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Force To Honor Local Talent

February 11, 2003 - Major Indoor Soccer League 2 (MISL 2)
Cleveland Force News Release


CLEVELAND, OHIO- The Cleveland Force will team up with the Cleveland Plain Dealer and University Hospitals Health System to honor the Cleveland Plain Dealer Players and Coaches of the Year for 2002 at a halftime recognition ceremony to take place at the Saturday, February 15th home game, as the Force plays host to the San Diego Sockers. These high school players and coaches are representing seven Northeastern Ohio counties covered by the Plain Dealer, which consist of Cuyahoga, Lake, Geauga, Lorain, Medina, Summit and Portage.

Cuyahoga County

Girls

Player of the year- Jessica Roberts of Strongsville. The junior midfielder had only one goal and three assists, but her worth was measured in other ways. Roberts' stole balls and broke up plays before they ever developed. Thanks in large part to Roberts, Strongsville allowed just two goals in seven tournament games and went on to win the Division I state title.

Coach of the year- Gale Fisk of Bay High School. Fisk went out in style in his last season, guiding the Rockets to their second Division II state title in the last four years. Bay went 19-2-2 with a school-record 18 shutout wins. Fisk founded the school's girls soccer program in 1987 and will retire with 258 career wins.

Boys

Player of the year- Seth Matisak of Berea. The senior midfielder-forward Seth Matisak scored eight goals and had five assists in nine games. He missed part of the season with a broken left wrist, and played his last five games wearing a cast. He will play college soccer at one of two Division II schools, Francis Marion in South Carolina or Concord College in West Virginia.

Coach of the year- Tom Mackar of Mentor. Mackar, 54, led Mentor to an 18-1-2 record, lifting his 30-year mark at the school to 380-124-69. The Cardinals scored 103 goals and allowed six. Mentor and Hudson shared first place in the final Division I state poll. The Cardinals advanced to the regional semifinals before losing in a shootout, 1-0

Lake- Geauga County

Girls

Player of the year- Nikki Tizzano of Mentor. A junior, the forward midfielder totaled 20 goals and seven assists, leading Cardinals to 16-3-2 record. She ranks third on Mentor's all-time list with 70 career goals.

Coach of the year- Chris Mullan of Lake Catholic. Coach Mullan, 51, founded the Lake Catholic girls soccer program in 1996. The Cougars went 6-0-2 in the second half of this season to finish 10-3-3. Several of Lake Catholic's top players are freshmen.

Lake- Geauga County

Boys

Player of the year- Dustin Kirby of Mentor. Kirby, a senior midfielder, had 12 goals and 13 assists and was second to Hudson's Xavier Balc in the voting for Ohio's Division I Player of the Year. Kirby earned All-Ohio academic honors and helped Mentor to an 18-1-2 record.

Coach of the year- Tom Mackar of Mentor. Mackar, 54, led Mentor to an 18-1-2 record, lifting his 30-year mark at the school to 380-124-69. The Cardinals scored 103 goals and allowed six. Mentor and Hudson shared first place in the final Division I state poll. The Cardinals advanced to the regional semifinals before losing in a shootout, 1-0

Lorain County

Girls

Player of the year- Danie Irwin of Avon. Despite being double- and triple-teamed, the senior midfielder scored 13 goals with 23 assists and was Division I first-team All-Ohio. She will attend Kent State in the fall.

Coach of the year- Andy Marsh of Elyria Catholic. Coach Marsh guided the Panthers to an 11-7-2 record, including eight shutouts and a Division II sectional title. In nine seasons at Elyria Catholic, Marsh has compiled a 85-53-21 record.

Boys

Player of the year- Bill Waters of Lorain Catholic. This season, despite missing four games because of injury, the junior led the Spartans to a 16-3-1 season, scoring 29 goals with eight assists, increasing his career totals to 84 goals and 37 assists. He is the first player ever to win first-team All-Greater Cleveland honors all three years of his eligibility.

Coach of the year- Dave Thomas of Lorain Catholic. Thomas started the Lorain Catholic program from scratch in 1985, and he has won 167 matches in 17 seasons. This season, he guided the Spartans to a 16-3-1 record and their first Sweet 16 appearance since 1988.

Medina-Summit- Portage County

Girls

Player of the year- Amy May of Walsh Jesuit. With 14 goals and 13 assists, the senior was the leading scorer on a team that finished with a 19-1-2 record and reached the Division I state semifinals. She had six game-winning goals this season and has committed to University of Cincinnati on soccer scholarship

Coach of the year- Dino McIntyre of Walsh Jesuit. McIntyre, a native of Napoli, Italy, led his team to an undefeated regular season and the state semifinals. The Warriors finished with a 19-1-2 record. McIntyre is the only coach the Walsh Jesuit girls soccer program has had in its history.

Boys

Player of the year- Xavier Balc of Hudson. A senior forward, Balc scored 17 goals and had 20 assists. He was a primary reason Hudson (20-0-2) was not only state champion, but declared national champion. He was voted the state's Player of the Year in Division I.

Coach of the year - Jason Spodnik of Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy (CVCA). Spodnik, a 1988 graduate of the CVCA, helped the Royals put together a 17-4-2 record and finish as state runners-up in Division III for the first time in school history.



Major Indoor Soccer League 2 Stories from February 11, 2003


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