Lions hunting for the big trophy in Naperville

By Mike Garofola

From the moment Saint Viator shifted to 2A play, pollsters immediately anointed the Lions top-level status in the boys’ soccer world alongside defending state champion Peoria Notre Dame.

And while plenty of fans eagerly awaited the announcement of how the brackets would fall, with the hope of a dream title game between the two, many of the Lions' returning players already knew there would be a big hurdle to jump before anyone began booking bus tickets to North Central College in early November.

What captains Trevor Wheeler and Kevin Cavers and their veteran mates had to face was the regional house-of-horrors the Lions have been unable to escape during the past 2 seasons.

Last season, with a full head of steam building into the post-season, the Lions earned a No. 4 seed, but in the second round, on a rainy night and mucky pitch on the old natural turf of Palatine, the Lions season would end in a 1-0 defeat.

Two years ago, with a No. 2 seed pasted on its shirt, the Lions were stunned by Jacobs in its regional opener when the club couldn't solve a defensive-minded opponent which packed it in from the opening whistle.

"It's been hard to forget the disappointment of the past 2 regional losses," admitted Cavers. As the prohibitive favorite in its sectional this fall, Saint Viator knew it would be the hunted by many who had nothing to lose and everything to gain with an upset of the top seed.

"We weren't going to overlook anyone in the playoffs, as the past two seasons, and even our final week of the 2009 regular season proved to us," offered Wheeler.

The two affable leaders and stars, like so many of their mates, began to think about a rematch with top-rated Peoria Notre Dame after falling 3-2 in the final at the Mid-State Classic in early October at Peoria

The Lions would enjoy the lead in this match but was unable to hold back 2-time all-state striker and University of Notre Dame-bound Vince Cicciarelli.

"We played very well in that match, and we found out we could play with, what many felt, was the best 2A team in the state," said Viator head coach Mike Taylor.

"The thing is, we play a non-conference schedule packed with plenty of quality 3A teams, which prepares us for the physical and emotional grind that comes at the end of the season, and that match, and many of the others along the way, should have us ready when the matches really count."

"The last two years we didn't come ready, and we were done."

"This year's team, with so many players leftover from that disappointing end, doesn't want to see their careers end that way."

It's been a 3-part season for the Lions in 2009.

A dreadful 0-2 start with losses to 3A power Lake Zurich and MSL champ Palatine, offered up a handful of very loud questions put forth by Taylor on the mettle of his lads. The Lions would rebound in style by winning the Glenbrook South Tournament on Labor Day weekend to start a 14-game win streak which ended in its loss to Peoria Notre Dame.

Once again, the Lions were brought back to reality when it saw its hopes of winning a third-straight ESCC title dashed in the final week of the season after a
1-1 draw with St. Joseph. A 2-0 loss at Carmel bumped the club to a second-place conference finish.

"It was the wake-up call we all needed," said Cavers, who like his mates had to be reminded that 80 minutes of what Taylor always demands (work rate) is the key to success.

"Maybe the guys (didn't) get that ESCC title it wanted, but we told them there was nothing they could do about it now, so let's begin to focus on the post-season instead," Taylor would say.

That focus begins Friday with upstart Triad, which came through the Springfield Super-Sectional after defeating favored Champaign Centennial and Indiana-bound Jacob Bushue in overtime on Tuesday night.

The Knights, who are making its first-ever state tournament appearance, are coached by Mike Villa, who led St. Louis-power Vianney to 7 state titles before coming over the border in 1997 to take over the Triad program.

"We don't know a whole lot about (Triad) but it doesn't matter, because we have to play our best soccer of the year to beat them and get into the final on Saturday," echoed both Cavers and Wheeler.

Saint Viator's 2009 Roster