Theo Moisides
On Oct. 1, No. 1-ranked ULS boys soccer team defeated Royal Oak Shrine 4-2 in the Catholic High School League Finals at Oakland University.
This Catholic-League win added another championship to the boys soccer program’s record. The Knights have taken home the Catholic League trophy for the sixth time in seven years and it is possibly Head Coach David Dwaihy’s last, after nine years of coaching the soccer program as he takes on a bigger role at Detroit City FC.
The Knights made it to the state championship and lost against Leland 2-1 in a shootout.
Assistant Coach Andy Knote said, “the way we played was terrifying to behold,” and credited the team’s success to their focus.
The Knights scored four goals: freshmen Brendan Logan scored two, Will Lynn and Liam Gady each scored one.
Dwaihy said, “We've relied on the depth of our team. A lot of that comes from our underclassmen.” But he emphasized the leadership of upperclassmen, especially captains.
Captain John Lubera said he aims to “bring everybody into the team, and create us as one” and lead by example, especially for freshmen.
Junior Ollie Cooley said, “this one specifically felt like it meant more to us, especially because we lost to Shrine last year.”
Since 2019, the Catholic League has been fueled by the rivalry between ULS and Shrine.
Dwaihy called it a “huge accomplishment.” “I think a lesser team might have buckled under the pressure, and we really embraced it.”
Athletic Director Brian Anderson said the team has met all expectations for this season, but he believes there is more to come.