By Rick Cassano

HARRISON – Harrison High School’s boys soccer plan isn’t changing because of an early-season bump in the road.

The Wildcats are a veteran crew with high hopes for the Division II postseason, but they learned a few things Saturday afternoon in a 1-0 loss to Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy that should help them down the road.

“The result is disappointing, but I think we saw how we can get better today,” second-year Harrison coach Connor McCurley said. “Our guys saw last year that a loss early in the season doesn’t dictate what happens in games 17-plus. I think we’re all operating under the same mind-set in terms of the play style and our goals. I think that will continue to evolve as we go through the season.”

HHS is off to a 1-1 start, having opened with a 2-0 victory over Colerain behind two goals from junior Chase Wagner, an attacking center midfielder.

The Wildcats are coming off back-to-back Division II district championships, but they haven’t been able to get past the regional semifinals. This year, Harrison wants more.

“We’ve been very intentional about saying our goals out loud this year,” McCurley said. “We want to see if we can up the bar and not just settle for district championships anymore. So we’re really pushing these guys to raise their level of soccer and composure and competitiveness.

“I think we’re a team that’s capable of playing deep into the playoffs. I don’t want to put a label on how far, but I think we’re capable of doing more than we’ve done already. I’ve got a lot of guys that are two- and three-year players. It’s a group that’s been together for a little bit.”

Senior goalkeeper Hayden Carter said the players have a belief that they can be state champions, so that’s their goal.

“The last two years we lost in the regionals. We don’t want that to happen again,” Carter said. “We all feel like we have a chance to win state this year. We work well together. Our practices are always good, intense, and we’re always with each other. We might get on each other, but at the end of the day, we’re a family. I love them. I will always fight with them.”

CHCA has set a high bar as well in Division IV and stands 3-0 after taking down the Wildcats. Andy Mott scored with 12:12 remaining for the Eagles.

“Coming down the line, my defender made it so their guy had a hard angle,” said Carter, who totaled nine saves. “He shoots it, I save it, and it was a rebound. We’re almost there and he put it in the side net … I hate those goals. But CHCA is always a good team. It’s always physical. I feel like it just makes us better.”

The matchup was physical enough that bodies were flying on occasion. Standout CHCA defender Mark Szalay got knocked out of the game with a dislocated shoulder.

McCurley said Harrison struggled trying to handle the athleticism of the Eagles’ Drew Adams in the middle of the field.

“I thought it was a very physical game. Unfortunately, I think we’re getting a little too used to those,” McCurley said. “I think we played hard. I can’t ask them to play harder than we did. We got out-soccered today.

“Tactically, we had some difficulty matching up with them in the first half. I think we came out at halftime with a better understanding of what they were trying to do and a better idea of what we wanted to do to counter it, so I think the beginning of the second half was probably our best soccer. Then they kind of adjusted on us again and we fell behind again.”

Spencer Kramig spent the first 65 minutes in goal for CHCA. He then became a field player as George Fey took over in the back.

Veteran Eagles coach Paul Rockwood said it wasn’t an easy day for his squad, but he viewed that as a good thing.

“One of our captains made the fantastic point that this is the kind of playoff intensity that you’re going to see at the end of the season,” Rockwood said. “You win these kind of games early on and it’s a positive because you know you’ve weathered storms.

“Harrison is always tough. They’re just so intense, and that’s what we need. Some days you’re not going to get calls and some days you do. I told them it’s a microcosm of life. You have to deal with adversity.”

McCurley said the Wildcats lost to Colerain 4-2 last year to drop to 1-2. Harrison got on a bit of a roll from there, and he’s hoping the CHCA defeat will have a similar effect on his team.

The Wildcats are 46-8-6 in the last three-plus seasons. They only lost three seniors from last year’s squad, so the current roster is loaded with experience.

Carter and midfielder Carson Koehl are the senior captains. Center back Harper Wagner and forward Luke Davis are the junior captains.

McCurley felt that Harper Wagner and fellow center back Nate Mirizzi, a sophomore, played well against CHCA.

“They held strong for a long time,” McCurley said. “We just kind of got overwhelmed on a back-post run after a goalie save and didn’t quite get to the follow-up.”

Senior Lucas Ballard and junior Eli Gaffney should be key figures in the offense, and McCurley said Chase Wagner is the facilitator in that attack. Koehl and senior Ben Gill are defensive midfielders, while seniors Aidan Bolser and Brady Ruther are fullbacks.

Carter is a returning starter in goal and had an .886 save percentage last year.

“Overall, I think our composure is improving,” McCurley said. “I think we’re starting to find a good balance of when we push the ball and understanding that all 10 people on the field have to defend as well.”

Harrison will return to action at South Dearborn (Ind.) on Monday. CHCA hosts West Clermont on Tuesday.