MaxPreps 2013 Soccer Early Contenders: St. Xavier boys

People sometimes wonder how a great soccer tradition was born in the non-traditional soccer area of Louisville, Ky., at a school named St. Xavier (Louisville, Ky).

It probably didn't hurt that the school's first principal in 1864, Xaverian Brother Paul Van Gerwen, was from the great soccer nation of Belgium.

"We've always had that on our side," mused St. Xavier coach Andy Schulten.

And what a side it's been.



St. Xavier, where Schulten has been the head coach since 1997, has won eight KHSAA championships in the past 16 seasons. The Tigers are currently riding a 55-game unbeaten streak, and are coming off a 27-0-2 season that landed them at No. 4 nationally in the final National Soccer Coaches Association of America fall rankings. They are one of 10 fall boys teams to be honored as a national title Early Contender, presented by adidas and Dick's Sporting Goods.

See all the 2013 Fall Soccer Early Contenders

Major challenges lay ahead, however, particularly for team that graduated 10 starters and lost 13 of its top 16 players. Give St. Xavier high marks for refusing to back down as it enters the 2013 season.

"We're facing the toughest schedule we've ever played," Schulten said.

High school soccer generally doesn't engage in as much inter-sectional play and travel as some sports, but St. Xavier is one of the teams countering that trend significantly. It will will play St. Louis University High of Missouri and Liberty Olentangy of Ohio (No. 9 nationally in 2013) this season, and will also attend what has become arguably the top in-season fall soccer tournament in the nation, the ninth-annual Gateway City Classic Oct. 3-5 in St. Louis.

The St. Xavier football team - not to be confused with St. Xavier of Cincinnati - was recently named by MaxPreps as one of the Top 25 high school football dynasties of all time. The St. Xavier soccer team is assuming a similarly lofty status among the nation's elite.



"We should be one of the top tier teams in the state this year, but we will face several strong challenges from local Louisville teams," Schulten cautioned.

"Trinity (Louisville, Ky.) returns several starters from a team that tied us last year during the regular season. Also, district rivals Male High School and Collegiate return several key players and will pose tough challenges for us to overcome."

See the entire St. Xavier photo gallery

Local outlook: "Andy Schulten has led St. X to eight state championships in his 16 seasons as head coach, and the Tigers have been especially dominant over the past two title seasons. They closed the 2012 season with 11 straight shutouts and are unbeaten over their past 55 matches (53-0-2) record. Joe Workman is the only returning starter but led St. X with 18 goals last season."
- Jason Frakes, Louisville Courier-Journal (@kyhighs)
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State classification: KHSAA (Kentucky has one division for soccer)

Enrollment: 1,400 (all boys)

Athletic director: Alan Donhoff

2012 finish: 27-0-2 (No. 4 NSCAA rankings; No. 23 MaxPreps computer rankings; KHSAA champs)



Head coach: Andy Schulten

Years at school: 20 (last 16 as head coach)

Career record: 316-43-18

Notable team achievements: Tigers have won eight KHSAA championships since 1997, and are currently on a 55-game unbeaten streak (53 wins, two ties).

Notable soccer alumni: Ray J. Burse (GK, Dallas Burn); Kevin Bick (two-time Kentucky Player of the Year, current captain at San Diego State); Oliver Brown (Gatorade Kentucky Player of the Year 2010); Neil Henley (Gatorade Kentucky Player of the Year 2011).

Notable non-soccer facts about school: Since the beginning of the 1997-1998 school year, St. Xavier teams have won 57 state championships, including 16 by the swimming and diving team, 13 by the tennis team, five by the golf team, five by the cross country team, and four by the football team, as well as three by the track and wrestling teams. Another 29 state and national titles have been captured by St. Xavier’s volleyball, power-lifting, hockey, rugby and lacrosse teams in sports not sanctioned by the KHSAA, the most recent being the state rugby title in 2013.
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Key Player Losses:

D Kaelon Fox (U. of Kentucky; Mr. Kentucky in 2012)



M David Means (All-State)

F Adam Kirsch (DePaul)

D Campbell Weyland (All-State, Lafayette)

M Ryan Sullivan (Clemson)

D Jon Otting (Xavier)

GK Dane Roehrig



Key Returners:

Sr. F Joe Workman (leading scorer from last season)

Sr. F Jack Somervell

Sr. M Bobby Buse

Sr. M Matt Effinger

Sr. D Braden Wyman

Sr. D Brad Woodlee



Sr. D Sam Lukens

Rising Contributors:

M Andrew Schaefer

M Trent Stigler

M Collin Kremer
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Toughest Games: "Arch rival Trinity (Louisville) is always a tough game. They are immensely talented and we will be on the road at their place this year. We also will play St. Louis University High School from Missouri and Liberty Olentangy from Ohio, who are both traditionally strong programs. Lastly, at the Gateway City Classic tournament in St. Louis, we will face, among others, Chaminade (St. Louis) and Reitz Memorial (Evansville, Ind.)," Schulten said.

Question Marks: "The major question mark is how we will replace 10 starters from last year lost to graduation, and 13 of our top 16 players. We must settle on a goalkeeper and a defense, and need to find a complement to Joe Workman up top," Schulten said.



National Look: St. Xavier plays as close to a national schedule as any fall soccer program in the country. Teams it faces in-state should benefit from that in terms of finding out just how good the soccer is in the Kentucky hotbeds of Louisville and Lexington.

In Summary: "We have the toughest schedule we have ever played, and if our inexperienced guys learn from it and toughen up throughout the course of the season, we should find ourselves in the hunt again come tournament time. But there are many questions that can only be answered on the field."
- Head coach Andy Schulten
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