By Michael Beaven
Special to the Beacon Journal

The high school girls soccer season has begun with several area teams feeling that they are legitimate state contenders.

Archbishop Hoban and Walsh Jesuit return several key players from last season’s teams, which advanced to state semifinal matches. Jackson and Medina annually field strong teams. Brunswick Cloverleaf, Copley, Green, Hudson, Kent Roosevelt, Ravenna, Revere and Stow are all capable of making deep runs in the state tournament.

‘‘It just seems like that type of year,’’ said Frank Gagliardi, now in his 12th year coaching Jackson. ‘‘It doesn’t seem like there is any team where you say, ‘That team will win state.’ There definitely is a lot of teams that will be in the fight for a state title.’’

Veteran Walsh Jesuit coach Dino McIntyre said the Cleveland and Akron areas boast ‘‘a lot of teams that can go all the way,’’ mentioning Akron-area teams plus Strongsville, Shaker Heights Hathaway Brown, North Royalton and Brecksville.

Kent Roosevelt outlook
One team off to a flying start is Kent Roosevelt, which is 3-0 and has outscored Stow, Tallmadge and Coventry 16-4.

The Rough Riders, 7-8-2 last season, have eight returning starters. Senior tri-captains Katie Mitchell, Jessica Giulitto and Brianna Serafin are the foundation of the team along with senior forward Jennifer DeLuke.

‘‘We have four seniors who are contributing very well and showing good leadership,’’ coach Steve Mitchell said.

Katie Mitchell, the coach’s daughter, scored 10 goals in 2007. She and Giulitto, a defender, are entering their fourth years as starters. Serafin, a midfielder, sophomore midfielder Michaela Kline and junior goal keeper Abby Bradford are other key players.

‘‘Our depth is impressive,’’ Steve Mitchell said. ‘‘I can make any number of substitutions and not weaken the lineup, which is a great luxury.’’

Stow outlook
Stow returns 10 starters and 15 letterwinners from last season’s team, which went 8-5-4 and was second to Brunswick in the NOC River Division.

‘‘I tell my players to take it game by game and hopefully toward the end of the season we are in the running for the league championship, and from there anything can happen,’’ Stow coach Chris Tipton said. ‘‘I have high hopes for the team.’’

Sophomore forward Vickie Havas led the Bulldogs with nine goals last year. Senior sweeper Leah Poiner and junior stopper Ellie Swanger will pace the defense along with senior goalkeeper Sarah Conkle. Junior midfielder Kyrsten Kamlowsky also returns.

The Stow boys team won the Division I state title in 2006, an accomplishment that many of the girls witnessed.

‘‘We talk about that in a sense of that’s what we want to do,’’ Tipton said. ‘‘A lot of the
girls were there and saw it. I was there, I felt it and I saw it. I think it will take a lot of grunt work. Realistically, it will be tough, but this is the best team I have had here.’’

Championship caliber – Walsh Jesuit & Archbishop Hoban
McIntyre, entering his 16th season as Walsh’s coach, knows what it feels like to win championships. He led Walsh to state titles in 2000, 2001, 2004 and 2006. The 2000 and 2006 teams were recognized as national champions.

The Warriors, a 2007 Division I state semifinalist with a 13-4-5 record, will be led by
senior defenders Jaime Townsend and Jordan Finch, senior midfielders Alexis Garcia
and Kendra Simmons, sophomore forward Kelsey Smigel and sophomore midfielder/forward Elizabeth Bollinger.

Smigel paced Walsh with 15 goals last season. “She’s a pure goal scorer,‘‘ McIntyre said. ‘‘She knows the game technically and has all the tools.”

Townsend (Lehigh), Garcia (Dayton) and Finch (Miami, Ohio) are Division I recruits. McIntyre said Garica is training to overcome her third torn ACL in the past four years.

Juniors Juliana Libertin and Jessacca Gironda are among seven returning starters for
Hoban. The Knights compiled a 15-4-1 record and made their second consecutive appearance in the Division II state semifinals last season.

‘‘We want to win one more game and get in that final,’’ said Benny Pietrangelo, entering his third season as Hoban’s coach. ‘‘On paper, we look pretty strong, but the games have to be played. People are impressed with our talent, but you have to play the games on the field and win.’’

Libertin, a forward, received Beacon Journal Player of the Year honor last fall. She scored four goals Saturday in a 6-0 win at Chippewa. As a sophomore, Libertin scored 35 goals and had 20 assists, and she totaled 15 goals and 11 assists as a freshman.

‘‘When Jules is on, opponents can’t stop her,’’ said Pietrangelo, who also coached the Hoban boys soccer team for 17 years. ‘‘She never gets tired because she runs track and is a swimmer, too. She is a very special athlete. Her endurance is amazing.’’

Gironda, a midfielder/goal keeper, scored 16 goals last season. Senior defender Alex
Niehaus, sophomore defender Gabby Corwin, sophomore forward Margaret Woods and
senior goal keeper Francesca Gironda also return for Hoban.

Jackson & Medina outlook
Jackson returns 11 letterwinners from last year’s team, which posted a 17-2-1 record ` 7-0 in winning the Federal League.

The Polar Bears will be led by senior midfielders Rachel Dennis, a Kent State recruit, and
Melissa Hagan, a Northern Iowa recruit. Junior midfielders Maggie Rusnak and Lauren
Jokovich also return with junior sweeper Emily Sanders.

‘‘With the tradition of the past and the stage the previous girls have set, hopefully the
winning habits will still be strong within the program,’’ Gagliardi said.

Jackson is hoping to get some revenge against Walsh this season; the Warriors ousted the
Polar Bears the past three years in the state tournament.

‘‘We have never beaten Walsh in my 12 years as coach,’’ Gagliardi said. ‘‘That is a mental and a physical goal that we have as a team.’’

Medina will be paced by junior forward Becca Candler, an Indiana University recruit,
Sarah Flanders and Jillian Graff. The Bees should still be a strong team despite the absence of current Ohio State player Paige Maxwell, who was a four-year starter at Medina.

Suburban League balanced
Tina Salem is excited about what her Copley team can do in her 11th season. Senior
midfielders Kristen Mattei (Toledo recruit) and Kirsten Schulte (Case Western Reserve) lead the team.

The Indians also will rely on senior sweeper Liz Moyer, senior defender Julie Berk,
junior midfielder/forward Nikki Matttei and junior midfielder Maddi Buckham.

‘‘I think girls soccer has finally caught up with the boys,’’ Salem said. ‘‘You have a
lot more girls playing the sport. Northeast Ohio is just incredible for girls soccer. We
have a reputation for having strong soccer.’’

Copley and Revere are expected to be the top Suburban League teams, but Cloverleaf and Green should be in the mix for the league crown.

Junior forward Emily White will guide Revere after leading the Minutemen in scoring the previous two seasons. She enters 2008 with 22 career goals.

Revere coach Jeff Stoerkel said sophomores Tara Littman and Katie Kimberly will be key midfielders with freshman Amy Feher and sophomore Kristen Popa is the goalkeeper.

Cloverleaf compiled a 11-4-2 overall record and a 5-1-1 league mark last season to place second to Copley in the Suburban League. Colts coach Val Baughman said eight starters and 11 total letterwinners return from last season.

Sophomore forward Katie Roberts and junior midfielders Rachel Gokey, Hanna Cavalier and Megan Jackson lead Cloverleaf’s offense.

Juniors Melissa Zeigler and Shannon Kilkenny and sophomore Katie Koloka form the nucleus off Cloverleaf’s defense in front of junior goal keeper Karly Beuck.

“We have a really strong junior class,” Baughman said.

Green is led by seniors Desiree Aber and Kelsey Ahbe.

Cloverleaf defeated Green 4-0 Wednesday to improve to 2-0 overall and 1-0 in the Suburban League this season.

Other promising teams and players
North Canton Hoover went 14-4-2 last season and Sarah Maj and Kathleen Ray are among eight returning letter winners.

Perry has seven starters and 10 total lettermen back from 2007. Junior goal keeper Megan
McMaster, sophomore forward Michelle Genetin and junior forward Ally Smith all return.

The Vikings and Panthers will try to dethrone the Jackson Polar Bears from the top spot in the Federal League.

Firestone senior forward Christine Black and Western Reserve Academy senior midfielder Anne Song are two other players that are entering their fourth varsity seasons.

Black netted the lone goal in Firestone’s 1-0 victory over St. Vincent-St. Mary earlier this
season.

Song, who also has a four-goal game this season, netted 18 goals at WRA as a forward last season enters 2008 with 37 career goals.

Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy juniors Ben Speas and Matt Mason have made oral commitments to play soccer at the University of Akron, CVCA soccer coach Jason Spodnik said.

UA men’s soccer coach Caleb Porter cannot comment on Speas and Mason until they have signed letters of intent, which Spodnik said they can do in early July.

“The idea to be able to stay home to develop as a player, as a man and to win big was exciting for them,” Spodnik said. “They were also intrigued by the academic opportunities the university has to offer.”

Speas, of Stow, a central midfielder, is listed byhttp://www.Topdrawersoccer.com as the No. 1 player in the class of 2009. He received the maximum five stars.

Spodnik said Speas chose UA over Indiana, North Carolina, UCLA and Virginia.

“All of the top-20 schools in the country were recruiting him,” Spodnik said. “A lot of it came down to what Caleb could offer as a coach and as a mentor. Ben thinks he can reach his soccer goals at Akron and help take them to the next level.”

Speas, who was a Parade magazine All-American, spent part of this school year in Bradenton, Fla., in the U.S. Soccer Residency program and attended IMG Academy. He has playing experience with U.S. youth national teams.

“He got up every morning at 6:30 and did more work than you could possibly imagine,” Spodnik said.

Mason, of Akron, a forward, helped CVCA win the Division II state championship and compile an 18-1-3 record. Spodnik said Mason chose UA over Georgetown and Notre Dame.

Spodnik said both Speas and Mason will play for CVCA as seniors next fall.

Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy coach Jason Spodnik confirmed that a trio of Royals seniors will continue their acadmic and soccer careers in college.

Blake Berkey, Alex Sosler and Danny Thompson were pivital players for a CVCA team that won the Division II state championship and compiled an 18-1-3 record.

The Beacon Journal previously reported Thompson’s decision to play at Messiah College in Grantham, Pa. Thompson, a midfielder, scored both goals in the state final, had 17 goals for the season and was named the Beacon Journal Boys Soccer Player of the Year.

Berkey, a midfielder, is headed for Gordon College in Wenham, Mass. Sosler, a goal keeper, is bound for North Carolina Wesleyan College in Rocky Mount, N.C.

Spodnik said Sosler holds the all-time state record for career shutouts with 53.

When it comes to track, it’s always about who ran the fastest, jumped the highest or threw the shot or the discus the farthest. But sometimes there are stories, GREAT, INSPRATIONAL STORIES, that don’t have to do with who won.

For instance, I remember watching the local news in the fall, I think it was, and there was an amazing story about a young lady (she may have been from the Youngstown area), who was competing in the state high school cross country meet and was almost near the finish line. Then came a gruesome sight. She broke her leg on the course and fell to the ground.

But this young lady had the courage and fortitude to crawl and limp her way to the finish line, despite being in obvious pain.

It was a story of incredible self-will. This young lady needed medical help, but she didn’t want it. She was withering with pain but she wanted to finish that race, and if you watched the video, you couldn’t help but get a little emotional, knowing she was in a world of pain. But watching her will her way to that finish line, regardless of the pain she was experiencing, was breathtaking and moving.

The yound lady gave a great television interview a few days later and it was great to see she was doing well and was in good spirts. I think she even joked that all she was thinking about, when she went down, was that she wasn’t going to be able to dance at her sister’s wedding later that night.

I witnessed another incredible story, but it didn’t involve injury. A few years ago I was covering a regional track meet at Ravenna and the Copley girls were favored in this particular relay event. As the race began, Copley was right there, as expected. But during one of the exchanges, the baton was dropped and the team was out of the race.

The young lady who dropped the baton was devasted. I mean, I had never seen an athlete more distraught. What I found out later was that the young lady was only a sophomore and there were two seniors on that relay team. The sophomore felt she had blown it for the seniors because it was their last chance to make it to state.

She was on the infield of the track, as the race was still going, slumped over an emotional ball.

She just shuddered and shook as she cried.

Then, former Copley standout Carrie Dyer, who was a senior and on that relay team, ran to the young runner to comfort her.

Then the rest of the realy team followed.

To me, that was one of the most inspirational stories I had ever witnessed.

The sophomore was heartbroken. But she was heartbroken because she cared about her teammates and wanted to perform at her best so that it would help the seniors.

It didn’t happen. But when it didn’t happen, the seniors weren’t mad, bitter or upset. They showed support for their younger teammate because they loved her. And in the end, winning didn’t matter.

So, with that, I’m asking readers to post any inspirational stories you witnessed, in track or any other sport, that didn’t involve someone winning.

A story where someone overcame odds to get where they are. Or a story about teammates helping one another.

Those are the most compelling stories.

Medina senior Paige Mawell will continue her soccer and academic careers at The Ohio State University.

Maxwell was named a NSCAA/adidas Youth All-American and earned Division I first-team All-Ohio honors this past fall after playing a variety of positions. She primarily played defense and at forward, and scored seven goals and had five assists for the Bees.

Maxwell also has experience in the Olympic Development Program and was selected to play with the Region II squad at the U-17/19 Inter-regional soccer tournament at Ventura College in Ventura, Calif. from Jan. 2-6, 2008.

Soccer

Varsity Letters Player of the Game: CVCA senior midfielder Danny Thompson.

It was the ultimate day of soccer for the Thompson family of CVCA.

CVCA senior midfielder Danny Thompson scored two goals to lead the Royals to a 2-0 win over Kettering Alter in a Division II state final Saturday afternoon at Columbus Crew Stadium. His younger brothers, junior Logan Thompson and freshman Jack Thompson, are CVCA defenders who helped the Royals shutout their sixth consecutive opponent and win their second state title in four years.

But the excitment doesn’t stop there for the Thompsons.

The oldest Thompson brother, Nick, is a freshman midfielder for Messiah College. Nick Thompson and the Eagles will host Greensboro College at 6 p.m. today in a second-round game in the NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Tournament.

Danny Thompson said his family doesn’t have time to make the trip to watch his older brother play in Grantham, Penn., but they will call him tonight for an update after the game.

Danny Thompson, who has committed to join Nick as a member of the Messiah College men’s soccer team next year, said he and his older brother talked on the phone before the state championship game in Columbus.

“He’s been a great encouragement in my life,” Danny Thompson said of his older brother, Nick. “He’s led me and my little brothers and shown us how to play.”

Nick Thompson has obviously done a good job showing his little brothers the ropes. Danny Thompson finished the season with 17 goals and will be named the Beacon Journal Boys Soccer Player of the Year.

Click here for the game story.

ED SUBA JR./Akron Beacon Journal

CVCA senior midfielder Danny Thompson (left) battles for the ball with a Kettering Alter player. Thompson scored two goals to lead CVCA to a 2-0 victory in a Division II state championship game Saturday at Columbus Crew Stadium.

The CVCA boys soccer team is the Division II state champion.

The Royals (18-1-3) defeated Kettering Alter 2-0 Saturday afternoon at Columbus Crew Stadium to capture the title.

CVCA senior midfielder Danny Thompson carried the Royals to victory with two goals in the 72nd and 75th minutes.

It’s official: CVCA senior midfielder Danny Thompson has taken over.

Thompson score another goal with 5:41 left in the second half to extend the Royals’ lead to 2-0. If CVCA hangs on, it will win its second state championship in four years.

Stay tuned for updates.

CVCA took a 1-0 lead with 8:56 remaining in the second half.

The Royals scored when senior midfielder Danny Thompson’s corner kick hooked into the upper-right corner of the goal.

Stay tuned for more updates.

CVCA seems to have a slight advantage in overall speed. The Royals were on the attack in the first half, and had four shots on goal to Kettering Alter’s one.

But the score at halftime is 0-0.

Stay tuned for more updates.