Ian Schultz, an impactful player for the boys soccer team, confirmed his commitment to Ithaca College at Westfield’s signing day on Monday before announcing the commitment through Instagram on Wednesday.
Schultz racked up 4 goals and 2 assists in the first four games of his senior season and added 3 more assists by year’s end. It was Schultz’s only season on the WHS varsity team: He decided not to play high school soccer during his junior year because he had a commitment to play for his academy team, Players Development Academy, which he joined the summer before his junior year.
“This year, since it was my senior year, I wanted to represent my town and play with my hometown friends again,” Schultz said. “I missed playing with my boys and I just really enjoy hanging out with them, and we now have even stronger friendships because of this past season.”
Schultz will join the Bombers in the fall of 2023. This season, they finished with a record of 3-9-5 and a conference record of 2-4-3. Ithaca is one of 11 teams in the Liberty League. The Bombers will receive an incredible midfielder/forward combo to boost the program.
Franklin & Marshall College was another school that Schultz considered. Though he wasn’t necessarily focused on the location of the university, Schultz wanted to go where he felt was best for him.
What really put Ithaca over the top for Schultz was the incredible grass fields that the school has. “The field was very nice and that’s really what sold me as I’ll be playing on those facilities all the time which will be great,” Schultz said. He added, “Plus the campus is very nice and my parents and I just really enjoyed it.” Ultimately, the mixture of all these factors is what helped Schultz make the decision to commit to Ithaca.
Schultz has finished his career with the Blue Devils with county, conference, and sectional titles. He will look to reignite Ithaca’s winning culture and is excited to improve his skills in his last season playing for PDA. Schultz will always be thankful for his senior year and knows he made the right decision to play. “It was just a great senior year for me at Westfield,” he said.
