“Find a different way to win each time,” said Chris Walter ‘93, head varsity soccer coach.
Walter guided his team to unprecedented success this season with a line that worked. Add the players grit and determination to brilliant coaching, and Loyola went undefeated through the regular season, which began way back in November. The season didn’t come to an end until a few days ago, when the Cubs competed in the CIF Open Division Final for the first time in school history and then continued to play in the State Division 1 Regional Final.
The tone was set in the fall when the Cubs broke the Cathedral curse in a pivotal 2-0 win, which had eluded the team for years. They then secured two ties in the Chapman tournament and brought home the North Texas Elite Showcase trophy over Christmas break. With hardfought wins over Harvard Westlake and Notre Dame in the regular season, the Cubs won the Mission League for the first time in three years. A strong 17-0-3 record gave them the seventh-seed playoff spot in the elite CIF Open Division.
The first round was no easy task, with a matchup against reigning Open Division champs and second seed Mater Dei in a two-leg format similar to the Champions League. Loyola went into the home game strong, opening up the scoring with a fifth-minute goal by captain Will Hoshek ‘25. Mater Dei tied it up with a penalty kick moments later. After a grueling 80 minutes and a draw, a tall task emerged: Loyola had to go on the road to Mater Dei and try to secure a spot in the two-game semi-final with a win.
Battling for two halves and 20 more minutes of overtime, the Cubs found themselves in a penalty shootout to decide their fate. The teams went back and forth, each making their first five. But on Mater Dei’s sixth penalty chance, goalie Christopher “Stonewall” Stillwell ‘25 pushed the shot off the post to set up a potential Loyola win. With everyone in the stands holding their breath, Cash Morrow ‘27 stepped up to the next kick and buried it for the win. The team went crazy and swarmed the Mater Dei field.
When asked about hitting the shot, Morrow said, “It was electric; I’ve genuinely never been happier in my life. Giving my team the last push to go to the semis. It was legendary.”
The Cubs found a little more stability in the next round against Hart High, thanks to goals from Josh Gallagher ‘26 and Charlie McMillan ‘25, then with another penalty save by Stonewall, they hung on 2-0 and advanced to the CIF Open Division Final to face J. Serra, top-ranked in the nation.
Hoshek said, “I was extremely happy we extended our season the last possible game. Senior year was all about making memories for me, and that win was something I will remember for the rest of my life.”
With hopes high and adrenaline pumping, the Cubs went into the CIF Final determined to show just how far they could take the dream. In the first half, it was all Loyola, and they went into halftime with the thought they could win this game. However, after about 20 minutes of back-and-forth play, the ball took an unlucky bounce and ended up at the feet of a wide-open Serra attacker, who scored.
The Cubs can hang their cleats on the fact that they played through the final whistle, despite the score not leaning their way. Second place in the CIF Final is something to celebrate. But the season still wasn’t over! The Cubs qualified for regionals and ended up, after two more wins, back at J. Serra in the final. Battling through fatigue and injuries, the Cubs put up their best effort, but were thwarted 4-0 in heartbreaking fashion. They walked off the field distraught after another loss to Serra, but with their heads high and gratitude for an amazing season. Soccer Coach Brian Haley (‘12), reminiscing on the great season, had this to say about his team: “This team was resilient and met every challenge head on. That’s all you can ask for as coaches. I look forward to next year.”
