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Schutt

OAC Championship Preview: Men's Soccer Looking to Make History

| By: By: Kyle Kelly, Senior Staff Writer
Schutt has been an unheralded star this year.
UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, Ohio -- Could it be three?
 
John Carroll University Men's Soccer is locked and loaded to compete in its 20th Ohio Athletic Conference Championship all-time and ninth in the past 10 seasons.
 
The stakes couldn't be higher as not only are the Blue Streaks looking to protect their two-time repeat championship but also achieve the first undefeated season in school history.
 
On Thursday, April 16, the Blue Streaks beat Ohio Northern 2-1 in the OAC Semifinal to advance to their 10th OAC Tournament Championship game under the winningest head coach in JCU Men's Soccer history, Hector Marinaro. No. 1 John Carroll (9-0) is looking to capture its third consecutive championship trophy and ninth all-time as they face off against the No. 2 Marietta Pioneers (7-2-1) at 2 p.m. at Don Shula Stadium.
 
Over the last two seasons, the OAC Tournament Championship has been played at Don Shula Stadium and the trophy has remained at John Carroll University. In 2018, JCU defeated Ohio Northern in penalty kicks, 5-4. Last season, JCU beat Otterbein, 1-0.
 
Now, the Blue and Gold will look to win for the first time ever in the spring.
 
"We're extremely proud of the hard work and sacrifice that our players have put into this season," Associate Head Coach Dejan Mladenovic '06 said. "Completely different circumstances that we are normally used to. Normally, we're used to worrying about training, film and playing. Now, we have a whole another set of problems with COVID testing and the hurdles that come with that to prepare for a game. We are really proud of what these guys have done to put themselves in position to play."
 
On their way to last season's conference championship, John Carroll took down Marietta 1-0 in the semifinal with the help of a Mario Abou-Mitri goal 4:35 into the second half. Abou-Mitri also hit the game-winner against Otterbein in the 2019 championship game. Earlier in this year's campaign, the Blue Streaks defeated the Pioneers 2-0 on April 15. Jared Mattei and Jared Ianiro scored goals in the outing to improve JCU's home record in the series to an undefeated 21-0-1.
 
"We have a lot of respect for the Marietta soccer program. We know that they're talented, organized and well-coached. They're hungry to come in and beat with us in the final," said Mladenovic. "We need to make sure that we are doing everything that we can on the field to exceed their work rate, execute the game plan and put us in the best position to win the game."
 
Don Shula Stadium has become a fortress for the Blue Streaks, as John Carroll hasn't lost a conference matchup on its home turf since Nov. 2, 2017. This year's senior class is 35-5-3 during their Blue and Gold careers.
 
John Carroll is led by Cleveland State-transfer, Benjamin Hryszko, who has a team-high four goals so far this season. In his first game coming off the bench as a Blue Streak, Hryszko still played 59 minutes in the OAC Semifinal and scored a goal in the first half and assisted on the Max Hess score in the second half.
 
"Benny coming to our squad was a huge addition. A player like him who is so versatile, with so much Division I experience," Mladenovic said. "He has uplifted our play on the field and has given us a different dimension of a midfielder that we haven't had in quite some time. His impact is huge and can't be understated. We are really happy he chose John Carroll."
 
Mattei (three goals) is also a force in the offensive attack. On Hryszko's goal, Mattei notched his first assist of the season in the OAC Semifinal. William Turrittin, the 2019 OAC Midfielder of the Year, Jared Ianiro and Lawrence Cersosimo II each enter this afternoon's game with two goals. Ianiro was a Second Team All-OAC selection in 2019 and is an important piece to this year's team.
 
"He's the most underrated player in JCU Men's Soccer history. He is one of the most talented players in the entire country. His soccer IQ and vision for the game is second-to-none. What he does normally doesn't show up on the stat-sheet, but he is still capable of scoring goals and creating chances, even though he is doing a lot of the dirty work."
 
Defensively, the Blue Streaks backline of Daniel Kalic, Nicholas Ruggiero and Stephen Schutt have limited opponents to 50 shots. Only 26 strikes have gone on goal, as JCU goalkeeper Connor Robinson has tallied 19 saves and only allowed four goals this spring. Robinson has recorded five shutouts, good for third in the nation. Schutt's season in particular has paid dividends for JCU.
 
"He has been our MVP this year. Walking into a brand-new position that was vacated by OAC Defender of the Year, Matt Nigro, and All-OAC Chase Fernkorn's absence. Stephen was forced into one of the most important spots on the field, in a role that that he has never played before. His leadership, organization and communication in the back has been critical for our success, especially when it comes to our defensive performances."
 
The Blue Streaks rank among the best nationally in corner kicks (9.22, 5th); goal differential (16, 12th) and assists per game (2, 24th). John Carroll is 10-4-1 all-time as No. 1 seed in the OAC tournament and 8-8-3 against two seeds.
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