Cougars not rebuilding; they’re reloading

By JEREMY SELLEW

jsellew@yourmvi.com

To say the Charleroi boys soccer team lost a bulk of its scoring due to graduation could be an understatement.

The program’s all-time leading scorer Cullin Woytovich, Jace Kepich, Leo Iacovangelo, Joey Caruso and starting goalkeeper Nick Goodwin are gone. So are five other seniors.

The Cougars have gone 36-4 over the past two seasons with a perfect 24-0 mark in section play. Head coach Jon Ducoli’s team hasn’t lost a section game since Sept. 19, 2017.

Entering his fourth season, no one is going to shed a tear for Ducoli’s Cougars after the talented group has left the program. But the cupboard isn’t bare and it all starts with junior forward Eben McIntyre.

“He definitely knows he has the bull’s-eye on him now,” Ducoli said. “But the thing is, he’s so humble as a player and he accepts it. He knows teams are going to be gunning for him, and for Eben, that’s just fine. The kid’s talented enough to handle that.

“Plus, the kid’s grown by what seems like two feet. His mechanics are so much smoother, he’s very technical and more mature as a player. He’s even more dangerous than he was last year because he’s more of an all-around player.”

McIntyre isn’t the only weapon returning for Ducoli and the Cougars as sophomore Ty Patterson returns, after gaining valuable playing time as a freshman, in addition to junior midfielder Dom Yocolano.

“Eben and Ty have really taken on the roles as the hard-nosed leaders of this team. They’re not so quiet like they were last season,” Ducoli said. “Dom picked up a lot of playing time and is going to be counted on to be a leader on the field for us.”

The leadership gained by the pair watching last year’s team operate is evident.

“It definitely rubbed off on those guys, for sure,” Ducoli added. “This year, they’re bringing a whole different aspect. They took a look at what they did last year and have really looked at what will work with this year’s team.”

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