Despite abrupt end, Thomas Jefferson piled up highlights during boys soccer season

By: Ray Fisher
Sunday, December 8, 2024 | 11:01 AM

The Thomas Jefferson boys soccer team lost its first game of the 2024 season in double overtime.

The Jaguars did not lose another one in the regular season in ringing up a 10-1-3 record in Section 2-3A.

TJ earned the section championship — its third in four years — ahead of Bethel Park (11-3), Trinity (9-3-2) and Ringgold (9-4-1).

“I thought we had a very successful regular season, winning a section championship in a very difficult section,” TJ coach Michael “Doc” Kulish said. “We finished the season on a 16-game unbeaten streak and earned the No. 2 seed for the WPIAL playoffs.

“I thought this team had the potential to make a deep run in the playoffs. Unfortunately, we ran into a very good Franklin Regional team that (eventually) lost in the WPIAL championship game.”

Following their season opener, the Jaguars competed in 16 more regular-season games and posted 11 clean sheets. In the five other games, the opposing teams were able to net just one goal.

TJ advanced to the WPIAL playoffs and immediately went to work with an 8-0 first-round win against No. 15 Armstrong. Jake Shoemaker scored two goals as the Jaguars ran their unbeaten streak at that time to 17 games.

The Jaguars then lost a 2-1 decision to No. 7 Franklin Regional in the quarterfinal round to end the year with a 14-2-3 overall record.

“Unfortunately, we did not go as far as we would have liked,” Kulish said, “but I’m still happy with the season, winning another section title. We’re already starting to look ahead to next year.

“We will be losing a lot of our scoring punch and defense, but with the injuries we had this year, a lot of the younger players stepped in and played a prominent role, which will help us for next year.”

Overall, TJ outscored the opposition 75-10 which included a 50-7 scoring advantage in section play.

The Jaguars’ starting goalkeeper was junior Sam Wessel, who also served as the placekicker on the TJ football team.

Wessel clicked for 12 shutouts in 2024 after posting eight clean sheets in 2023.

Kulish said Wessel and the TJ starting defensive corps — seniors Bryce Kameg, Logan Schaffer and Kolton Smith and junior Will Moser — were the team’s strengths in ‘24.

TJ’s starting lineup included Wessel in goal with Kameg, Schaffer, Smith and Moser on defense. Kameg was the recipient of the United Soccer Coaches Association Senior Excellence Award and an all-section selection.

Moser earned honorable mention all-section plaudits.

Offensively, Brayden Miller returned for his senior season after being named all-WPIAL and all-section in 2023. He was co-player of the year in the section.

Miller led the team in scoring with 28 goals and 10 assists after accounting for a team-high 24 goals in 2023. He was named all-section, Section 2 Player of the Year, All-WPIAL and all-state this year.

Miller, junior Aydin Hajiyev and sophomores Evan Olson and Benjamin Powell started at midfield, while senior Jake Shoemaker and junior Owen Householder were starting forwards.

Shoemaker finished with 16 goals and 19 assists this season; Householder tacked on 10 goals and 12 assists.

Shoemaker and Wessel were honored as both all-section and all-WPIAL selections this year.

Kulish was voted Section 2 Coach of the Year. He has a 447-188-40 career coaching record.

TJ was hampered early in the season by injuries to several key players, including junior Andrew Callaghan (torn ACL), senior Dylan Legeza (fractured hip), junior Logan Barron (broken collarbone) and sophomore Jacob Surrena (broken toe) — all midfielders.

Callaghan had offseason knee surgery and was not able to play at all this year. Legeza, Barron and Surena did return to the lineup.

Tags: Thomas Jefferson