News File Photo Alpena striker Ivo Arvidsson-Ullberg launches a shot at the net during a game against Cheboygan on Saturday during the Huron Shores Tournament at Park Family Field at Wildcat Stadium. Arvidsson-Ullberg leads Alpena in scoring this season and could set several single-season records for the Wildcats before the end of the year.

With a 14-2-1 record and several new program records, the Alpena High boys soccer team is making good on the high expectations it set for the 2019 season.

What the Wildcats didn’t expect however is the year Ivo Arvidsson-Ullberg is having.

With his speed, quickness, on-field vision and knowledge of the game, Arvidsson-Ullberg been hard to miss on the field and good things have happened when he’s touched the ball.

Entering Friday’s game at Gaylord, the senior striker from Sweden sits within striking distance of several Alpena soccer records.

He leads Alpena with 22 goals this season and could break the record of 26 set by Gabe Miller in 1992. He also has more than a dozen assists for the year and could break the record of 16 set in 2016. His current scoring output has him on the cusp of also breaking Alpena’s single-season points record, which Aidan Day set with 37 in 2017.

Arvidsson-Ullberg’s goal scoring prowess has been a welcome surprise for the Wildcats, who are in the midst of one of their best seasons ever. Alpena is just two wins shy of tying the program record for season wins (16) and has already set a new single-season program scoring record.

It comes as a bit of a surprise to Arvidsson-Ullberg too, who said he likes to get teammates involved before looking for his own scoring chances.

“I didn’t know I would score this many goals, but it’s fun. It’s fun to score,” Arvidsson-Ullberg said. “I don’t want to be a selfish player. If I can see a chance to go in and dribble, I dribble. But often I want take down the ball, turn down (and) see options that will help the team better. I’m trying to (get) assists (rather) than goals to help the team better.”

Arvidsson-Ullberg’s scoring ability was evident from the beginning of the season as he netted four goals during the Sunrise Side Soccer Challenge Cup in August. Since then, he has had six multi-goal games and scored some of his biggest goals in Alpena’s biggest games.

He scored twice in a win over Cadillac at home, scored a goal in a win over Traverse City Central and buried a penalty kick on Tuesday to give Alpena the lead on the way to an eventual win over Petoskey.

“He’s really been a nice surprise. We had a really good team coming back and he made us even better,” Alpena coach Tim Storch said. “Great athleticism, speed, quickness. He stretches the field for us, but he also has a lot of technical ability 1 v. 1 (one-on-one) and he knows when to hold the ball and when to give it up and that’s why he’s made us dangerous up top.”

The Wildcats set a new program scoring record during Tuesday’s 5-2 win over Petoskey. Those five goals put Alpena at 77 goals for the year, bettering the mark of 76 that the 1990 and 1992 teams reached.

Those 77 goals have come courtesy of one of the most balanced offensive teams Alpena has had during Storch’s tenure. The Wildcats currently have four players with at least nine goals and seven with at least four goals.

“It’s super fun. From what I’ve seen before (in the stats), we’re not used to being this good. It’s super fun that I came this year when we have a lot of seniors and a lot of good players and I can help with (our success),” Arvidsson-Ullberg said.

The Wildcats, who currently sit in second place in the Big North Conference, are hoping Arvidsson-Ullberg can score a few more goals as the make a run at the conference title. Starting with Friday’s game, Alpena has four conference games on the road in a 10-day span.

With the talent they have, the Wildcats are aiming to put a few more accomplishments on their resume before season’s end, namely winning a conference title and making a run at the program’s first district championship since 1997.

Time will tell if Alpena can turn those dreams into reality, but Arvidsson-Ullberg is confident the Wildcats can get the job done.

“We want to win everything (and) I see that we actually can,” Arvidsson-Ullberg said. “We’re playing against good teams and we’re doing very good.”