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It has been a slow journey back to the top for the Meyers boys soccer team.

After breaking a five-year drought without a winning record in 2016, finishing 11-5, the Mohawks took it up another notch this season.

Meyers traveled to Kingston Tuesday night to face a red-hot Wyoming Seminary team with the Wyoming Valley Conference Division 2 title and No. 2 seed for the upcoming District 2 Class 2A playoffs on the line. It was a playoff-like atmosphere at Nesbitt Stadium, and Meyers fell behind early in the first half.

But the Mohawks were able to rally and win, 2-1, over Wyoming Seminary, to take the Division 2 title. It was their first divisional championship in 10 years.

The feat wasn’t exactly stunning for head coach Jack Nolan. The Mohawks brought back a lot of talent this season — especially on the offensive end — but they were able to put it together in a tough division, full of talented teams.

“I hoped,” Nolan responded when asked if this success was what he imagined in the preseason. “I knew we were going to be a team that could score some goals. I thought we would go as far as our defense would take us. We have a good keeper in Joel Vazquez and we had some guys in positions on defense who hadn’t played in those positions before.

“Corey Manganiello, my sweeper, he’s made some mistakes this year, but played a heck of a game (Tuesday), I thought. Played well.”

Meyers’ offense has been the key to success this season.

Heading into this week’s play, the Mohawks feature three of the division’s top six scorers — Tanner Nilon (56 points), Johnny Torres (49) and Sam Germain (40) — while Michael Krasnavage and Dodly Magliore have both registered 20-point seasons as well. Together, they’ve been able to soften the blow of the loss of Jacob Nargoski, the team’s leading scorer from a year ago.

It’s that offensive talent that’s put teams like Wyoming Seminary in tough spots all season. The Mohawks have scored 97 goals in 16 games.

“One game we had eight guys score goals. We’ve had a team that can distribute the ball and put the ball in the net,” Nolan said. “(Spreading out) is what we’ve been preaching all year because we seem to be a team that loves to go to the middle all the time, and a lot of times I have Johnny Torres with four or five guys around him. Good things happen when we keep the field wide because we can cross the ball well, and if we’re getting to the back post, we’ll have opportunities to score.”

“Johnny has like 20 goals, almost, this season, Dodly’s good, Sam’s good, Tanner’s coming up as a freshman. Yeah, we’re a better offensive team this year,” Krasnavage said earlier this season.

Even against a tough defense like Sem, which gives up just over one goal per game, Meyers was able to overpower the Blue Knights in the teams’ two matches this season. The Mohawks won both games 2-1, with both games following a similar script.

In both games the Mohawks scored a goal early in the second half to take control.

“Hats off to Meyers. They’re a physical and a fast team and they played the ball well,” Wyoming Seminary head coach Rev. Charles Carrick said. “We hung in there, but they had the edge. I think they had the edge with their speed.”

Now Meyers turns its attention to the postseason, with a bigger goal in mind. A district championship.

Undefeated Scranton Prep sits in front of the Mohawks, as does familiar foes Wyoming Seminary, Lake-Lehman, Berwick and Holy Redeemer. With the offensive firepower and goalkeeping play of sophomore Joel Vazquez, a rematch between Nolan’s Mohawks and Carricks’ Blue Knights could very well be in the future.

“That’s what I said to Charlie at the end. I said, ‘Take care of Prep and let’s do this one more time in the finals. It’d be great. Nice to have a Wyoming Valley Conference final,’” Nolan said.

Meyers forward Johnny Torres has been just one part of an impressive Mohawks offense this season, which has propelled the Division 2 champions into the postseason with a one-loss record.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/web1_HSSoccerLehmanMeyers2.jpg.optimal.jpgMeyers forward Johnny Torres has been just one part of an impressive Mohawks offense this season, which has propelled the Division 2 champions into the postseason with a one-loss record. Sean McKeag file photo | Times Leader
Division title no suprise to Meyers’ Nolan

By DJ Eberle

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Reach DJ Eberle at 570-991-6398 or on Twitter @ByDJEberle