirt and shorts. That means something. We need to live up to that tradition day in and day out."

The Coaching Staff

The Wildcats' coaching staff remains mostly the same for the 2018 season, with the exception of Mark Blades '06. The Wildcats' star player and coach will be taking some time off to spend with his family, and Blades and his family just welcomed their second child. Congratulations, Mark! 

Joining the group as an assistant coach is Steve Milhoan '17. The star player is back in Cleveland, playing at Cleveland State. Milhoan will assist the Wildcats as his schedule allows and provide another perspective on the sideline. 

The core group of McLaughlin, Dan Crew '99, Joe Popelka '84, Jim Brennan '85, Dr. Darren Keefe '87, Anthony Fior '02, and John Rowell '11 remains in place for the 2018 season. Crew and Popelka will assist with the varsity team, Brennan and Doc Keefe will coach the JV A squad, and Fior and Rowell will helm the JV B boys. 

"I'm excited to work with this awesome group again," McLaughlin said. "We have a unique staff, in that each member works at the school. I'm grateful for all they do to keep the program at the top."