MACEDONIA, Ohio — Playing November soccer in Columbus is nothing new for St. Ignatius. The defending champion Wildcats will do just that as they earned another trip, their fourth straight, to the Division I state championship game. Scoring four times in the second half, the Wildcats ended the hopes of upstart Copley, 4-1, on Tuesday night in a state...
MACEDONIA, Ohio — Playing November soccer in Columbus is nothing new for St. Ignatius.
The defending champion Wildcats will do just that as they earned another trip, their fourth straight, to the Division I state championship game. Scoring four times in the second half, the Wildcats ended the hopes of upstart Copley, 4-1, on Tuesday night in a state semifinal at Nordonia High's Boliantz Stadium.
St. Ignatius (21-1) will play Powell Olentangy Liberty (16-2-3) at Columbus Crew Stadium for the title on Friday at 7 p.m. Liberty defeated Beavercreek, 2-1, in a shootout Tuesday.
Junior midfielder Nate Fahey, who scored two goals for St. Ignatius, already was looking forward to the trip to Columbus.
"It's an awesome feeling," he said. "Whether you lose or win down there, it's a great atmosphere."
The Wildcats won there in 2008 and last year. Their most recent loss to an Ohio team was in the 2009 state final on a shootout to Gahanna Lincoln.
After a scoreless first half, the Wildcats and Indians traded goals midway through the second. Fahey scored with 25 minutes left, but Copley got the equalizer a little more than a minute later when junior Brandon Gathagan headed the ball home.
But after that, the St. Ignatius pressure, which had kept the ball in the Indians' side much of the half, took its toll as the Wildcats scored three times in seven minutes.
Senior Matt Foldesy put the Wildcats in front to stay on a 22-yard drive, with Copley senior goalkeeper Kirby Rice screened on the play. Junior Tyler Sanda scored off a rebound, and Fahey finished things off with his second netter with 11 minutes to play.
"We were not getting frustrated," said Fahey, whose club held a 16-2 advantage in shots. "We just kept plugging away. This team is relentless. We kept the pressure on, and it motivated us to put four in."
The Indians (15-3-4) reached the semifinals by going 14-0-2 after a 1-2-2 start. They had to play without 17-goal scorer Riley Grant, who was red-carded in the regional final and had to sit out a game.
"That's a talented team that can do a lot of things," said Copley coach David Antal, who was on Copley's 1994 Division II title team. "My guys hung on. We weren't able to create as many chances. It's a shame to see it end."
The Wildcats will take a 16-game winning streak into the final. They won titles in 2004, 2005, 2008 and last year under 17-year coach Mike McLaughlin.
"In a semifinal game, there is going to be a lot of energy," said McLaughlin, whose teams are 75-12 in postseason games. "It took time to settle down. We've been getting our chances all playoffs. We kept the faith, and the ball started going in."
Copley's Rice finished with six saves. St. Ignatius senior Brendan Cash did not have any.
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:jmaxse@plaind.com, 216-999-5168
Source: http://highschoolsports.cleveland.com/news/article/-1803711057420334847
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