“We’re young and when you can play on a Saturday night against a state-caliber opponent every Saturday night, almost once a week, you’re better prepared come postseason,” Monbeck said.
“It’s a good season in the fact we are playing. But we don’t know much. … Where do we stand?”
The Elks know their place in the GWOC … sort of. Centerville and Beavercreek are tied for first at 9-0-2, with both ties coming against each other. The final two games of the GWOC season feature the No. 1 team vs. the No. 4 team in the standings and No. 2 vs. No. 3. The winners then play (as do the losers). If Centerville and Beavercreek are still tied heading into the mini tourney, then the top seed could be determined by goal differential or a coin flip.
Monbeck, now in his seventh season, said this is his youngest team with four senior starters. At times two sophomores start on defense. And freshman Luke Shrivers starts in goal.
“He’s done well. He has a bright future ahead of him,” Monbeck said. “He doesn’t look like a freshman, but he’s 14-years old playing with 17- and 18-year olds.”
Senior Rohan Dhingra leads the GWOC in points with 10 goals and nine assists. His off-season workouts have had a positive affect on other Elks, too.
“Rohan took the offseason to be better. In turn he’s made a lot of his teammates better because he likes to drag people to work with him,” Monbeck said. “The difference from him last year on varsity to this year on varsity is big.”
Senior Nate Gottron is second in points (24) with 12 goals. Junior Drew Boettcher (8 goals, 6 assists), senior Andrew Nangle (5 goals), junior Mitchell Cosler (6 assists) and senior Thomas Maley (5 assists) also rank among team leaders.
Senior defender Mark Balonier leads a defense that has allowed 11 goals scored. The offense has 52 goals.
“His leadership has been really good as a captain. Teams can find success when they have good team leadership,” Monbeck said. " … He and Rohan have both done a good job with that.
“My favorite thing about this team is the competitive, day-to-day nature in training. They complain when practice is over. They always ask for more. The competitive nature in training is really fun to be part of. It’s hard to simulate game moments. If we can make training competitive, it’s the closest we can get.”
Centerville, ranked No. 5 in Division I of the Ohio Scholastic Soccer Coaches Association poll, has five GWOC games remaining including those two TBA games against the other top three seeds. After that it’s into the unknown with the start of the postseason.
“When we get going and we play our best I think we’re a top-10 team in the state, I really do,” Monbeck said. “How often can we be at our best and how long can we maintain it?”
Beavers keep pace: Beavercreek remained tied with Centerville following its 6-1 win against Wayne on Tuesday.
Wayne, Centerville and Northmont are the only teams to score against Beavercreek in 11 games, combining for eight goals. Wayne (two goals) and Centerville (five goals) have done it in both meetings, while Northmont (one goal) plays Beavercreek again on Tuesday.
Tipp on top: Behind senior keeper Clay Vaughn, Tippecanoe – ranked No. 10 in the D-II state poll – recorded its ninth shutout with a 4-0 win at Xenia on Tuesday.
Battle of Troy: Trojans' senior teammates Jon Hipolito and Gavin Marshall continue to lead the Miami Valley League in points. Hipolito has a MVL-best 26 goals with 10 assists. Marshall is second in the league with 22 goals and leads in assists with 18.
Scoring streak: Milton-Union sophomore Mason Grudich opened the season goal-less in his team’s 3-1 victory against Lehman Catholic. He’s scored a Southwestern Buckeye League-best 19 goals since.
Grudich, who has scored in nine straight games, has scored three goals in a game in three of his last five games.
Poll position: No. 5 Centerville and No. 10 Beavercreek highlight area teams in the Division I state rankings by the Ohio Scholastic Soccer Coaches Association. Carroll also received votes.
Tipp is No. 10 in D-II while Oakwood received votes. Botkins is No. 4 and Troy Christian is No. 11 in D-III.
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