Coming off its second straight IAAM A Conference title, Archbishop Spalding High isn’t resting on its laurels to the start 2010. The top-ranked Cavaliers will open the season at the Zionsville Invitational in Indiana Friday evening.
Spalding faces Sylvania Northview (OH) at 8:30 p.m. Sylvania Northview lost in the Ohio state Division I finals to Medina, which is ranked No. 1 in the nation by ESPN Rise. The Cavaliers come right back Saturday morning with 11:30 a.m. match with Bishop Fenwick (OH) then close with Tennessee power St. Agnes, ranked No. 22 nationally by ESPN Rise.
“We’re giving them a very challenging schedule. From day one we always felt we were going to play the best competition,” said Spalding coach Bob Dieterle. “If the trip isn’t successful as far as wins and losses, it’s successful anyway.”
Dieterle pointed to the opportunity of having his junior varsity compete in the tourney as well as bonding time with the varsity. The Cavaliers will leave Thursday morning for a nine-hour bus ride to central Indiana.
“You take a few chins, maybe, maybe not,” said Dieterle, whose team is ranked No. 3 in the nation. “We’ll see what happens, but we’re going to learn from it.”
“We have a lot of trust in each other so the first game is going to test us,” said Cavalier senior goalie Jocelyn McCoy. “It’s going to set for the season, how hard we work for each other.”
