Solon Soccer Team Primes for New Season

After being baked by an unrelenting summer sun, Solon's soccer team will be ready to turn up the heat on its foes this season.

Solon's varsity and junior varsity teams have enjoyed a successful summer and are ready for the upcoming regular season. The Comets participated in tournaments at Jackson High School, Bowling Green State University and Canfield in addition to regular strength, speed and agility drills.

There were no lazy days spent reclining in hammocks and sipping on lemonade for these players.

"This is what we do every summer," said varsity head coach Ryan Conner. "We have had a good chance to look at the guys and we will really get everybody together when we start tryouts on Aug. 1."

About 30 of the approximately 50 players have been able to participate throughout the summer months. Last year, the Comets went 10-8-1, falling to St. Ignatius in the district finals. It was a big bounce-back season after the team went 2-13-3 in 2009 with a young club taking on a brutal schedule.

"We probably played as tough a schedule as anybody in the state that year," said Conner. "We're going to play a tough schedule no matter what and last year was fun for us after going through that rough season."

Conner is in his sixth season as head varsity coach and in 2007 his team was ranked second in the state and finished 13-2-3 overall. In 2006, Solon was ranked number one in the state during the regular season and advanced to the Elite Eight before being eliminated. In 2005, Conner was named as Greater Cleveland Girls Division II Coach of the Year while at Firelands.

At this summer's Jackson Polar Bear Shootout, the Comets won both the varsity and JV divisions. Senior goalkeeper Tom Koenig allowed just one goal the entire tournament and Solon won the title game on an overtime goal by Jeremy Seaman. The junior varsity repeated as champs in the event, led by junior goalkeeper Jacob Altstadt and sophomore Maxwell Sattele, who had the game-winner in a 1-0 triumph.

In the Pete Raffa Memorial Tournament at Bowling Green, the varsity had a big win over Cincinnati Sycamore while the JV squad did not allow a single goal. At Canfield, the varsity won two of three games and the junior varsity went unbeaten with each team allowing just one goal.

As always, defense will carry the Comets this season.

"Defense has always been a big part of my coaching philosophy," said Conner. "We emphasize defense and fitness. All of our players are really good defensive players, even our forwards. It's something that has carried over from year to year and our players have really bought into it."

Conner will welcome 10 returning lettermen this season. "This is a good group of guys who have had a good winter and summer and want to build on what they accomplished last year," he said. "And these kids have done a lot of work on their own."

Solon will have its traditional first scrimmage with state power St. Ignatius Aug. 10 and will open the regular season Aug. 23 at Cuyahoga Falls. The home opener is Aug. 25 with Eastlake North and the Comets will tangle with crosstown rival and perennial power Chagrin Falls Aug. 27.

And if Conner has his way, the defense will never rest.