Dallas’ Christian Maier (34) and Lake Lehman’s Lucas Moyer (29) fight for control of the ball during the Cleary Cup Game on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026 at Edward H. Edwards Stadium. (FRANK LAURI / CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER)
Dallas poses with their trophy after defeating Lake-Lehman, 3-0, in the Cleary Cup Gam on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026 at Edward H. Edwards Stadium. (FRANK LAURI / CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER)
Lake-Lehman goalie Brady Windsor (0) deflects the ball away from the net against Dallas during the Cleary Cup Game on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026 at Edward H. Edwards Stadium. (FRANK LAURI / CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER)
Dallas’ Chase Harris (23) controls the ball during the Cleary Cup Game on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026 at Edward H. Edwards Stadium. (FRANK LAURI / CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER)
Lake-Lehman’s Bodhi Cronin (23) and Dallas’ Tommy Shone (18) both get some air going after the ball during the Cleary Cup Game on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026 at Edward H. Edwards Stadium. (FRANK LAURI / CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER)
Lake-Lehman’s Kolby Shook (11) moves the ball down the field against Dallas during the Cleary Cup Game on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026 at Edward H. Edwards Stadium. (FRANK LAURI / CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER)
Dallas’ Abe Hobson-Tomascik (43) and Lake-Lehman’s Miller Mattie (13) go after the ball during the Cleary Cup Game on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026 at Edward H. Edwards Stadium. (FRANK LAURI / CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER)
Lake-Lehman’s Kason Wojnarski (18) keeps the ball away from Dallas’ Griffin Clark (16) during the Cleary Cup Game on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026 at Edward H. Edwards Stadium. (FRANK LAURI / CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER)
Dallas’ Griffin Clark (16) keeps the ball away from Lake-Lehman’s Finn Cronin (9) during the Cleary Cup Game on Saturday, September 19, 2026 at Edward H. Edwards Stadium. (FRANK LAURI / CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER)
Lake-Lehman’s Evan Fike (28) sends the ball down the field against Dallas during the Cleary Cup Game on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026 at Edward H. Edwards Stadium. (FRANK LAURI / CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER)
Lake Lehman’s Kason Wojnarski (18) keeps the ball away from Dallas’ David DaSilva (17) during the Cleary Cup Game on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026 at Edward H. Edwards Stadium. (FRANK LAURI / CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER)
Dallas’ Luke Tellis (12) keeps the ball away from Lake-Lehman’s Landon James (19) during the Cleary Cup Game on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026 at Edward H. Edwards Stadium. (FRANK LAURI / CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER)
Dallas’ Christian Maier (34) controls the ball against Lake-Lehman during the Cleary Cup Game on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026 at Edward H. Edwards Stadium. (FRANK LAURI / CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER)
Lake-Lehman’s Kason Wojnarski (18) and Dallas’ Luke Tellis (12) battle for control of the ball during the Cleary Cup Game on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026 at Edward H. Edwards Stadium. (FRANK LAURI / CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER)
Dallas’ Kevin Osipower (25) moves the ball towards the net against Lake Lehman during the Cleary Cup Game on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026 at Edward H. Edwards Stadium. (FRANK LAURI / CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER)
Dallas’ Abe Hobson-Tomascik (43) keeps the ball away from Lake-Lehman’s Justin Morris (21) during the Cleary Cup Game on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026 at Edward H. Edwards Stadium. (FRANK LAURI / CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER)
Lake-Lehman’s Landon James (19) controls the ball against the Dallas defender during the Cleary Cup Game on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026 at Edward H. Edwards Stadium. (FRANK LAURI / CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER)
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Dallas’ Christian Maier (34) and Lake Lehman’s Lucas Moyer (29) fight for control of the ball during the Cleary Cup Game on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026 at Edward H. Edwards Stadium. (FRANK LAURI / CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER)
LEHMAN TWP. – By his own admission, Griffin Clark has been struggling to find the open net.
He admits some of it was just bad luck, a bad bounce or an unlucky hit off a post. The Dallas soccer player also acknowledges some of it is confidence.
“I’ve had a little struggle this season with all of my open chances,” Clark said. “Every time I have a chance and I miss, my confidence drops a little bit.”
How about after Saturday’s match against Lake-Lehman?
“After today, my confidence is boosted pretty high,” Clark smiled.
He picked the perfect time to strike that open net.
Clark put the match away with his goal early in the second half, and Dallas brought the Cleary Cup back to the school as the Mountaineers beat rival Lake-Lehman, 3-0, on Saturday morning in the annual Cleary Cup match.
Christian Maier and Abe Hobson-Tomascik also scored for Dallas (7-1-1), which won its third straight game. More importantly, the cup returned to the school after Lake-Lehman won it last season at Mountaineer Stadium.
“This game is so important, and it means a lot to all of us,” Hobson-Tomascik said. “The Cleary family is important to all of us. Every year, it means so much to come away with this win. We wanted to take control early.”
The match is played in the memory of 1st Lt. Michael J. Cleary, who was killed in a roadside bombing in Iraq on Dec. 20, 2005. Cleary was a four-year letterman in soccer and tennis at Dallas, and later, competed at Hamilton College in New York in both sports.
In 2003, Cleary was accepted into the Marine Flight Officer program and immediately entered U.S. Army basic training. He rose through the ranks where he earned the title of first lieutenant and platoon leader of the Explosive Ordinance Disposal Team in E Company of the 3rd Infantry Division.
“We talked about the emotions earlier in the week. Just about managing those emotions, and in this game, there is a lot attached to it,” Dallas coach Jesse Williams said. “There are a lot of extra layers, especially with me, personally, because I played with Mike and knew him very well as a friend. I wanted to honor that and honor him in the right way.”
It was a classic match of ball control.
The Mountaineers controlled possession on its offensive end most of the game, and in turn, pelted Lake-Lehman (4-3) keeper Brady Windsor with 15 shots.
Put that amount of pressure on a keeper and defense, and good things will happen.
“We always talk about the longer that we have the ball, the less time our opponent is going to have to score,” Williams said. “We’ve been practicing a lot with the high press.”
That’s what happened on Dallas’ first goal.
Hobson-Tomascik sent a ball toward the Black Knights’ goal. There was a scrum in front of the net as the ball plunked off several players. The last who touched it, Maier, found a sliver of an opening, getting the ball just past the goal line for the score.
While there was a little confusion if the ball broke the line, the official stepped ruled it an official goal.
There was no confusion on Dallas’ second goal. Rather, it was a picture of beauty.
Nate Bilwin dribbled around a Lake-Lehman defender, and split the defense on a perfect pass to Hobson-Tomascik, who beat the keeper to the far side for a 2-0 lead in the 35th minute.
“We have a lot of guys that have speed, are strong with the ball and can finish,” Williams said. “Abe is dangerous. He has two four-goal games, a three-goal game and he’s nearing 50 as a center-mid. That’s pretty wild.”
Clark all but sealed it with 36 minutes left.
Taking a pass from Lorenzo Zangardi on the right sideline, he made a quick move, catching Windsor out of position in goal. Clark bent the ball around the keeper to the far post for a 3-0 lead.
Dallas held a 14-5 edge in shots, and a 10-3 edge in corners.
“This is going to pump us up heading into the second half of the conference season,” Clark said. “We are ready to go out, attempt to win out the rest of the season, and see what the playoffs gives us.”
First: Maier (D) from Hobson-Tomascik, 24:11. Hobson-Tomascik (D) from Bilwin, 5:37; Second: Clark (D) from Zangardi, 36:36; Shots-corners: D14-10, LL 5-3; Saves: D 4 (Miller), LL 10 (Windsor); Records: D 7-1-1, LL 4-3.