The awards and accolades are starting to pour in for Western Wayne’s boys soccer team...and rightfully so.
Under the direction of veteran Coach Matt Fitzsimmons, the Wildcats went 10-2-0 in Lackawanna League regular season action. This record proved good enough for both a Division Two title and a play-off berth.
Western Wayne advanced to the Class AA semifinals before finally losing to #1 seed Wilkes Barre Coughlin.
On the heels of this spectacular season, the Wildcats were rewarded with five Lackawanna League All-Star selections.
Danny Fernandez and Andrew Green each earned a spot on the First Team, while Zachary Clookey, Billy Gillette and Anthony Kovaleski received Second Team bids. In addition, Matt Fitzsimmons ran away with Division Two Coach of the Year honors.
“I’ve kind of given up on trying to predict what kind of year we’ll have,” Coach Fitzsimmons told TWI Sports with a laugh. “I thought that we’d be pretty good this season. But, I don’t know if I anticipated winning the league or hosting a district play-off game. Those were very pleasant surprises.”
On the Pitch
Western Wayne opened the 2009 campaign with a heartbreaking 1-0 loss to perennial powerhouse Valley View.
The Wildcats and Cougars would spend the rest of the season battling for first place in a rugged Division Two.
The Varden lads rebounded quickly from this disappointing Week One loss. Coach Fitzsimmons’ squad reeled off six con-secutive wins before suffering a 1-0 setback at St. Gregory’s.
“For my money, that is the toughest place to play in the entire league,” Coach Fitzsimmons said. “They’re really into it there...the kids are singing and the bagpipes are playing...it’s really hard to stay focused.”
Once again, though, the ‘Cats managed to bounce back.
Western Wayne finished up the regular season with consecutive wins over Montrose (1-0), Holy Cross (5-2) and Elk Lake (4-1). That streak carried the school to its first-ever Division Two soccer title.
“We’d come really, really close in the past; but, somehow we always managed to mess it up,” said Coach Fitzsimmons. “This time around, we went out there and did what we had to do. We stayed focused and won all the games we were supposed to.”
Signature Victory
Western Wayne’s biggest win of the fall came in a re-match with Valley View.
On Tuesday, September 29th, the ‘Cats and Cougars squared off in a match that would ultimately decide this year’s Lackawanna League Division Two championship.
As was the case in the first encounter, this proved to be a physical, defensive battle. Neither team could manage a goal in the first half, but Western Wayne finally broke through after intermission.
Anthony Kovaleski did the honors, hammering home a penalty kick in the 72nd minute to give the ‘Cats a 1-0 triumph.
This win was even more impressive when you consider the fact that Western Wayne played without star midfielder Danny Fernandez.
“The kids really came together as a team,” said Coach Fitzsimmons. “They rallied around Danny and refused to lose.”
While Kovaleski provided all the offense, CJ Bayly anchored Western Wayne’s defense. The senior keeper recorded 11 saves and turned away six corners en route to the shutout.
Bayly evolved into one of the Lackawanna League’s truly elite keepers this fall. CJ stopped nearly 100 shots on the year and posted a save percentage of .833. Bayly was also among the Division Two leaders with five shutouts.
All-Star Bids
Fernandez led Western Wayne in scoring and was among the league leaders in nearly every major offensive category.
Danny scored 11 goals and dished out 10 assists from his position in the midfield. In recognition of his scoring prowess and ballhandling skills, Fernandez was rewarded with a fourth straight All-Star berth.
“I don’t think there was a better all-round player in the area this year,” Coach Fitzsimmons. “Danny has all the tools to be a very good player at the next level.”
Green moved up from defense to the front line late in the season. Andrew took some of the heat off Fernandez and emerged as Western Wayne’s top play-off scoring threat.
“Andrew is one of those kids who will do whatever he’s asked to help the team,” said Coach Fitzsimmons. “He really stepped up for us down the stretch when we needed him most.”
Green is still just a junior, so he’ll be back next fall. Andrew tallied four goals during the regular season, but tacked on four more in the play-offs to finish up with 16 total points.
One of his most memorable performances came in Western Wayne’s Class AA quarterfinal match-up with Lake Lehman.
Andrew hammered home a goal in each half of this match, leading the Wildcats to an electrifying 2-0 victory. The Black Knights came into the contest with a 13-2-1 record, but were thoroughly outplayed by the homestanding ‘Cats.
Fernandez assisted on both goals. The first came at the 12: 43 mark and the second in the 45th minute.
“That win meant alot to me,” said Coach Fitzsimmons. “The last time we were in districts, we had to play at Lake Lehman and they kicked our butts a little bit. It’s nice to see how far we’ve come since then.”
Gillette, Clookey and Kovaleski rounded out the Wildcats’ All-Star line-up.
Billy & Zachary are both seniors and multi-sport athletes. Gillette plays baseball and football, while Clookey wrestles.
Kovaleski is a junior and will return in ‘10. Anthony earned an All-Star bid on defense, but he should be a major factor in Western Wayne’s scoring plans next season.
