Clarion Wildcats Boys Soccer Starts Season With Two Shutout Wins

Photos by Matt Lerch (Above) Dany Schweitzer

(By Matt Lerch)

The Clarion Wildcats Boys soccer team won their opening contest in Kane Saturday, August 24th 14-0. Dany Schweitzer scored 5 goals, Martin Ormeno and Thomas Uckert both scored twice. Wildcats with single goals during the contest were Wyatt Boyden, Nathan Frederick, Ky Clark, Jason Megnin and Quinn O’Neill. Isaac Lerch was relieved by O’Neill in the second half, combined they made 7 stops.

As the Wildcats prepared to play against the Redbank Bulldogs on away turf, the haunting memories of the Bulldogs eliminating the promising young team from the playoffs remained. Many of the Wildcats have played together since the early days of YMCA soccer and Clarion River Valley Strikers and then through high school. This year, they are determined to make up for the disappointing end of last season’s playoff run.

In blistering 85 degree heat and humidity, the Wildcats started the game against the Bulldogs with the sun shining in their faces, Wildcat goalie Isaac Lerch disadvantaged with the sunset in his eyes. As with previous games against the Bulldogs, the Wildcats found that it was another game of momentum. The first ten minutes belonged to the Wildcats with the majority of the action in the Bulldogs end of the field. Right winger, Wyatt Boyden started the shooting on the Redbank goal, trying different angles of approach and release but couldn’t find the back of the net. Boyden made several passes to Martin Ormeno who also shot but was stopped.

The momentum shifted for the middle twenty minutes of the first half with the majority of the action in the middle of the field, both offenses struggling to take quality shots on both goals. The quick strike offense the Wildcats rely upon was unable to penetrate a suddenly stout Bulldog defense. And the momentum shifted for the rest of the half in favor of the Bulldogs. Lerch ended up making five stops in the first half alone. The veteran Wildcats defense was wound tight. Co-Captain Jason Megnin, Carter Brown, Brady Pierce and Chris Kim are the starting line up with Ky Clark splitting duties of defense and midfielder work and newcomer Mason Gourley rotating in to bolster their strength. No goals were scored in the first half.

With the opening of the second half, the momentum started to shift permanently in favor of the Wildcats. The shots on goal by Co-Captains Thomas Uckert and Wyatt Boyden were abundant but none of the shots made it on goal. Boyden shot over the goal, and again shot wide left. Uckert was able to evade the defense only to see his shot go over the goal. The Bulldogs countered and the quick closing speed of Megnin saved Lerch by stealing the ball from the breakaway Bulldog striker. Gourley was able to divert a Bulldog corner kick into a counter offensive that ended up in Ormeno’s possession only to be stopped by the Bulldog goaltender. Dany Schweitzer marched the ball down the field with another shot over the goal.

Defender Pierce got into the action and accepted a pass from Brenden Bettwy but missed the goal wide left. Boyden shot a ball that looked promising but missed wide right. Boyden was relentless though, finding the fortitude in the waning minutes of the second half to make cross field switches, twice, but the goal shots never came to fruition. Boyden then found himself literally driving through the goalmouth veering right to left taking an awkward shot that missed wide right. At this point of the contest, one wondered if there was going to be a 0-0 tie.

Uckert was about to shine at 7:38 left in the contest of 80 minutes. The high-powered offense finally adjusted their line up enough and Boyden found Ormeno who passed off a feather touch to Uckert, who then found paydirt making the score 1-0. Bettwy received a long pass from the defensive end steaking towards the goal when the Bulldog goalie exited the goal box colliding with Bettwy creating a penalty shot. Uckert chalked up goal number two less than two minutes later with a curving kick over the wall of Bulldog defense with a shot nearing the top left 90, goalkeeper with outstretched arms trying to make the save making the score 2-0 Clarion.

Forty seconds later Bettwy found Uckert for another shot on goal to make the score 3-0. With 4:32 in the contest, Boyden finally was able to dissect the defense and shot on goal, with the ball ricocheting off of a Bulldog defender into the goal making the score 4-0. But this is Redbank, and their conditioning and relentless pursuit is second to none. With a minute left in the contest, the Bulldogs found a breakaway opportunity to spoil the Wildcats shutout. With the Bulldog striker taking the long pass and beating the Clarion defense, Megnin with his closing speed again preserved Lerch’s second shutout with an outstanding steal at the last second with Lerch covering the wobbling ball. Uckert and the rest of the offense shined and Uckert chalked up another career hat trick. Lerch made 7 saves in the second half and 12 for the contest.

With the “Better Late Than Never” scoring salvo of Clarion’s decorated and veteran offense during the Redbank contest, one wonders if the Wildcats can keep their vaunted defense unscathed during duress for the rest of the season. With continual playoff hopefuls like the ilk of annual contenders Elk County Catholic, Redbank Valley and Forest Area, the Wildcats have their work cut out for them. Coach Don Montgomery’s Wildcats host Keystone at Clarion Limestone’s field Thursday August 29th at 5pm in another above 80 degree contest.

(Great start, Wildcats!!!! Thanks to Matt Lerch for this article and photos!!)