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Boy's Varsity Soccer

2007 | 2008
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Name	Position
Daniel Legters	boy's varsity soccer head coach
Warren Smith	Assistant Coach

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Damiel Miller signs national letter of intent for Taylor University

A defensive center midfielder for Westminster Christian Academy, Miller was a first team all-conference selection as a junior and senior while also garnering second team all-state honors both seasons.

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Cats hopes are dashed

The 19th century English novelist and author of Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontё once said, “Men judge us by the success of our efforts. God looks at the efforts themselves.” In the first round of district play on Saturday, the success of the Wildcats’ efforts was not so good, as they fell to the Kennedy Celts 1-0. But God would be pleased with the effort given by each of the Wildcat players and the team as a whole. In the toughest district in the state, there is no such thing as an easy first round game. The # 3 seeded Wildcats had the undesirable task of taking on the #6 Celts, a team whose record coming in was an impressive 14-7. Kennedy plays a style that is difficult to play against. The Celts play an aggressive defense in which they attack the player with the ball, and then make sure that they have numbers behind the ball so they do not give an opponent many opportunities to score. Westminster dominated play and controlled the ball for most of the afternoon, but Kennedy got an early goal and made it stand up. Kennedy opened the game with a couple of good chances. In the fifth minute a Celt player attacked down the left wing and sent a low ball dangerously across the face of the goal. Westminster was able to clear before a Kennedy player could get off a shot. In the seventh minute a Kennedy player made a flip throw in deep in Wildcat territory, sending the ball into the box. Wildcat keeper Sang-Jin Im came out for the high ball and was knocked down. Senior Brian Keffer was able to clear before Kennedy could get a shot at the open goal. The ball was sent back in and was deflected out for a Kennedy corner. On the ensuing corner, the ball was sent in near the penalty spot. An unmarked Celt player leaped up and headed the ball past the Wildcat defenders and into the goal, giving the Celts the lead. From that point on it was almost all Westminster, but the Wildcats just could not penetrate the Celt defense. In the 12th minute Jessiah Chard made a run up the right flank and sent the ball into the box. Seniors Jimmy Munson, Michael Shapleigh and Daniel Miller each had a shot blocked by the Kennedy defenders. Sophomore Jake Grimes made a run in the 13th minute and dropped the ball to Michael Evetts on the right side. His shot was deflected off a Kennedy player and out for a corner. The corner was sent into the box and Shapleigh had a go of it, but his shot deflected out for another corner. That was the story of the game – shot after shot being deflected away by the Celt defense. In the 27th minute Connor Hunsicker was taken down about 30 yards out on the left side. His free kick into the box was caught by the Celt keeper. A minute later off a throw in, Miller took the ball towards the right corner. He back-heeled the ball to Hunsicker, who crossed it into the box. Evetts was able to get off a shot, but the keeper handled it. In the 30th minute off another Westminster throw in, Hunsicker beat a defender and sent a ball through for Grimes. He slid to beat a player to the ball and sent a shot wide of the far post by about a foot. The Wildcats had several corners late in the half, but could not finish any of them as the half ended with Kennedy leading 1-0. The Wildcats came out with a bang in the second half. From the opening center off, the ball went to Shapleigh, who sent the ball down the right wing for Chard. He beat a defender and crossed the ball to the near post, where Hunsicker hit a well-timed header just wide of the post. Hunsicker was taken down in the 43rd minute at the top of the D. The Kennedy player was shown a yellow card for the foul. Hunsicker’s free kick was headed out by the Celts. A minute later senior Jared Camp earned a free kick on the left side about 35 yards out. Again, Hunsicker’s service into the box was cleared by the Celts. In the 45th minute the ball was sent to Grimes in the left corner. He turned and beat a defender and was able to toe-poke the ball in the air in front of the Celt goal. Miller headed the ball, but it deflected out of play for another corner. In the 50th minute Camp sent a throw in to Shapleigh in the left corner. As Shapleigh tried to beat the defender the ball went out for a Westminster corner. Hunsicker hit a great ball into the box. It caromed off several players and the Wildcats had several cracks at it. The Celt keeper tried to grab it at one point, but mishandled it. As the ball trickled away, Shapleigh was tripped by the Celt keeper, but no call was made. The ball came out to Grimes, who hit just wide from 18 yards out. Westminster continued its assault as Miller sent a ball through for Grimes in the 59th minute. He touched the ball past a Celt defender, but too far ahead, and the keeper came off his line to grab the loose ball. Hunsicker earned another free kick near midfield in the 61st minute. His long service went over the top of the Kennedy defenders to Grimes, who turned and hit a shot high and wide. The Celts had only a couple of chances in the second half as they were content to sit back and defend. One of those chances came in the 63rd minute as they counter attacked with their best offensive player, Vince Sciore. Keffer hustled back and made a nice defensive effort to break up the play. Westminster came right back as senior Alex Sagi sent a great ball into the box from the right side. With several players defending in the box, Kennedy was able to clear. In the 75th minute Grimes nearly equalized as he beat a defender and let go a shot. The Kennedy keeper dove and tipped it around the post and out for another Wildcat corner. Hunsicker’s cross came in and was deflected towards the goal. It looked like it got past the keeper, but a Celt defender was there to clear. With ten Kennedy defenders in the box, there was just no room for a Westminster shot to get through. The Wildcats poured on the pressure in the final five minutes. Miller won another corner and Hunsicker served up another nice ball. Again the ball bounced around in the box before it was cleared out. The ball was sent back in to Miller, who volleyed a shot just over the crossbar. Westminster had a couple of more corners, but could not get a shot past the Kennedy defense. Despite a valiant effort and complete domination of the Celts, the Wildcats lost 1-0, ending their season and their hopes of a district championship. The loss was especially tough for the 11 seniors on the team, who finished out their final game at Westminster. Over the last two years, the Wildcats record was a very impressive 33-14-3. In other District 3 action, # 5 seeded Ladue upset # 4 seed MICDS with a 2-1 victory. The # 2 seed, the Duchesne Pioneers, barely got past the # 7 seed, St. Charles Pirates, as it took two overtimes before they won 2-1. Play continues on Monday night as Priory will play Ladue and Duchesne will face Kennedy.

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Lancers escape with a win

Wednesday afternoon started off in fine fashion as the Wildcats celebrated Senior Day. The eleven seniors on the team, along with their parents, were honored prior to the match with the Lutheran South Lancers. This was not, however, the same Lutheran South team that the Wildcats beat 6-2 back in September. This Lancer team is now 15-8 and seeded first in its district. Since that first meeting, this Lutheran South team has gone 13-5 with 10 shutouts. And this Lutheran South team managed to earn a 1-1 tie through 100 minutes of soccer and beat the Wildcats in a penalty kick shootout. From the beginning it looked to be a good match as both teams came out with some energy. In the third minute Connor Hunsicker dropped a ball into the middle. It bounced around a bit before Jessiah Chard touched it over to Michael Shapleigh. He brought the ball down with his chest and rifled a shot that deflected off of the crossbar. In the sixth minute the ball was worked through the midfield. Caleb Olson fed the ball to Daniel Miller who beat a defender to the end line. His left footed cross was cut off by the Lutheran South keeper as he dove out on the ball. In the 11th minute Jake Grimes made a run from his center back position. As he neared the 18 he cut the ball to his right and ripped a shot to the far post. The Lutheran South keeper made a terrific diving save to his left to stop the shot. With a strong wind at their backs, the Wildcats moved Grimes up to striker in the 20th minute to try to score a goal. Matt Schwarz, who was recently moved up from the JV squad, replaced Grimes in the back. Lutheran South nearly took the lead in the 24th minute as they counter attacked. The ball was sent long and Wildcat keeper Sang-Jin Im came out of his box to clear. Just as he was about to kick the ball it took a bad bounce and he nearly whiffed it. The ball went to a Lancer player who took a shot at the empty goal, but missed wide. In the 37th minute Shapleigh received a throw in from Michael Evetts, beat two defenders along the end line and sent the ball into the box. It bounced around a bit before the Lancer keeper grabbed it. The half ended 0-0 with Westminster controlling the play, but unable to score. The Lancers opened the second half with an excellent opportunity. Just 48 seconds in, a Lancer forward cranked a shot from 25 yards out that ricocheted off the crossbar. In the 47th minute the Lancers had another chance as the ball was sent high into the box. Im came off his line and out leaped a Lancer forward to grab the ball. The Wildcats came right back with a chance of their own. Hunsicker sent Munson in alone on the left side, but his shot went wide of the near post. Grimes made a nice run out of the back in the 49th minute. After beating two defenders he laid the ball off for Shapleigh, but it bounced over his foot and was cleared by Lutheran South. In the 52nd minute Jared Camp threw the ball in to Shapleigh deep in Lutheran South territory. Shapleigh beat three defenders and sent the ball in close to goal. The Lutheran South keeper dove out and tipped the ball before finally controlling it to shut down the attack. Westminster began to dominate as the half progressed. The Wildcats kept the pressure on the Lancer defense, but could not get the real good opportunity to score until the 61st minute. Camp won the ball near midfield and sent a bouncing ball down the line. It looked as though a Lutheran South defender would be able to clear, but Hunsicker ran to the ball and, with some terrific skill, flicked the ball with the outside of his foot over the defender, spun past the defender and was in on goal. As he drew the keeper to the near post, Hunsicker slid the ball across to Grimes at the penalty spot. Grimes hit a laser into the back of the net to put the Wildcats up 1-0. The goal seemed to pick up the Wildcats’ intensity as they began to move the ball much better. Westminster had another chance when it won a free kick at the top of the D, but the free kick was off target. Evetts stole the ball in the 73rd minute, went down the wing and sent a hard ball across the face of the goal. It eventually wound up on the foot of Chard, who blasted a shot high over the top. Lutheran South came back and tied the game in the 75th minute on a 35 yard blast into the upper corner. The Wildcats came back and nearly regained the lead in the 77th minute. Senior Dima Weir took the ball down the right side. His cross to the back post nearly fooled the keeper and just missed going in. Regulation ended 1-1 and the game headed into two sudden-death overtime periods. The Wildcats were all over the Lancers in the overtime periods. The Lutheran South keeper made several solid saves to keep the Lancers in the game. In the first ten minute period he stopped Munson and Chard on chances as the ball was loose in the box, but no Wildcat could put it in. In the first minute of the second overtime period Miller made a great run from midfield and sent a ball through, but the keeper came off his line quickly to grab the ball. Lutheran South had its only overtime chance in the 93rd minute as they countered, but could only get off a weak shot. In the 98th minute Westminster did everything but score. The ball was knocked all over the box and there was a mad scramble in front of the goal. It appeared as though the ball was going in at the near post, but the keeper dove into the post and tipped the ball out. In the 99th minute the ball was chipped over the defense into the box. Grimes was able to redirect the ball past the keeper but wide of the far post by inches. On the final play of overtime Hunsicker was taken down about 30 yards out. A low ball was sent in and the keeper came out to make the save before a Wildcat could get to it. The whistle blew ending the overtime and sending the teams into a penalty kick shootout. Lutheran South converted three of its five penalty kicks while the Wildcats only made one of four, thus giving the Lancers the victory. Westminster ends the regular season with a 16-7-1 record, finishing tied with MICDS for third in the ABC League behind Priory and Burroughs. The Wildcats begin district play on Saturday as they host the Kennedy Celts at 3:00 PM. District 3, know as the District of Death, is without question the toughest district in Class 2 in the state. All seven teams have a winning record. Three of the teams are ranked in the top five, with four in the top ten. All seven teams are ranked in the top 20. The District seeds and pairings are: #1 seed Priory has a first round bye, #2 Duchesne will play # 7 St. Charles, #3 Westminster plays #6 Kennedy, and #4 MICDS will play #5 Ladue. The semifinals will be played at Duchesne on Tuesday, October 30. The championship is set for Thursday, November 1 at Duchesne.

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Cats couldn't break down Bombers

Coming off of a tremendous week with victories over Priory, Trinity and Whitfield, the Wildcats traveled to Burroughs on Tuesday to take on the always tough Bombers. Burroughs played a very patient defensive game allowing the Wildcats to work the ball around the back, but as soon as Westminster tried to go up the field the Bombers closed quickly. The play was physical from the beginning and the officials allowed a lot of grabbing to go on. In the eighth minute Connor Hunsicker and a Burroughs player got into it. After being bodied off the ball, Hunsicker retaliated by tripping the Burroughs player. Hunsicker was given a yellow card for the foul. In the tenth minute Jimmy Munson sent Brandon DeRousse in against the keeper. DeRousse’s shot deflected off the keeper and out for a corner. Westminster worked the ball patiently trying to figure out how to attack the Burrough’s defense. Daniel Miller, Michael Shapleigh, Caleb Olson and Michael Evetts controlled the ball, eventually working it up to DeRousse. He then sent it to the right side where Jessiah Chard hit a shot over the goal in the 12th minute. Burroughs used its speed to counter quickly in the 15th minute down the left flank. The ball was sent into the box where a Bomber striker blasted a shot over the top. The Bombers took the lead in the 17th minute after a miscommunication by the Wildcat defense. The Bombers sent a ball into the box from the left wing. As Wildcat goalkeeper Sang-Jin Im came out for the ball, Evetts tried to head it clear. The ball landed at the feet of a Burroughs player and he hit a shot into the empty net for the goal. In the 22nd minute Jake Grimes made a run from his center back position. He worked the ball to Shapleigh, who gave it back to Grimes. After spinning to beat a defender, Grimes hit a shot that was deflected to the keeper. A minute later Chard stole the ball and crossed it to the far post just out of the reach of Jake Appelbaum. Miller and Shapleigh worked some nice combinations in the midfield before sending a ball through for Hunsicker that was just out of his reach. Westminster had some difficulty adjusting to the synthetic turf where the ball travels a bit faster. In the 26th minute Munson won a free kick 35 yards out. Hunsicker lofted the ball in and Grimes got his head on it. The ball bounced around the box a bit before Burroughs was able to clear. Grimes and Appelbaum worked together and earned a corner in the 28th minute. Hunsicker’s ball was punched out by the Burrough’s keeper. Several Wildcats had a crack at it, but could not get it past the Burrough’s defense. Burrough’s always seemed to have several players behind the ball defensively, never allowing the Wildcats to have a clear shot at goal. Burroughs nearly had a second goal in the 35th minute. As Burroughs was attacking, Miller hustled back and broke up the play, sending the ball out for a corner. The ball was crossed into the goal box and Im tried to catch it, but mishandled the corner. An alert Burroughs player was there but hit the shot over the top from in deep. The half ended with Burroughs leading 1-0. It was a fairly evenly played half with Burroughs capitalizing on the one defensive mistake. Westminster had a good chance early in the second half after Shapleigh was taken down about 40 yards out. Hunsicker lofted the free kick over the Bomber defense as senior center back Brian Keffer raced in. The ball was just beyond Keffer’s outstretched foot and went out of play for a goal kick. In the 45th minute Munson out hustled two Bomber defenders and stole the ball in the Bomber third and earned a throw in. The Wildcats were pressuring the Bombers a few minutes later when the ball came out to Miller. He blasted a left footed shot that the keeper saved. Burroughs countered again in the 52nd minute down the left side. After beating one defender, a shot was taken that deflected off of a Wildcat defender and into the goal giving the Bombers a two goal lead. The Bombers continued their physical play and in the 58th minute Shapleigh was taken down with a questionable play. Shapleigh injured his knee slightly on the play and did not return for the remainder of the game. He is expected to play in Wednesday’s game. The second goal by the Bombers seemed to take the life out of the Wildcats as their level of play dropped off. Westminster’s last chance for a score came in the 72nd minute as the ball went to Hunsicker on the left wing. He cut into the middle near the 18 and blasted a shot that was blocked by a Bomber defender. The rebound came out to Keffer who was about 30 yards out. Keffer ripped a shot that was headed for the far post upper 90. The Bomber keeper leaped up and tipped the ball over the crossbar for an incredible save. Burroughs shut down any other attacks by the Wildcats and closed out the game with a 2-0 win. The Wildcats are back in action on Wednesday as they host the Lancers of Lutheran South in the final game of the regular season.

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Blue/Green trophy back at WCA!

Blue and Green. Westminster and Whitfield. # 1 and # 3. On a beautiful Saturday morning in front of a huge Carnival crowd, the # 1 ranked Wildcats of Westminster dominated, dismantled, and destroyed the # 3 ranked Warriors of Whitfield. With two early goals and a solid defensive effort, the Wildcats claimed the “W” Trophy with a convincing 3-0 win. Westminster began the attack at the opening whistle. In the 4th minute the ball was sent up to Connor Hunsicker at the striker position. Hunsicker one-touched the ball into the corner for winger Jessiah Chard. After beating a defender, Chard crossed the ball into the box where a Whitfield defender cleared it out for a corner. The Wildcats took the lead in the 5th minute with a beautiful goal. Sophomore Matt Hudnut threw the ball in to Michael Shapleigh in the right corner. Shapleigh nut-megged a Whitfield defender, beating him to the end line. Shapleigh looked up and saw Hunsicker making a near post run and delivered a low liner to him. Hunsicker hit a tremendous sliding volley around a defender and into the net to put the Wildcats on top. Westminster was on the attack again in the 10th minute. After winning a free kick on the left wing about 20 yards out. Hunsicker hit a line drive service into the box. Jake Grimes had moved up from his center back position and, from the near post, flicked the ball into the middle. Shapleigh ran onto the ball and headed it past the Whitfield keeper giving the Wildcats a 2-0 lead. Westminster had another chance just three minutes later as junior Caleb Olson won a free kick about 40 yards out. Hunsicker served another great ball into the box and Grimes out leaped a Warrior player to flick the ball on goal, but the keeper was able to make the save. The Wildcats were completely in control as they won most of the free balls and were making great passing combinations. In the 17th minute Jimmy Munson and Hunsicker broke in two on one. Hunsicker fed Munson, who one-touched it through. Hunsicker ripped a shot off the post, but was called for offsides. Whitfield’s first chance came in the 19th minute off a free kick. The ball was lofted in and headed around before a Warrior hit a shot to the far post. Wildcat goalkeeper Sang-Jin Im dove to his left and smothered the shot. The Wildcats went up 3-0 in the 29th minute with another nice build up. Chard sent the ball in to Hunsicker on the right side near the 18. Hunsicker held the ball patiently before sliding it across the top of the box. Senior captain Daniel Miller, playing with a sore hip flexor, ran onto the ball and blasted a left footed shot at goal. The shot deflected off of Olson into the far side of the goal. Three minutes later Westminster narrowly missed going up by four. Shapleigh lofted a brilliant chip over the Warrior defense as Hunsicker broke behind them and was able to one-touch the ball at goal, but the keeper made the save. Whitfield nearly got one back in the 34th minute. A Warrior winger broke down the left side and crossed the ball in near the goal. Im leaped up and tipped the ball out. It came to another Whitfield player whose header glanced off the top of the crossbar. Westminster continued its impressive passing as they worked the ball from the left side into Miller in the middle. He then sent the ball to freshman Jake Appelbaum down the right flank. Appelbaum’s cross into the box was handled by the keeper. Whitfield countered quickly in the 38th minute, but the attack was shut down by senior center back Brian Keffer. In the final minute of the half, Shapleigh sent a ball to Miller from his defensive third. Miller carried through midfield and from 35 yards out sent a great ball through for Munson down the right side. Munson cut the ball back and hit a left footed shot just wide of the far post. The half ended with the Wildcats in control 3-0 and the Warriors wondering what happened. The Warriors opened the second half with a great chance in the 43rd minute as they won a free kick from 25 yards out. Westminster’s defense set up a wall and the Warrior forward ripped a left footed shot headed for the upper 90. Im leaped up and tipped the shot wide for a corner. As Whitfield continued to attack in the 45th minute, Keffer and Hudnut teamed up for a nice defensive play, as Keffer shielded a Warrior forward and Hudnut cleared the ball out. Munson made a great individual effort in the 50th minute as he battled through two Whitfield defenders and blasted a shot wide. Westminster continued its great passing game in the second half. Hudnut and Hunsicker worked a nice one-two combination in the 52nd minute. Hunsicker was involved again in the 66th minute as he sent the ball for Michael Evetts in the corner. Evetts crossed the ball into the box for Hunsicker, but it was just out of his reach. In the 70th minute Shapleigh received a throw in near midfield. He just tried to hold the ball, but was challenged by three Whitfield players. With some amazing footwork, Shapleigh made a spin move that beat all three defenders. As he broke free, one of the defenders took him down. Hunsicker lofted the free kick into the box and Miller headed it on goal, but the keeper caught it. Whitfield came close again in the 72nd minute when a Warrior was tripped just outside the Wildcat box. As Im was lining up the wall, a Warrior cranked a high shot on goal hoping to catch Im off guard. Im raced over and caught the ball just under the crossbar. In the final eight minutes with a three goal lead, the Wildcats were content to possess the ball and run some clock. Hunsicker, Appelbaum and Miller played a nice little game of keep away down in the Whitfield corner. In the 74th minute the ball was passed up to Brandon DeRousse at striker. DeRousse dribbled along the 18 and dropped the ball back to Shapleigh who ripped a shot that was stopped by the keeper. Whitfield had one last opportunity to break the shutout in the 77th minute. The ball was lofted high over the Wildcat defense. As a Warrior forward raced in, Im came off his line and punched the ball clear. Westminster closed out the game, keeping the shutout, and reclaimed the “Blue-Green” Trophy. The Wildcats travel to John Burroughs on Tuesday for a 4:30 PM contest. They host Lutheran South on Wednesday for Senior Day.

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