MORGANTOWN — Perfect timing for Senior Night.
Playing what Trinity soccer coach Dan Lohmann described as “our most complete game of the season,” the Trinity soccer team dominated Class AAA Lincoln from the opening whistle to the final horn in a convincing 7-0 victory Wednesday night.
The Warriors (7-5) received dynamic play from both their holding and attacking midfielders to dominate possession throughout the match, and 50-50 balls were more like 80-20, as Trinity repeatedly took better angles and more aggressive approaches to win those important battles. On those few occasions when the Cougars (5-7) mounted an offensive thrust, the TC central defense confidently swept and cleared the danger.
After ripping a 30-yard shot off the crossbar and then heading a perfect corner service just over the bar early in the match, senior Parker Hopkins finally put the Warriors in the lead in the 12th minute, running onto a perfect long feed into space from fellow senior Jakub Galik, Hopkins calmly slipped the ball under onrushing Lincoln keeper Ranger Poe (who turned in 13 saves) and into the corner for a 1-0 lead.
Four minutes later, it was Galik’s turn, as he ran onto a beautiful short bump pass from senior Austin Porta and rocketed in a right foot shot to double the advantage. An errant Cougar clear in the 28th minute sent Hopkins in on goal alone, and the senior headed the bounding ball over the keeper and in to make it 3-0. A minute later, Galik threaded another perfectly timed, perfectly placed through ball between Lincoln’s central defenders, this time for Porta, who picked his spot into the left side to up the lead to 4-0 at the break.
On cruise control in the second half, with liberal substitutions and position shifts (Parker replaced Collin Friend between the pipes), the Warriors bunched three goals in eight minutes midway through the second half to ice it. Junior Evan Knight rifled a 25-yard bullet over the keeper that dipped just under the crossbar in the 56th minute, then Porta finished an impressive tic-tac-tic-tac-tic-toe passing sequence with five different Warriors three minutes later, and then senior Jonathon Sheffstall closed it out in the 64th minute by confidently converting a penalty kick.
After the game, Lohmann described Sheffstall’s finishing touch as a perfect representation of what the Trinity program is all about.
“Many of our players – in all our sports – come out with little or no experience, but everyone is welcomed in.” he explained. “And many times, the improvement is often remarkable, so that when they’re seniors, they have become very effective players, and Jonathon’s PK goal was a reward for all the hard work he’s put in over the years, and it was just so great to see so many seniors on the scoreboard tonight. This is a huge class for us (Hopkins, Galik, Porta, Sheffstall, Baylee Carperter, Hamilton Breakey, Brayden Clampffer, and Nathan Adams), and their leadership is a big part of our success.”
When asked about his night – filling up the scoresheet in the first half and helping to keep it clean in the second half – Hopkins was quick to credit his teammates, and was understandably nostalgic.
“I thought we moved, passed, and communicated as well as we have all year,” he smiled, “and everybody contributed, which is a big part of what we’re about – everyone gets a chance, so take advantage and go for it when you get it.
“Four years have gone by in the blink of an eye,” he continued. “I remember Senior Night for our assistant coach Kyle Knight when I was a freshman, and tonight it was mine. It’s kind of upsetting and exciting at the same time, finishing high school but moving toward big new things. But I know I’ll always remember playing on this field with my friends.”
With a solid, complete win to build on, Lohmann sees his team rounding into form as the regular season winds down and the postseason begins.
“We don’t worry too much about our record, because we put together a very competitive schedule,” he said. “We play tough teams (like perennial powerhouse Charleston Catholic this Friday and Morgantown next week) so that we are prepared for the increased pace and skill level of the teams we will face in the playoffs. I think our seniors are especially aware of the urgency of what’s coming, but they’re also savoring every practice, every game, every moment of the season, and that’s helping us develop that special team chemistry that can make all the difference – I’m a very lucky coach.”
