Jonathan McDonald isn’t your typical Stark County athlete; he is much more than that. He was a dual-sport star, participating in both soccer and rugby. He earned All-Stark County and Second Team All-District honors in soccer at Lake HS, breaking the school’s single season shutout record as a dominant goalkeeper. He also was a captain and MVP with the Canton Maddogs HS rugby team. The unique experience led McDonald to playing college rugby with Notre Dame College, a program that went from
Notre Dame College fell to No. 20 Mercyhurst University 2-1 in overtime, on Sunday afternoon as Leonardo Paiva scored the lone goal for NDC in the first half. Photo Credit: Richard Kruszynski/ISNSoccer.com The Falcons (1-1) lose their first game of the season and haven’t beaten MU since 2015. With the win, the Lakers (1-1) bounce back after their opening day loss to the University of Charleston. Mercyhurst had the ball on Notre Dame’s side of the field early in the
Notre Dame College took down Mount St. Mary’s University 71-5, at home, on Saturday afternoon as they kicked off their first game of the season and their first contest as a part of the National Intercollegiate Rugby Association (NIRA). Notre Dame picked up right where they left off in 2016 when they put together an 8-3 record and became the national runner-up. Coming into the 2017 season, NDC was voted sixth in the NIRA preseason poll, while Mount St. Mary’s was picked
In the season opener, Notre Dame College defeats Gannon University 3-0 on Thursday afternoon, as Giulio Bellei scored the first two goals for the Falcons and the defensive side kept the Golden Knights off the scoreboard. This was the first game of the 2017 campaign for both teams. The Falcons are now 4-1 over the Golden Knights in the past five years and they beat Gannon for the first time since 2015. The two teams went back in forth early
Two Stark County, thought to be among the top talent ever produced in the area, have crossed paths again. This time Spencer Semple and Mitch Griffiths are teammates, not rivals from opposing schools. The former GlenOak HS and Jackson HS standouts now find themselves at one of the top Division II programs in the country, Notre Dame College. NDC is led by a fantastic head coach named Michael “Mac” McBride, someone known for developing talent at the collegiate level. And he
Photo Credit: Kaylee Durken On a beautiful night in northeast Ohio, on the campus of Notre Dame College, AFC Cleveland put on an offensive showcase against the Cincinnati Saints. Within the first minute of the game, the Royals scored after a penalty kick, resulting from a handball inside the box. Midfielder Antonio Manfut knocked in the penalty with ease. Only moments later, with the home crowd barely settled down from the quick opening goal, Manfut struck again, running in from
Beattie is an attacking player that can play at the next level. The past 12 months in soccer have never been at a greater high. With the U.S. Men’s National Team at the World Cup, the addition of new soccer-specific stadiums and franchises in the MLS, and the success of soccer in Ohio at the national level are just a few on the short list. With an estimated 67,000 registered soccer players in the state of Ohio alone ranging at
When one looks at the hotbeds of soccer in the United States, the great Northwest with the Seattle Sounders (MLS), to California and the Los Angeles Galaxy, to the East Coast where D.C. United (MLS) won three of the first four MLS titles, spring to mind. The Midwest is often overlooked by the masses as a soccer hotbed. An easy picture of farms stretching further than the eye can see does not bring athletic, silky soccer players to mind. For Jacob