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Mooney hopes to rebound after losses to state powers
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MOONEY CAPTAIN: Ashley Cuba, right, of Cardinal Mooney battles for possession of the ball with Walsh Jesuit's Kaylee Semeisberger during Saturday's game at Valley Sports. Cuba, a Mooney captain, says teh Cardinals' difficult schedule should prepare them well for a long tournament run.
The Cardinals play some of the best teams in the state to get ready for tourney play.
YOUNGSTOWN — The Cardinal Mooney High girls soccer team got an eye opener Saturday night in an 8-1 setback to the Division I power Walsh Jesuit.
But that just may be what the Cardinals needed to continue in their quest to finally make it to Columbus later this fall for the Division II state championship.
“We learned we have a lot of work yet to do,” said Mooney senior forward Katie Griswold after the loss.
The Cards have been one of the best programs in the area for the latter part of this decade, but have fallen short in the regional semifinals the last three years.
The Cards lost the last two years to the eventual state champions, Hathaway Brown, 3-2 (OT) in 2007, and Holy Name, 1-0, in 2006. In 2005, Mooney lost to eventual state runner-up Bay Village 2-1.
“We’ve come up short our last three years,” Griswold said. “We don’t want to see another opportunity slip away.”
The Cards (5-2) showed they meant business earlier this season by avenging last year’s loss to Hathaway Brown with an impressive win over the Shaker Heights team.
That win vaulted Mooney into the No. 1 spot in the state coaches poll released Sept. 1.
Since then the Cards have lost to state powers Cincinnati Mariemont, 3-1, and Walsh Jesuit.
“The number one ranking was nice because we never have done that here before,” said Mooney coach Jason Keller. “But we knew it wouldn’t last. Our schedule is really tough.
“We’re trying to play the best teams we can schedule so that we are ready to compete in the Division II tournament at the end of the year.”
“We want to win it all,” Griswold said about trying to get to the state championship trophy. “We have a lot of seniors who are determined to reach that goal.”
Besides the three powers that Mooney already has faced, the Cards still have Akron Hoban, Chippewa, Magnificat, Columbus Hartley and Chagrin Falls on their remaining schedule.
If Mooney is to accomplish the goal of a state title, the Cards will do it with experience and 11 seniors who make up the core of the team.
Griswold and Ashley Cuba are two-time all-state selections and the leaders of the team.
“We are a team,” Cuba said. “We have to work on some things like coming together after these two losses and communicating on the field.
“But we have that ability to get those things done and improve throughout the year.”
The other seniors playing key roles for the Cardinals are Maggie Vinopal, Lelcie Herberger, Emma Engler, Alex Sierra, Kelly Sklenar and Cassie Trgovcich.
Kate Brandenstein, Britanee Mulhall, Kelcie Price also are contributors in their final season.
“A group of these girls are three-year starters so we do have experience and determination,” Keller said. “We’ll have to get by a few tough teams in the regional so we’ll need to be more consistent with our play.”
Two freshmen also play key roles for the Cardinals. Rachael Letscher is the team’s goalkeeper and Amy Vinopal starts as a midfielder.
The Cardinals have been battling some injuries and illnesses and hope they get everything shored up in time to reach their lofty goals.