Bozych holds on to hope for turn in spotlight
By Matt Le Cren
Benet’s high-powered offense never faltered last season, even when star striker Abby Casmere wasn’t in the game.
Sarah Bozych was a big reason why.
The junior was a super sub for the Redwings and one of the catalysts of their run to the Class AA state championship.
As Casmere’s backup, Bozych saw about 30 minutes of action against top teams and usually more against other opponents. Despite not being a starter, she tallied 12 goals, ranking third on the team behind Casmere, who bagged 20 goals, and sophomore winger Jaimee Cibulka, who finished with 14.
“Typically, she came in for Abby,” Benet coach Gerard Oconer said. “It allowed us to be able to keep Abby fresh, because Abby did a lot of work up there.
“So, to have her be fresh when she was in the game made a huge difference because that obviously wears on defenders.”
Though Casmere and Bozych play the same position, there were interesting contrasts between the two.
“Sarah gave us a different dimension as that target forward,” Oconer said. “Whereas Abby was more of a goal-scorer for us, Sarah was more your true target player, where she was really able to hold the ball up for our attacking players to get up the field.”
That reflected their different mindsets and different strengths.
“Abby was kind of more of a natural goal-scorer,” Oconer said. That’s what her first thought was.
“Sarah’s first thought is usually to be able to hold the ball up and then pass it, so she is a really unselfish player. She is so strong on the ball that she’s able to hold the ball for several seconds to really allow our wingers and midfielders to get into the play, so we’re able to attack with a lot more numbers because she’s able to hold the ball up for us.
“Many times in high school soccer you will play the ball up to forwards, and they can’t hold the ball. It kills an entire attack.
“Especially with the way we attack, a lot of it is based on timing and if our players aren’t in the spots where the timing is good, it makes everything fall apart. So that was where Sarah was so valuable to us.”
For Bozych, coming off the bench was difficult but easier than you might think. She thrived in the role.
“Obviously it’s a lot harder than coming straight out of warmups,” Bozych said. “But watching Abby on the field while she was playing and watching her style and how the other team was adjusting, it was a lot easier to come in knowing how the other team is adjusting to our offense, because we play a very similar style of offense.
“I would try to imitate that as much as possible. I tried to come in and make sure there was no real difference between the style Abby was playing and how I was playing. It makes it easier for the team to adjust.”
Yet the two did different things well. Bozych was better off the ball and able to find seams in the defense to clean up opportunities. She scored Benet’s only goal that way in a 1-1 tie with eventual Class 3A state champion Naperville North at the Naperville Invitational.
“When she got her opportunities, she used them well as far as the scoring goals,” Oconer said. “Probably the reason she scored as many goals as she did, is she just has a knack for being in the right place at the right time in front of the goal.
“She’s not going to be that forward that’s going to dribble through four or five different people. But she always gets herself in good spots because with our wingers being so dangerous on the outside, she knows that if she gets herself in a good spot that she’s going to have a chance to score. That’s what she did time after time.”
That seems to be an innate quality.
“I think it just comes from instinct,” Bozych said. “Abby likes to dribble a lot, and I think she’s very successful with it, but I like to connect more and do more work off the ball.
“I think that’s why I was successful at being in those places, because I liked to give the ball to my outsides or my mids behind me, so I could have the space to get in those good spots instead of dribbling to the goal.”
Casmere played one season at Miami (Ohio) before deciding to hang up her boots. Bozych was expected to step into her spot in the starting lineup this spring, but the senior’s chance to play a starring role has been put on hold by the coronavirus pandemic. That’s a shame because Oconer expects her to score even more goals.
“I was super excited,” Bozych said. “I was up for the challenge to fill the big shoes Abby left.
“I was a little nervous to fill Abby’s shoes but I feel very comfortable because of how strong my teammates are. They make the adjustment a lot easier.
“Obviously, it’s disappointing that the season is on hold right now, but (whenever we come back) it’s easy for us to connect on the field.”
Bozych made that effort easier with her easygoing personality.
“Sarah is pretty much the life of the party on our team,” Oconer said. “She makes everybody smile, keeps everything light and fun, but she also works really hard.
“So she knows when it’s time to work, and she knows when it is time to have fun.”
That helped keep the pressure off the Redwings during their state title pursuit last year.
“With the target being on our back for most of the year, kind of everybody expected us to do well,” Oconer said. “We needed players like her to keep everything fun, especially as we got toward the grind of the middle of the season.”
Bozych, whose brother Brad was an All-State player for Benet before playing for the University of Chicago, plans on attending Iowa.
Bozych won’t play college soccer. But if last season’s championship game was her final match, she has no regrets.
“Last year our team was so close,” Bozych said. “We had such a good bond on and off the field.
“It was fun to get to celebrate with lots of people you love and the people you’re with more than you see your family during the soccer season. We had a strong bond and to be able to celebrate all our hard work together was so much fun.”
By Matt Le Cren
Benet’s high-powered offense never faltered last season, even when star striker Abby Casmere wasn’t in the game.
Sarah Bozych was a big reason why.
The junior was a super sub for the Redwings and one of the catalysts of their run to the Class AA state championship.
As Casmere’s backup, Bozych saw about 30 minutes of action against top teams and usually more against other opponents. Despite not being a starter, she tallied 12 goals, ranking third on the team behind Casmere, who bagged 20 goals, and sophomore winger Jaimee Cibulka, who finished with 14.
“Typically, she came in for Abby,” Benet coach Gerard Oconer said. “It allowed us to be able to keep Abby fresh, because Abby did a lot of work up there.
“So, to have her be fresh when she was in the game made a huge difference because that obviously wears on defenders.”
Though Casmere and Bozych play the same position, there were interesting contrasts between the two.
“Sarah gave us a different dimension as that target forward,” Oconer said. “Whereas Abby was more of a goal-scorer for us, Sarah was more your true target player, where she was really able to hold the ball up for our attacking players to get up the field.”
That reflected their different mindsets and different strengths.
“Abby was kind of more of a natural goal-scorer,” Oconer said. That’s what her first thought was.
“Sarah’s first thought is usually to be able to hold the ball up and then pass it, so she is a really unselfish player. She is so strong on the ball that she’s able to hold the ball for several seconds to really allow our wingers and midfielders to get into the play, so we’re able to attack with a lot more numbers because she’s able to hold the ball up for us.
“Many times in high school soccer you will play the ball up to forwards, and they can’t hold the ball. It kills an entire attack.
“Especially with the way we attack, a lot of it is based on timing and if our players aren’t in the spots where the timing is good, it makes everything fall apart. So that was where Sarah was so valuable to us.”
For Bozych, coming off the bench was difficult but easier than you might think. She thrived in the role.
“Obviously it’s a lot harder than coming straight out of warmups,” Bozych said. “But watching Abby on the field while she was playing and watching her style and how the other team was adjusting, it was a lot easier to come in knowing how the other team is adjusting to our offense, because we play a very similar style of offense.
“I would try to imitate that as much as possible. I tried to come in and make sure there was no real difference between the style Abby was playing and how I was playing. It makes it easier for the team to adjust.”
Yet the two did different things well. Bozych was better off the ball and able to find seams in the defense to clean up opportunities. She scored Benet’s only goal that way in a 1-1 tie with eventual Class 3A state champion Naperville North at the Naperville Invitational.
“When she got her opportunities, she used them well as far as the scoring goals,” Oconer said. “Probably the reason she scored as many goals as she did, is she just has a knack for being in the right place at the right time in front of the goal.
“She’s not going to be that forward that’s going to dribble through four or five different people. But she always gets herself in good spots because with our wingers being so dangerous on the outside, she knows that if she gets herself in a good spot that she’s going to have a chance to score. That’s what she did time after time.”
That seems to be an innate quality.
“I think it just comes from instinct,” Bozych said. “Abby likes to dribble a lot, and I think she’s very successful with it, but I like to connect more and do more work off the ball.
“I think that’s why I was successful at being in those places, because I liked to give the ball to my outsides or my mids behind me, so I could have the space to get in those good spots instead of dribbling to the goal.”
Casmere played one season at Miami (Ohio) before deciding to hang up her boots. Bozych was expected to step into her spot in the starting lineup this spring, but the senior’s chance to play a starring role has been put on hold by the coronavirus pandemic. That’s a shame because Oconer expects her to score even more goals.
“I was super excited,” Bozych said. “I was up for the challenge to fill the big shoes Abby left.
“I was a little nervous to fill Abby’s shoes but I feel very comfortable because of how strong my teammates are. They make the adjustment a lot easier.
“Obviously, it’s disappointing that the season is on hold right now, but (whenever we come back) it’s easy for us to connect on the field.”
Bozych made that effort easier with her easygoing personality.
“Sarah is pretty much the life of the party on our team,” Oconer said. “She makes everybody smile, keeps everything light and fun, but she also works really hard.
“So she knows when it’s time to work, and she knows when it is time to have fun.”
That helped keep the pressure off the Redwings during their state title pursuit last year.
“With the target being on our back for most of the year, kind of everybody expected us to do well,” Oconer said. “We needed players like her to keep everything fun, especially as we got toward the grind of the middle of the season.”
Bozych, whose brother Brad was an All-State player for Benet before playing for the University of Chicago, plans on attending Iowa.
Bozych won’t play college soccer. But if last season’s championship game was her final match, she has no regrets.
“Last year our team was so close,” Bozych said. “We had such a good bond on and off the field.
“It was fun to get to celebrate with lots of people you love and the people you’re with more than you see your family during the soccer season. We had a strong bond and to be able to celebrate all our hard work together was so much fun.”