This season for Elder soccer has been incredible. Across all levels, it was a great showing for the Panthers. Varsity has had their best season in 4 years, Junior Varsity A went on an unprecedented 8 game winning streak during their season. Not only that, but even Junior Varsity B showed lots of promise this year.
So… what led to all of these great things happening to Elder soccer this year? Well for the Varsity level, their success can be traced back to a few sources. Just one of those sources of success for them this year was senior goal-scoring phenom Mason Paschka, scoring 18 goals for the Panthers.
Mason Paschka has been incredible this season, he’s done just about everything right for his team and led them to wins. Not only did he score goals in bunches, but he picked up loads of assists along the way as well. However, it’s not just been a Paschka show for Varsity, Joey Roth has also been another big contributor for this Panthers team. Roth has gotten many assists and 6 goals this season for Varsity.
Another big part of the Varsity’s team success? The superb coaching by Coach Rothwell and student manager Ethan Kramer has been a big factor for their success as well. You could say they put on something of a masterclass throughout the whole year. Even though Elder struggled in GCL play, having 3 of their 6 losses from GCL opponents, they made the rest of their schedule count for sure. They sure showed that they are not a team to mess around with against West High, scoring 7 goals in a single game.
That win really capped off and summarized Elder’s great season, a Paschka hat trick and a huge victory on senior night. Keep in mind that this team still has the postseason to work with, and they are going to work hard to make it a memorable one.
So what about Junior Varsity A? Have they kept up with the Varsity level’s standard? Well, the short answer is yes, but there’s a lot more to it than just that. This level only lost 4 games all season, and that’s a major feat for the JV A level of soccer. Once again, a common theme for them was struggling in GCL play but otherwise they’ve been a great team all season.
Going on an 8 game unbeaten streak and capping it off with a 6-1 win against a decent Colerain team is certainly nothing to sneeze at. They’ve also scored 4 or more goals in 2 of their matches this season, so their ability to get the goals they need is right up there with the Varsity level.
They’ve had JV A stars like goalkeeper Michael Albers gathering a total of 9 clean sheets on the season, the most in the GCL at that level. Not only have they been key, but pulling the strings is a big part of it as well, and that’s exactly what Michael Lindle has done for them this season. He’s proven time and time again to be a reliable midfielder, and even scored some goals.
Lastly, a look at JV B’s potential is needed as well. Freshman forwards have scored an incredible amount of goals this season for a JV B team. Not only are Elder forwards amazing now, but it’s looking like the future is safe there as well.
Overall it’s been a really positive showing of teamwork at every level for Elder soccer this year. The only question that’s left is: How far can the Panthers go in the postseason?
