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Carroll boys soccer a win away from title repeat

Patriots face rematch with 2010 D-II state final foe, Richfield Revere.

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By Greg Billing, Staff Writer 10:34 PM Thursday, November 10, 2011

At times this season, opponents of the Carroll Patriots’ boys soccer team felt the pressure of taking on the defending Division II state champions and this season’s D-II state poll champ.

That won’t be the situation today.

“Some teams were kind of scared, but in the state championship game they don’t care,” Carroll junior Vonne Byrd said of the D-II title game 3:30 p.m. today at Columbus Crew Stadium.

No. 1 Carroll (22-0-0) plays No. 2 Richfield Revere (18-0-4) in a rematch of last year’s title game won by the Patriots, 3-2.

The teams meet again but with decidedly different looks. Carroll returns three starters from its title team, while Revere returns four starters from its D-II title game lineup. Because of the heavy turnover from both teams, Revere coach Sandor Jakab reminds his players today is a rematch in name only.

“It’s a different year. Their team is different. Our team is different,” Jakab said. “You focus on the present and the future, not the past. ... It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity and here we are having a second opportunity.”

Carroll enters the title game with a more balanced scoring attack than 2010 and a freshman in goal who has helped the Patriots post 13 shutouts (five in the postseason). Alter and Columbus St. Francis DeSales (which Carroll beat 3-0 in the state semis on Tuesday) are the only teams to score two goals on the Patriots in the regular or postseason.

Trae Collins leads Carroll with 15 goals and 11 assists, but the Patriots also have scoring punch with Byrd (14 goals, 11 assists), Zach Zwiesler (10, 3) and Matt Barnes (10, 7). In 2010, Justin Mitchell led the team with 25 goals. The next closest had nine.

“I think that’s one of the things that is unique for us,” Carroll coach Scott Molfenter said. “A lot of teams can throw a very good striker at you and we’re capable of doing that with a couple guys and a couple more coming off the bench. That’s not something we’ve had a lot of in the past.”

On defense, Carroll freshman goalkeeper Noah Kummer will be challenged by Revere senior Colin Romisher. He leads the Minutemen with 23 goals for a team that lost four of its top five scorers from 2010. Revere goes for its first state title after runner-up finishes in 2010 and 1995. Carroll goes for its third state title in the past four seasons (2010, 2008) and fourth overall (1980).

“We believed we could do it,” Carroll senior Matt Barnes said of returning to Crew Stadium. “I think it should make it a more interesting game since (Revere) probably wants the rematch. ... They want to prove us wrong and we’re going to try and not let that happen.”

Boys state soccer championships

What: Three title games

When: Today

Where: Crew Stadium, Columbus

Schedule:

Noon — D-III: Gates Mills Hawken (18-4-0) vs. Worthington Christian (17-4-1)

3:30 p.m. — D-II: Richfield Revere (18-0-4) vs. Carroll (22-0-0)

7 p.m. — D-I: Cleveland St. Ignatius (20-1-0) vs. Powell Olentangy Liberty (15-3-2)

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