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Thompson scores twice, goalie Sosler earns sixth shutout in row for CVCA
By Nate Ulrich Beacon Journal sportswriter
Published on Sunday, Nov 11, 2007
COLUMBUS: Danny Thompson couldn't stop hugging people.
First he bear-hugged his coach. Then he smothered his teammates. And before he fled to the locker room, Thompson climbed into the stands at Columbus Crew Stadium to give his family and friends some love.
Thompson, a senior midfielder, had a great reason to celebrate: He scored two goals to lead the Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy boys soccer team to a 2-0 victory over Kettering Alter in the Division II state championship game Saturday afternoon.
The win gave CVCA (18-1-3) its second state title in school history. The Royals won their first state championship in 2004, when Thompson was a freshman.
''This is the best team I've ever played for at CVCA without a doubt,'' said Thompson, who finished with 17 goals this season. ''We're the definition of a team. These guys have worked so hard all year. From lifting in the mornings in the winter to running in the summer, all season was a battle. I'm just so proud of them.''
CVCA coach Jason Spodnik said Thompson started the first eight games of his freshman season, but was benched for the rest of the season because he was ''physically overwhelmed.'' Spodnik said Thompson's hardships as a freshman helped him evolve into the ultimate leader for a young Royals team that returned only three varsity players — Thompson, senior goalkeeper Alex Sosler and junior forward Matt Mason — from 2006.
''He can show everybody it might not go perfectly at the beginning, but if you continue to work, this is the end result,'' Spodnik said. ''Leadership by seeing his career is probably more meaningful than anything he could have said.''
After a long stalemate, Thompson scored a goal on a corner kick in the 72nd minute. Thompson's kick hooked, deflected off Kettering Alter senior goalkeeper Matt Dorow and found the upper-right corner of the net.
''I was just looking for someone on the backside to bang it in,'' said Thompson, who has committed to join his older brother, Nick, as a member of the Messiah College soccer team next season. ''I was just trying to put it in a dangerous spot, and it was a really dangerous spot apparently.''
Spodnik said it was fitting that Thompson scored in such a rare fashion.
''It's a fantastic fluke,'' Spodnik said. ''Not that we didn't deserve it, but that's not meant to do that. But with the wind blowing like it is and 12 guys in the box, anything can happen.''
In the 75th minute, Thompson got possession after the ball deflected off an opposing player, and he shot a fast grounder into the lower-left corner of the goal from about 22 yards away, giving the Royals a 2-0 lead that would hold up.
CVCA's defense was just as effective as Thompson's offense. Kettering Alter (18-3-2) had two shots on goal compared with CVCA's six.
Sosler, who has been the Royals' goalkeeper since he was a freshman, posted his sixth consecutive shutout. Thompson's younger brothers, junior Logan Thompson and freshman Jack Thompson, sophomore Jacob Risma and junior John Mathoslah are the defenders who helped Sosler hold all of CVCA's playoff opponents scoreless. The foursome also helped the Royals set a school record for fewest goals allowed in a season with six.
Sosler said winning a state title as a senior was more gratifying than winning one as a freshman.
''Your freshman year, you're kind of like 'that was awesome, let's do it again,''' Sosler said. ''After not doing it for two years, the work and what you put into the program has really paid off. You know that it's something big — it's something bigger than yourself.''
Nate Ulrich can be reached at nateulrich2007@yahoo.com. Read the high school blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/varsity_letters/.
COLUMBUS: Danny Thompson couldn't stop hugging people.
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