Ursuline keeps battling in loss to Warren JFK
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WARREN -- Battling injuries and inexperience, the Ursuline girls soccer team has had its fair share of issues this season.
The Irish have struggled just to score goals, let alone win games. But even though those issues continued in Thursday's 9-0 loss at Warren JFK, Ursuline head coach Roy Schmidt has seen growth and effort from his young squad throughout the season.
"I'm five players short, and I've got concussion protocols on two. Plus, I'm on my fifth goalkeeper. When you have to steal from your field to do things, you don't just lose one player, you lose two," Schmidt said. "I've lost six positions on the field. Makes it difficult. We do what we can.
"I haven't had a game yet where I actually had a full team where I could put players where they should be, so it makes it difficult. But I tell you right now, it's worth it because [the girls] go out and they work their tails off. They work hard."
JFK's Didi Ryan made program history in the win, scoring three goals to break the Eagles' all-time goal-scoring record of 115 career goals set by Caitlyn Condoleon in 2019. She also had two assists, while teammate Maylee Nadaud matched her with a hat trick of her own.
"You've got a solid team with JFK, no question. They're a solid team," Schmidt said. "They come out, they have players that want accolades and they're doing certain things. Therefore, they're going to push, and they're going to push hard. ... So it's just kind of the nature of it. But my girls are learning from it, and they're still playing as a team. They're doing everything that they can."
Ryan wasted no time scoring her first goal, finding the back of the net in the second minute on a one-on-one breakaway through the middle of Ursuline's back line.
Nadaud made it 2-0 for the Eagles less than 30 seconds later with her first goal of the evening. Ryan then set the record in the sixth minute with her second goal on another breakaway.
"It meant a lot to me, especially because I missed my junior season for my ACL," Ryan said of setting the record. "It was one of my goals, just going into high school in general, to be able to get that record. And I'm just grateful that I was able to do it in the time I've been able to play. I didn't get all four years, so I'm really grateful that I was able to get it done in three years."
With just over eight minutes till halftime, Emily Sweeney added JFK's fourth goal to make it 4-0, scoring on a lobbed shot over the keeper and under the crossbar from the right side.
Just before halftime, Laney Condoleon scored the Eagles' fifth goal with a free kick from just outside the 18-yard box.
JFK added four more goals in the second half. Nadaud's second came off an assist from Sophia Tilley in the 54th minute, and she finished off her hat trick with a screamer from about 35 yards out in the 60th minute.
Giuliana Vennitti made it 8-0 with a penalty kick goal in the 65th minute after an Ursuline foul on the edge of the box. Ryan then finished off the scoring by completing her hat trick three minutes later.
"She brings an energy that I haven't seen in a very long time, or got to coach in a really long time," JFK head coach Kayla Zoccole said of Ryan. "She cares about every single play; she cares about every single offensive and defensive play, which is good and bad in ways. But she has always brought an intensity to our team and this program that nobody else can.
"When she's locked in and she's turned on, she will score goals for us. She'll win the ball back for us, and she'll make anything happen with her intensity and the team on her back."
Now 0-11, Ursuline will look to get its first win of the season at home on Monday against West Branch, while JFK will visit Mineral Ridge on Saturday.