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Monroe battles top team in state tough

Hornets solid, but unable to generate any offense in 1-0 loss to Carroll.

Carroll's Trae' Collins (14) and Monroe's Alex Hall go after the ball during the first half of a Division II
sectional tournament match Tuesday at Madison High School. Contributed Photo by David A. Moodie

MOODIE Carroll's Trae' Collins (14) and Monroe's Alex Hall go after the ball during the first half of a Division II sectional tournament match Tuesday at Madison High School. Contributed Photo by David A. Moodie

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By Bob Ratterman, Contributing Writer Updated 11:52 AM Thursday, October 27, 2011

MADISON TWP. — A defensive strategy and a stellar performance by its goalkeeper worked for the Monroe High School boys soccer team Tuesday night, but heavily favored Dayton Carroll still prevailed 1-0 in a Division II sectional championship match at Madison.

The Hornets kept the top-seeded Patriots off the board for more than 56 minutes, the lone score coming from Quincy Pope with 23:39 left. Pope’s goal came in a crowd in front of the net as he shot the ball just past Monroe goalkeeper Tyler Trippel.

Trippel totaled 12 saves, including several difficult efforts in a great performance.

“Credit to Monroe, they had a good game plan and did a nice job with it,” Carroll coach Scott Molfenter said. “Their goalkeeper did a good job. It was a battle.”

The Patriots, the top-ranked team in the state, kept the pressure on Monroe for most of the game. The Hornets had several opportunities, but Carroll keeper Noah Kummer handled them, getting six saves.

“It was a defensive effort, purposely so,” Monroe coach Michael Oster said. “I knew their season and their tradition, and I thought this was our best chance to win. It’s a system we have not used this year. We hoped to stay within reach and then with 10 minutes to go put an attack on them.”

Oster said his squad would probably have been faced with a defensive struggle anyway. The Patriots scored nine shutout wins this season, including five consecutive games. They allowed only one goal in six games and allowed no more than two in a game all season — twice.

Carroll takes an 18-0 record into Saturday’s district final against McNicholas. Monroe finishes the season at 12-6-1.

Oster said his keeper is a senior and played his first season of varsity soccer this season.

“He played a great game,” Oster said. “He played great in the last two games, two of the best games of his career. It’s his first year as a starter and exemplifies what happens where you can go if you keep trying.”

Oster said his team’s campaign was frustrating early when people kept talking about the Hornets being in a rebuilding mode this year after an undefeated 2009 regular season and losing only three games a year ago.

“This team defines chemistry,” Oster said. “They are not the most skilled team I have ever fielded, but they play for each other and play with chemistry. I’m a believer.”

Oster said the loss to Carroll played out the way he had planned, except for that one goal, but he knew that was a risk his team had to take.

“We did not get a lot of chances. It was a lot of counterattack to make them sweat,” Oster said. “The way they scored was exactly the way we were afraid of. It’s one of those things.”

Boys soccer Division II sectional tournament

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