'So much pride': Copley soccer players make coach proud against reigning state champion
BRUNSWICK — Copley boys soccer coach David Antal left Brunswick Auto Mart Stadium on Wednesday night happy with how his players competed against the reigning Division I state champions.
Was there disappointment after 12-time state champ St. Ignatius beat Copley 2-1 in a regional semifinal?
Yes.
Were there hugs and a few tears?
Yes.
Were there reasons to smile?
Absolutely.
"Everything that these kids have gone through this season, the ups and the downs and the decisions and the injuries — we were missing a key starter tonight — to get to this game, for me, it shows the pride and heart that my kids have," said Antal, who completed his 16th season as Copley's coach.
"They played a great team. That team is fantastic. They are phenomenal. For us to be here, little Copley, if you look at the [enrollment] numbers, they are five from the top in Division I and we are three from the bottom, close to Division II. There are 189 teams in Division I and we are 186th [in enrollment] and here we are playing St. Ignatius and being competitive, fighting to the end and giving ourselves a chance to play another game.
"To play 21 games in a season, it is a dream come true. There were 173 teams that didn't play tonight. We got to be one of them to play tonight and I got to be with my kid [Landon Antal] and his friends. I have known all of these kids since they were 5 years old. To watch them try, care, love, fight and play in November, like, geez. It is awesome. It gives me so much pride."
Copley's starting lineup featured six seniors: goalkeeper Enio Hoxha, defenders Will Evans, Asher Hart and William Lawhon, forward Matthew Luecke and midfielder Robbie Rochford.
The starter who was out was senior Mohammed Alghefari.
"Mo broke his foot in the middle of the Shaker [Heights district semifinal] game and ended up finishing the game," said David Antal, a fifth grade teacher at Copley-Fairlawn Middle School who helped Copley High School win a Division II state championship in soccer as a senior in 1994.
"Most of these guys are returning starters from our team last year. ... My son started playing Copley soccer a little earlier than others because you can play at 4½. Those kids that are seniors, my son has played with them so I got to watch those kids from 5 years old until now.
"Matthew Luecke's dad and I coached travel soccer together. I know these guys. I have seen them in the hallways. I have seen them forever. It is going to be weird that they will not be here next year. They are an amazing group of kids with a wonderful parent group. The team dinners we have had in the playoffs have been outstanding."
Copley (11-7-3) led 1-0 at halftime on senior Matthew Luecke's goal with 15:25 to go in the first half. Junior Jackson Buser assisted on the goal after the ball deflected off a St. Ignatius defender.
"We handled a lot of adversity this season," Luecke said. "We had a lot of challenges pushed at us on and off the field. Going through that helped us to bond together and really strengthened us as a team, especially defensively. ... We had a good run. It was fun. I wouldn't want to do this with anybody else."
St. Ignatius (14-3-3), the state champ the past four seasons, rallied with two goals in the second half to advance to meet Toledo St. John's Jesuit in a regional final at 2 p.m. Saturday in Sandusky.
Junior Martin McLaughlin — son of St. Ignatius coach Mike McLaughlin — converted a penalty kick with 29:04 remaining and sophomore Dom Ruggiero delivered the go-ahead goal with 10:47 left. Sophomore David Salukombo assisted on Ruggiero's strike.
"We took the lead early," Rochford said. "I am proud of my teammates for that, but unfortunately Ignatius scored two late on us."
Hart said he and his teammates have "great chemistry."
"The key was communication," Hoxha said. "They were quick and they were technical. You have to stay in front of them. The penalty in the box was tough."
Robbie Rochford leads Copley to regional tournament
Copley's postseason run included wins over Olmsted Falls (5-2), Shaker Heights (1-0) and North Ridgeville (1-0).
"Asher Hart assisted on Robbie Rochford's goal against North Ridgeville and Matthew Luecke assisted on Robbie Rochford's goal against Shaker Heights," coach Antal said. "Robbie Rochford put the team on his back the last couple of games and almost did it again tonight in the first half. He broke through the line and almost scored to make it 2-0.
"... Enio is great. I have watched him at Copley Community Park playing rec soccer and I can still remember seeing him as a kid. I told him over there [on the sideline] that 'I can't believe the player and the young man that you have become.'
"All of our kids are 4.0 students and they are all going to be successful in life. A couple of them will play soccer in college. I can't believe I get to do this job with these kids year in and year out. The fact I get to coach at my alma mater and with my own kid, it is a blessing. This is what I wanted to do."
Antal, a player at the University of Akron in the 1990s, will enter next year with a 186-85-36 record as Copley's coach. He is 10 wins from tying his high school coach, Doug Boerema, for the most victories in program history.
Copley is set to return junior starters Landon Antal, Ethan Brewer, Nathan Strausser and Buser, sophomore starter Jack Stefanik and junior top reserve Conor Whitlam.
"We had a great run. I love all of these guys with me. It is sad that it is over," Rochford said.
Michael Beaven can be reached at mbeaven@thebeaconjournal and is on Twitter at @MBeavenABJ.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Reigning state champ St. Ignatius tops Copley in soccer regional match
