Boys soccer: Ben Hippauf, headed to Whitworth, leads resurgent North Central in GSL’s upper division

North Central’s boys soccer team is off to its best start in at least a decade.

Whether it’s a culture change bearing fruit or a clever attacking midfielder pulling the strings, the Wolfpack are rolling with a 5-2 record, beating Gonzaga Prep, Central Valley and Ferris in the process while dropping a shootout loss to Ridgeline and a 1-0 defeat at Mead on Wednesday.

Head coach Matt Leonard, who is in his ninth season, believes that this is the first time in maybe decades that NC has defeated those three teams in the same season.

“Starting our year off, those are some pretty big, pretty big wins after coming back into the 3A,” Leonard said.

It has been a budding culture build since Leonard took over, focusing on developing year-round soccer players, not just those who play during the school season.

“There has been a good shift in players who are a lot more experienced and committed and dedicated to playing outside of the school year,” Leonard said.

Leonard is leaning on a sturdy group of upperclassman, specifically up the middle where co-captains Ben Hippauf and Bryce Anderson provide a linchpin between the defense and the attack.

Hippauf, the reigning 2A offensive player of the year, is headed to Whitworth following his senior season, but he is focused on driving the Wolfpack onward.

The senior’s quick feet, the control he has on the ball and his vision to find the pinpoint passes is what helps open up the field. But he also shouldn’t just be known as a finesse player.

“He is willing to do all the dirty work that the game requires,” Leonard said. He’s technically sound with the ball. He’s a dangerous finisher, can shoot from distance, reads the game really well and lays in amazing passes to set up his teammates.”

Lined up beside him is senior Anderson, the more defensive-minded midfielder who covers for Hippauf’s runs forward, breaking up attacks and slowing the play down when needed.

“There’s the respect that we have for each other, I think makes us make us such a good pair in that midfield,” Hippauf said.

The Wolfpack operate mainly in a 4-4-2 formation. They’ll adjust tactics on a game-to-game basis, such as bringing in one of the weakside midfielders inside to help pinch and operate almost as a third central player.

Either way, it allows for the two primary central midfielders to own the middle of the field without getting too congested. Occasionally, Leonard will move Hippauf up top to get him more touches in front of goal.

But the objective is to roll out consistent lineups, allowing for camaraderie to grow and for every player to get a subconscious feeling where everyone is.

Leonard also makes it clear that no starting spot is safe – even if Hippauf and Anderson are the vital components. Competition is a good problem to have, and the Wolfpack’s large varsity roster helps with that.

“People aren’t getting too comfortable,” Leonard said.

Hippauf does have one area in which he is comfortable, outside of his starting spot for NC, and that is his college destination.

After a late-summer visit to a Whitworth soccer identification camp that put Hippauf on the Pirates’ map, the process happened quickly.

After a follow-up dinner with his parents and the Whitworth coaching staff in September, Hippauf committed.

“The community there is awesome, and I love the coach and love the players,” Hippauf said. “I’m super excited to get started with those guys.”

His commitment has allowed him to focus on the task at hand: Being the most dangerous attacking player in the Greater Spokane League and leading the resurgent Wolfpack.

On and off the field, his leadership has been an area of focus the past few years as younger players have looked toward him for guidance and direction – learning how to drive motivation even if situations are yanking their heads down.

“For me, at least, I’m a louder person,” Hippauf said. “So just vocalizing encouragement to my team or critiquing them in a friendly way. So that they can get better and then eventually help the team out as well.”

As a soccer player, he has been trying to slow the game down, trusting his awareness and his skill to direct his runs and his passes.

Most of that comes from extra time spent on the field and in the weight room, pushing to be the best player he can be.

“Whether it’s his club team, whether it’s him doing extra practice on his own, like (on Tuesday), he stayed after and took an extra bag of balls, so he could work on free kicks,” Leonard said. “I think it’s him staying consistent, and just always grinding.”

A confident and driven Hippauf will help the Wolfpack continue their push through the competitive GSL.