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Mooney’s girls soccer team top Ohio’s Division II poll
By BILL SULLIVAN
YOUNGSTOWN — It’s been a season of firsts for the Cardinal Mooney High girls soccer team.
When the initial Ohio Scholastic Soccer Coaches Association weekly poll was released Tuesday, the Cardinals (3-1) were atop the Division II ranking.
“It’s the first time anybody in this region has been ranked first in Ohio in girls Div. II,” Mooney second-year coach Jason Keller said.
However, Keller knows that along with the honor comes a challenge.
“Every time we take the field we’ll have a target on our backs; it’ll make every game more difficult,” he said of the top ranking.
The Cardinals also are ranked first in the weekly Vindicator poll.
Mooney opened the season with a 4-0 win over Marlington and a 4-0 victory over Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary.
Mooney then defeated Hathaway Brown 3-1. The Blazers beat Mooney in last year’s regional tournament and went on to win the state championship.
Mooney lost its fourth game, 2-1 at Cincinnati Mariemont.
Hathaway Brown had beaten the Cardinals in the first three times the schools had battled.
Mooney plays Walsh Jesuit on Saturday at 5 p.m. at Valley Sports in Struthers. Mooney has never defeated Walsh Jesuit but the schools tied 0-0 last fall. That was the only Div. II blemish on the traditional big-school power’s slate.
Later this fall, Mooney seeks another first — they have never won a regional game, losing to the eventual state champs the last three years.
“Polls are great,” Keller said. “It’s an honor for coaches to vote for us, but nothing really counts until the playoffs.
“The real voting starts when the playoffs begin.”
Mooney’s offense is led by seniors Ashley Cuba and Katie Griswold, both two-time all-state players.
Maggie Vinopal is a veteran midfielder and freshman Rachel Letscher, who Keller calls “calm,” plays in goal.
Three boys teams are ranked: Mooney (3-0) is second and Poland (3-0) eighth in Div. II and Warren JFK (3-1-1) eighth in Div. III.
sullivan@vindy.com
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