Girls soccer: Ludwick’s Rams dominant

Greeneview won its sixth straight OHC championship in a 17-2-1 season.

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By Michael Cooper, Staff Writer 12:12 AM Saturday, November 21, 2009

JAMESTOWN — Entering the 2009 season, the Greeneview High School girls soccer team had been dominant for years, winning five straight Ohio Heritage Conference titles.

This year, however, the Rams went above and beyond their past dominance. They finished with the best record in school history (17-2-1) before eventually falling in a Division II district title game to state semifinalist Cincinnati Wyoming.

For his efforts this season, Rams coach Dan Ludwick was named the 2009 News-Sun All-Area Girls Soccer Coach of the Year.

The award is based on regular-season performance.

The Rams knew they had a chance to be really good this fall. After a few weeks of practice, it became more than apparent they could be even better than they had expected.

“Two weeks into the season, we all talked about the team goals we had set,” Ludwick said. “(Having the best record in team history) was my vision with the talent that we had. The way we played was a direct reflection of that.”

After an early-season hiccup against Xenia, the Rams would go on to win 16 of their next 18 games. Their lone tie came against Indian Hill, a 1-1 match which Ludwick said was a benchmark for the rest of the season.

“In the first half, we didn’t play well,” Ludwick said. “We weren’t very aggressive. In the second half, they just pulled together and we went right after them. We dominated them the entire second half. They realized they could play with any team on our schedule.”

The Rams also won a sixth straight OHC title, a feat which gets tougher every year with the other schools gunning for them every game.

“It’s a good feeling,” Ludwick said. “It’s not easy to do.”

Ludwick was most proud of his team not allowing a goal during the second round of OHC play.

“I always remind the players about that every year,” Ludwick said. “Teams always want a second shot against us.”

Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0365 or mcooper@coxohio.com.