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Lewisburg’s Logan Moore using loss as motivation as he prepares to play men’s soccer at Misericordia

Lewisburg’s Logan Moore (22) plays against New Hope during last year’s PIAA Class AA semifinal game at Hamburg.

Ask Logan Moore about last year’s state semifinal game against New Hope and he’ll recall a lot about it. There was the goal Lewisburg let up early that was a fluke one in his eyes. There were the communication breakdowns and small things they could have done better.

The winds whipped around Hamburg’s field on a bitterly cold night that November and that loss, even seven months later, still stings now as much as those winds did.

Moore, like many of his teammates, still thinks about that game and what could have gone differently, but Moore’s using that loss as motivation. He’s using it to fuel him as he begins his freshman year at Misericordia.

“That loss also hurt me a lot because we had chances in front of goal. … I never hoped for my high school career to end on a loss, but it does really give me motivation to not let that happen again in college,” Moore said. “To say that I’ll be playing with a chip on my shoulder would be an understatement. I’m read yot get back out there and prove that I can achieve not only my goals, but the goals of my team.”

Moore will be playing at Misericordia this fall and plans to major in nursing.

Looking back over the past four years, Lewisburg’s boys soccer team accomplished a lot. Moore was part of the Green Dragon’s 2016 state championship team as a freshman. In his four years, Lewisburg went 80-11-2, won 22 or more games three times, were league champions three times, won three district championships and reached the PIAA semifinals all but one season.

During that run though, Moore never really thought about what the Green Dragons were accomplishing. He was simply playing in the moment and looking at the game in front of him. But while those accomplishments are remarkable for any high school player, what stands out for Moore is more what he didn’t accomplish.

“My goal was to actually play in a state final and I didn’t get that opportunity freshman year even though I was on the team. I was one game away from a state championship twice in my high school career and it is painful for me to say that I didn’t reach my goal,” Moore said. “The goal at Lewisburg is never to be the best in the district, that’s an expectation we put on ourselves. Our goal is to be the best in the state and become the best team we can be every year.

“I love looking back and watching big moments in games on film, but I never really let those moments sink in because I never reached my goal, so I was never really satisfied. All of the team accolades are great and my personal accolades are great, but they mean nothing to me if the team doesn’t reach the goals that they are capable of achieving.”

Moore took a lot of pride in his defensive abilities as a member of Lewisburg’s backline. He was an anchor for the Green Dragons and was a huge reason Lewisburg has been one of the best defensive units in District 4.

While some people may focus on how good a team is scoring-wise, Moore takes the opposite approach and likes focusing on defenses. He wants to always post a shutout when he’s on the field.

“I think that defense is the most important job on the field because you can see everything going on in front of you, and then your job is to read what’s going to happen next and communicate with your teammates,” Moore said. “I’m a defender that isn’t satisfied with just winning. I want to win big and I want to keep a clean sheet. If those things don’t happen, I won’t be happy with my game.”

It’s a great mindset to have for an incoming college freshman.

Misericordia hasn’t had the best seasons in men’s soccer the past few years. The Cougars haven’t had a winning record since going 12-5-3 in 2016. Since then, Misericordia has had a three-, five- and seven-win season, respectively.

But none of that matters to Moore. He doesn’t think about the losing seasons but rather focuses on the fact each year it’s a gradual improvement in the right direction. Moore has big goals when he steps on campus. He doesn’t just want to experience winning records, he wants Misericordia to win titles.

“I’m hoping that I can come in and make an impact right off the bat. My goal is to bring the conference championship to Misericordia and make a run in the NCAA tournament,” Moore said. “I am confident that my teammates at Misericordia have the talent and the drive to have a winning record and make a deep run in the postseason and I’m hoping that I can be a key factor in making those things a reality.”

Moore has been a standout defender in the area, earning first-team Heartland Athletic Conference-Division II honors the last two seasons. Not many teams the past two years have been able to score on Lewisburg and that’s a credit to Moore and Lewisburg’s outstanding backline. Moore also considers his versatility a huge asset for Misericordia.

“As a defender I am big, strong and fast, so I can handle my job in the backline, but I am also skilled enough and clinical enough to move up the field as I have showed throughout my four years,” Moore said. “My ability to win tackles and start attacks from deep positions is also a huge part of my game.”

Moore will be competing for a starting spot in Misericordia’s lineup and will have some solid competition to go against as the Cougars have eight underclassmen returning who play a defensive position.

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