Names change and so does style of play, but there are two key ingredients to a Walsh Jesuit girls soccer program eyeing its fifth consecutive state title and 10th crown in school history.
Achievement sometimes breeds relaxation and a sense of entitlement in sports, but the Warriors are all about bringing a family atmosphere and making sure success starts with sisterhood.
Walsh (21-1) will face Springboro (18-1-3) at 8 p.m. Saturday at MAPFRE Stadium in a Division I state final showdown and will do so with a down home attitude.
“It makes it a lot better,” said Warriors coach Dino McIntyre, who founded the program in 1993 and has been a part of every championship. “When girls don’t look at themselves as a senior, freshman or sophomore or they don’t look at themselves as a starter or non-starter or role player, it’s great.
“Now, it’s just a culture. This culture was founded some time ago by those players back in the day. I’m just there to keep it going.”
Walsh isn’t a team devoid of stars.
High School All-American Sofia Rossi (27 goals, 16 assists) might be the heartbeat of the Warriors, but Walsh also has standouts in Bella Rosalina (15 goals, nine assists), Olivia Darrow (13 goals, seven assists) and Kathryn Ramicone (12 goals, nine assists).
Maddie Shinaberry had a goal and an assist in the state semifinal win Tuesday over Toledo Notre Dame Academy. She also joined a backline of Lina Feltovich, Halle Rogers and Abby Major as well as keeper Kiera Sarka to earn the school’s 17th shutout this season. With all that success, it would be easy to let things go to your head, but not with the Warriors.
Listening, feeling
“I think it’s awesome because that means what we’re telling them and what we want them to feel, they’re actually feeling it,” McIntyre said. “When I bring up tradition, it becomes a reminder to the seniors and the older players to really go out of their way to reiterate it to the players. When they hear it from the older players, that’s when it really makes an impact.”
Undefeated in state finals, Walsh faces a Springboro team that went to a regional final last season and one that was a district finalist the two seasons before that.
The Panthers are making their first trip to Columbus, but they have logged back-to-back 18-win seasons and have won 12 games or more dating back to 2012.
“It doesn’t mean anything if someone has been there 10 more times than us or if this is the first time, if they have what it takes, they’re going to win the game,” McIntyre said. “We’re just going to have to find out what we can about them, but we’re not going to change much. We’ll make adjustments and keep our humility. There’s still that drive and hunger to win one more game.”
There’s also the drive to remain perfect in state title games as Walsh looks to become the first school regardless of gender to win double digit state titles.
The same hunger that was there to win its first title in 2000 is there today.
McIntyre will still take the girls down a day early. They’ll still eat meals together. He’ll still clean their cleats prior to the final and they’ll arrive early and watch one of the other division finals. It’s a tradition that has only gotten stronger and an occasion that only gets better with age.
“It’s unbelievable,” Ramicone said. “I’m so excited. It’s going to be a wonderful experience.”