Jays Are State Runners-Up in Division 1 Soccer

Posted March 1, 2015 / Last updated March 4, 2015

Jesuit Shut Out by Northshore Rival St. Paul’s, 3-0

The 2014-15 soccer team gathers on the steps facing Carrollton Avenue for a photo that will be displayed in Jesuit’s Hall of Champions.

View the Jesuit – St. Paul’s Championship Game Photo Gallery

View the Photo Galleries of Jesuit’s 2015 Soccer Season

Jesuit’s varsity soccer team took a licking against a formidable foe in St. Paul’s in the Division 1 state championship match Saturday evening at Tad Gormley Stadium.

The 1st-seeded Wolves shut out the 3rd-seeded Jays, 3-0, to win back-to-back state titles.

The Jays were going for their eighth state championship in the 13 years since head coach Hubie Collins began guiding Jesuit’s soccer program. Instead, the Jays had to settle for their third state runners-up finish.

Jesuit goalkeeper Otto Candies makes a great save in the second half of the Jays’ championship match against St. Paul’s.

“We ran into a very strong St. Paul’s team,” said Coach Collins after the LHSAA presented trophies to both teams in front of a crowd estimated at 5,000. “St. Paul’s was very determined, very focused, and they didn’t allow us to get into the rhythm that we like to get into to play our match. They put a lot of pressure on us right from the start. They were able to get an unearned goal that settled them down and maybe unnerved us. I thought our team gave it their all the whole season. We had a great run through the playoffs and I couldn’t be more proud of our players.”

St. Paul’s had a 1-0 halftime lead and added a second goal early in the second half. Down 2-0, the Jays had an opportunity to pull the game back to 2-1 with seven or eight minutes remaining, but the Wolves’ goalkeeper made an outstanding play and the momentum shifted back to St. Paul’s. With five minutes remaining, the Wolves added a third goal, which Coach Collins said was the “game killer” for the Jays.

The Jays, District 9-5A champions, finished the 2015 season with 21 wins, five losses that were all shutouts (four of which were at a Mississippi tournament back in early December), and four ties. The Jays defense this season had 14 shutouts, including the first two playoff matches. The Jays scored a total of 66 goals during the season and limited their opponents to 22 goals (8 of those were in the four-game tournament in Mississippi). In seven matches, the Jays won by a score of 1-0.

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