Independence Boys Soccer team seeks fresh start

by Chris Collins

Last season was one of the Independence High School Boys Soccer team’s most successful. The senior-dominated Blue Devils posted a 13-7-1 record and won the Division III District Tournament before falling in the regional semi-final to fellow Chagrin Valley Conference member Beachwood. The district championship was the first in five years for Independence.

The 2023 Blue Devils were on a roll by winning four straight matches before losing to Beachwood in a Chagrin Valley Conference league contest. Despite the loss, Coach Brien McDonald said his players did well. “I felt really good about the team,” he said.

In the playoffs, Independence defeated Tuslaw, Columbia and Fairview before defeating Rootstown 2-1 in overtime to win the district championship. In the regional semi-final against Beachwood, the Blue Devils scored four minutes into the game and held the lead for the remainder of the first half. But eventual state champion Beachwood tied the score with 17 minutes remaining in regulation and scored the winning goal in extra time for a 2-1 victory.

This season, everything is new for McDonald. Last year, he had 10 seniors on the team, including his son Khalil. “It was a special, senior-dominated team,” he said.

Kahlil earned second team all-Ohio honors in Division III and is playing soccer for Susquehanna University this season. Two other graduates are playing different sports in college. Mark Keller is on the golf team at Ashland University and former goalie Landon Jasick is playing basketball at Ohio Northern University. Seven of last year’s soccer players also played for the Independence Boys Volleyball team, which reached the semi-finals of the state tournament last spring.

Senior co-captains Jamie Panichi and Branden Otero lead this year’s team.

Because the 2023 soccer team was so experienced with most of the seniors playing together for four seasons, the underclass substitutes didn’t get many game minutes on the pitch.

So this season the team faces “a massive learning curve” according to McDonald. But he refuses to call this season a rebuilding project. “I’m excited for this opportunity for the players,” said McDonald. “We’re going to compete and go for the best result.”

He said he scheduled games this season against teams the Blue Devils have a chance to beat. Although the team lost the first three matches this season, McDonald said he is pleased the players scored six goals. Offense is a concern because the current players only scored four of the 79 goals scored last year.

“I hope we will improve and figure out ‘Can we tie, can we win?’” McDonald said.

This is the coach’s third season at Independence. He played soccer in high school and in college at Bryant University in Rhode Island. He coached his three children in soccer and track youth leagues and currently coaches a summer travel soccer team. He said the talented players stand out within the youth and travel teams.

“When you see a group that is coachable and smart you see the cohesiveness,” McDonald said.

Independence is a well-regarded program in Northeast Ohio with six conference championships, 15 sectional titles and five appearances in the regionals since 1997.

McDonald attributes much of the continued success to long-time assistant coach Gino Manoccohio, who has worked for 17 years under four head coaches.

“He’s a great asset and we work well together,” McDonald said. ∞

Photo: The Independence High School Boys Soccer team started a new season after clinching the district championships last year for the first time in five years. Photo submitted.