WHEELING, WV, Nov. 2, 2009 - In his twenty-sixth year as Head Coach of the Wheeling Jesuit University men’s soccer team, Jim Regan will lead the Cardinals into the first round of the WVIAC playoffs at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 3.
The Cardinals are ranked third in the conference and will host the University of Pittsburgh Johnstown (UPJ) at James LaRosa stadium.
Regan’s track record does not suggest that fans should be surprised by the success of his team in 2009. However, the improvements this Cardinal team has made for the better part of the last 12 months far exceed the expectations of supporters and critics alike.
In 2008, the Cardinals finished the regular season 9-10-1, the first losing record for the program since Regan took over in 1983. There is irony in Tuesday’s game when you consider time, place and opponent since it was in the first round of the 2008 conference playoffs at James LaRosa stadium, that UPJ put an end to the Cardinals season, 2-1.
"I was disappointed to lose in the conference quarter finals to a team we had previously beaten; the truth is we didn't perform anywhere near to standards we set for ourselves as a team," said Andrew Hickey, current sophomore middlefielder who was a freshman at the time. "The hardest part about losing is when you know you could have done more."
Hickey and the Cardinals moved forward with optimism though. A season plagued by injuries and misfortune was now over and the team could focus on getting back to their winning ways. Unfortunately the spring exhibition season arrived and the Cardinals found themselves still frustrated by mediocrity. Players seemed to lose confidence and begin to doubt their potential.
Regan addressed the team’s identity crisis with a calm, patient reaction and continued to challenge and encourage his men, even through times of turmoil and frustration, a tribute to his quarter century of coaching. By the end of the spring semester, the team dispersed for summer break, still uncertain if they made the necessary adjustments to compete as a top contender.
Like any great team, uncertainty motivated the Cardinals. This past Friday, Oct. 30, the Cardinals secured a third seed in the conference playoffs. The team’s success in the regular season can be attributed to several areas of improvement.
The return of seniors Shane Young (goalkeeper), Hans Moses (defender) and Tony Trabert (defender) has increased the size and speed of the defense, making it difficult for opponents to score. Junior Stephen Hawthorne (defender) is having a breakout season with five goals and three assists, giving the Cardinals a spark in both offense and defense. Newly acquired freshmen Victor Picchio (midfielder, Cordoba, Argentina) and Paul Silverstrone (midfielder, Aurora, Ontario) lead the Cardinals in major offensive categories, combining for 13 goals. (Picchio leads the Cardinals with seven this season).
“We identified some needs in areas where we needed improvement,” Regan said. “I’m excited about the future of this year’s (recruiting) class; there is some tremendous talent.”
Regan certainly has good reason to be optimistic about his underclassmen. But the ’09 Cardinals have distinguished themselves by more than just strong talent and statistics. They've played as a collective unit, fighting toward the common goal of victory.
These qualities were most evident on Oct. 21, when the Cardinals faced UPJ for the first time since the devastating loss in ‘08. The game was played at WJU, where the Cardinals were the first to score after Adam Pharo assisted Victor Picchio for his seventh goal of the season. Without the slightest display of hesitation following a missed shot, Pharo hustled to keep the ball in play, giving Picchio the opportunity. This put the Cardinals in a position to win in overtime, where they defeated UPJ in less than a minute after Billy Wilson aggressively attacked the goal and scored to make the Cardinals victorious, 2-1.
Tuesday will mark day 364 following the season-ending loss to UPJ.
With a 6-2-2-conference record this season, the Cardinals have reason to be confident. According to Hickey, confidence is something the Cardinals need to thrive on if they want to get past the first round, “We can’t tell ourselves we might win — we have to tell ourselves we will win.”
A victorious outcome against UPJ would certainly be nice for seniors like TJ O’Brien and Jason Smith, both midfielders who have been a part of all the highs and lows the past four years. But no matter the outcome of Tuesday, Regan and the Cardinals have a very promising future. They have worked hard to get to this point and have no reason to reserve any sort of intensity or aggression in the playoffs. Regan put it best in an interview with CardinalCast just prior to the first game of the ’09 season against the University of DC on Aug. 27:
“We are always picked to be one of the stronger teams prior to every season. We were ranked fourth entering this season and if we play well and score some goals, we should be in the hunt once again.”
Regan was correct with this prediction, and scoring would be a benefit to the Cardinals who have a defense that has allowed only 16 goals this season. The team will have opportunities to compliment their defense, as they are also ranked third in shots, averaging more than 16 per game. If the Cardinals can take advantage of one or two of these opportunities, they greatly improve their chances of winning. Defensively, they are allowing an average of only one goal per game and offensively they are scoring an average of almost two per game.
Regan and the soccer program are on the verge of starting a very exciting year for Cardinal athletics. This Tuesday evening at WJU and on CardinalCast (Internet viewing), fans have a lot to cheer about as the men’s team moves one step closer to a WVIAC championship.
