Parma, OH – The Padua Bruins took on the Normandy Invaders on the road on Monday, August 18th. The Bruins would leave victorious, winning 3-0 starting their season off right with a win.

Following a disappointing 2024 campaign, finishing 5-10-4 and a 1-0 loss in the district semifinal to Twinsburg, the Bruins looked to start their 2025 season in the win column. The team in their way would be the Normandy Invaders who also had a rough 2024 season, finishing 3-11-2.

As the game started the Bruins would seize the early momentum following a goal from Sr. Captain Garrett Nowicki, assisted by fellow Sr. Captain Caleb Zolkowski. The Bruins would end the half up 1-0 and looked to carry the momentum all the way to the finish line. Fr. Sawyer Bulat contributed to the Bruins effort, scoring off a corner kick early in the second half, putting the Bruins up 2-0. Then, in the final minute of the contest Caleb Zolkowski would be fouled in the box, resulting in a penalty kick for the Bruins. Garrett Nowicki would capitalize on this penalty kick opportunity, scoring his second goal of the day and putting the finishing touches on the Bruins 3-0 win vs the Invaders. Padua’s goalkeeper, Jr. Gregory Dudick would finish the day with 3 saves, shutting out Normandy.

Following Monday’s win I asked Sr. Captain Garrett Nowicki what it meant to start the season off 1-0 and he answered, “It feels great to get that first win, and shows that the hard work that we put in all off-season pays off. It shows that we can compete at a high level.” I also asked Sr. Captain Kevin Ontaneda the same question and he shared a similar sentiment saying, “Starting 1-0 feels very good, and we can see that there are some things we can improve on before big games. But for now we are happy with the result.”

The Bruins will look to continue their hot start on the road against Avon Lake on Saturday, August 23rd at 2 PM.