A season with a purpose: Notre Dame soccer team dedicates games to goalie's father, who has cancer

Soccer emerged as Ryan Bass' passion at an early age.

His mother remembers her 5-year-old son telling her that he planned to be an Olympian or play professionally in Europe.

Ryan's affection for the sport hasn't changed now that's he's a senior at Notre Dame, but soccer took on a new purpose over the summer.

When Ryan's parents, Terry and Linda, told him that Terry had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, soccer became an outlet. It became a way for Ryan to release his emotions.

"It was a way for him to be able to deal with it," Linda said.

"He's not one to really complain. His way of dealing with things a lot of times, especially stressful situations, is to joke around about it and go on. He was able to deal a whole lot better with just being out there on the soccer field."

Ryan's Notre Dame teammates decided to dedicate this season to Terry. So when the Bulldogs take the field Friday against Helias in a Class 2 state semifinal, they will be playing for more than their third consecutive state title.

"It was humbling to have a group of kids that step up and make a commitment like that," Terry said.

Linda said the team's gesture came at the perfect time.

"When he was diagnosed, it was just a surreal time for all of us," she said. "For those boys to dedicate this season, it just shows the family of Notre Dame and how special that place is."

Ryan said he's tried not to let his father's illness weigh on him, but he couldn't help thinking about it before Notre Dame's state quarterfinal game against St. Mary's.

"I was kind of worried that that would be his last game," Ryan said. "St. Mary's was a good team. That kind of weighed on your mind, that this could be the last game that my dad gets to see me play."

While Ryan still enjoys himself and the closing days of his high school soccer career, Notre Dame coach Brad Wittenborn has noticed a difference in his goalkeeper.

"I think Ryan has grown up a lot in the last year," Wittenborn said. "He's a much more mature kid. He's a fun-loving kid, but he's much more mature and his focus is different than in the past. He's really been a joy to have out here."

Terry said he noticed a difference in his son for the first few months after the cancer was discovered. But as Terry met with more doctors and responded well to treatment, he said, Ryan began to return to his old ways.

"I think the first couple of months there were some ups and there were some downs," Terry said. "But I've responded very well to treatment. ... I think since then he's come back to more of an even keel than what he was. But you know, it's pretty devastating."

Ryan has received interest from several colleges, and he's trying to sort out which will be the best fit. He's drawn interest from schools as far away as Texas and California, and Terry is encouraging him to explore every possibility.

"I've tried to make sure that he doesn't let my illness affect either his level of play or where he's trying to decide where to go to college," Terry said. "I want him to go where he thinks is best for Ryan, not, 'I've got to stay within two hours of home' or 'I've got to do this.' You only get one opportunity at what he's going to get, and I want him to be where he thinks he needs to be."

But Linda and Ryan's girlfriend, Rachel Henson, both said his father's illness is coming into play as Ryan looks at colleges.

"At this point, we aren't even sure he's going to go that far away because of his father's situation," Linda said.

Ryan has the chance to play in college because of the hours of practice he's put in over the years. He started playing goalie in kindergarten because he got bored running up and down the field trying to score. He wanted something different.

"You jump in goal and get to stop everyone else and talk trash to all your friends," he said.

As he started playing on local all-star teams, it became clear that he had a deftness for the position. As his parents searched for opportunities for him to improve, they soon realized the best options were in the St. Louis area.

"Ryan had expressed an interest that he wanted to do everything he could in the sport," Terry said. "Not that there aren't good people in Cape Girardeau ... but there were no goalie coaches."

A club team in Edwardsville, Ill., had a dedicated goalie coach, so Ryan started playing with that team around the time he was 10 or 11. It meant a significant sacrifice for his parents because they had to drive him more than 100 miles each way to practices and games, and they have two other children -- daughter Morgan and son Jordan.

"On nights there were practices during the week, the family didn't eat supper together," Terry said. "As soon as we'd get home, one would grab Ryan and immediately head toward St. Louis. ... You were eating hamburgers on the road and taking a flashlight so he could keep up with his studies.

"It was as much a big commitment on his part as it was on me and his mother."

'A lot of training'

Ryan has continued to hone his skills while playing for a club team in St. Louis. He's attended numerous camps to help him improve, and his high school coach said all that instruction is what separates Ryan from most goalies.

"He's technically better than any goalie we've ever had," Wittenborn said. "He's had a lot of training over the years."

Ryan's commitment to improving has paid off. He's become a stalwart in goal for Notre Dame, helping the team win two state championships, and he'll try for No. 3 this weekend.

"We've had a lot of good players through the last few years," Notre Dame senior Joda Holloway said. "But I don't think if Ryan Bass wouldn't have come to Notre Dame, I don't know if we would have any state championships. I'm dead serious. Ever since he was a sophomore, he's been an anchor back there."

Part of his success is his competitive nature. Linda joked that he's been testosterone-driven since he was 2 years old. He didn't handle it well losing to Terry when they played video games over the years, and he doesn't handle it well now when he gives up a goal. He quickly retrieves the ball from the net then punts it as far as he can.

"It's to get the aggression out," he said.

On the rare occasions the Bulldogs have lost, his girlfriend said, you're better off steering clear of him.

"He's really hard on himself," Henson said. "So if after a game, if he thinks he didn't play, he's not real happy. When he plays well, it's all good, though."

The losses have been rare during Ryan's Notre Dame career. He's posted 15 shutouts this season, and he owns the school's career shutouts record with 45.

"There are other good keepers, but compared to him, he just knows where to be," Notre Dame senior Josh Robert said of Ryan. "He knows how to cut the angles down. He communicates real well and can control the defense, which is really good."

Ryan helps out the offense, too. He's known for his lengthy drop kicks that spark offensive attacks. It's a skill he perfected during his sophomore year, and he used it to earn five assists this season after grabbing three last year.

Notre Dame hasn't ended a soccer season with a loss since 2005, and Ryan will play an important role in continuing that streak. He's 22-4 with 161 saves this season. He plans to enjoy his final trip to the state tournament and not worry about where he's going to college or his father's illness.

"You've got to cherish life one day at a time," Ryan said. "Every joy you get, you've got to enjoy as much a you can before it leaves."

That's how his dad wants it.

"I think with our family since the illness, we've all started really appreciating what we have today," Terry said.

kmorriss@semissourian.com

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