Carmel's Duffy turns heads in varsity debut
Junior scores 4 2nd half goals, leads Corsairs over Marian C.
By Rusty Silber
MUNDELEIN -- When's a good time to bring up a player for a shot at the varsity? If the move has a chance to help the team, anytime. After a disappointing 5-2 defeat at no. 23 St. Patrick on Monday, Carmel had designs on turning things around. The first chance came at home against Marian Central.
The Corsairs decided to move Matt Duffy from the JV level to the big squad. The junior forward didn't start, but when he got on the field he more than made sure he was noticed in a hurry. Duffy scored four goals in the second half, two of them on headers, and Carmel rolled past the Hurricanes 5-1 in an East Suburban Catholic Conference match Wednesday afternoon.
Needless to say, earned Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honors for his auspicious varsity debut.
The match started on the grass but was halted by lighting eight minutes in. It resumed an hour later on the turf in the stadium.
Duffy actually found out during the day on Wednesday that he would be playing in his first varsity contest.
"I found during the day, when my JV coach texted me," Duffy said. "Then, I showed up at the varsity game. I was nervous coming in and playing with a lot of upperclassmen, but it was fun. I always wanted to play on varsity, because you want to play on the top level you can."
Something that has been missing from Carmel's attack this season has been the speed up-top after a core of fleet-footed players graduated last school year. Duffy filled a need and did it in impressive style.
"We knew that he's fast," Carmel coach Ray Krawzak said. "We're now looking at this point of the season for speed up-top and somebody that can finish. He's been doing really well at the JV level.
"It made sense to call him up at this time. It was fun to watch someone have a great start. It was a fun game to coach, because you get to watch somebody having a really special game. Our season has a new energy and a new little speed up-top. It's good to see that he's got good potential moving forward.
"We're used to having these fast guys up-top, and we really haven't had it this year," Krawzak added. "He kind of fits the mold of people that we were used to. People just know how to play that type of a player. It's good to see it."
The Corsairs (5-3-1, 2-1-1) played the match without starting defender Eli Larson who received a red card during the match against St. Patrick. Duffy made sure the absence wasn't a problem.
Aidan Day opened the scoring for Carmel in the 19th minute by intercepting a bad pass in the back by Marian Central (1-11-1, 0-3-0). He took control of the ball and fired it into the side netting for a 1-0 lead.
However, the Hurricanes tied the match up in the 37th minute. When Jonathan DePrey scored in front off a corner kick from Nicolas Iafigliola the teams went into the break tied 1-1.
Duffy started his grand entrance in varsity soccer off a rebound in the 55th minute. The eventual game-winning goal gave Carmel a lead it would not relinquish.
Next he scored the first of two-headers in the 65th minute of play. Duffy finished a near-perfect cross from Ryan Long in front for a 3-1 advantage.
"I just saw some great passes," Duffy said. "On the headers, they were some great crosses. The defender just missed it, and I just turned my head and put it in. Getting a header was exciting, because your head is turning, you really don't see the goal."
His third goal came just four minutes later. He took control of the ball off a service from Long again and hit a low rolling shot into the back of the net that gave the Corsairs a 4-1 lead.
Duffy added his fourth goal in the 75th minute on another header, this time set up from a Michael Handel's cross for the final 5-1 result.
"This was a very good rebound win after the St. Patrick game," Krawzak said. "The St. Patrick's game was a nightmare. It was very tough to play down. But this was a good one."
Marian Central played better then its record and the final score in this game. The Hurricanes caused problems in the midfield for Carmel. The young squad is improving.
"We're getting further and further into the game and deeper and deeper," Marian Central coach Art Dixon said. "I think their getting stronger as we're going through the season. Their starting to communicate and working a little bit better together. We did have some breakdowns. But altogether, everything is starting to come together at the right time."
Trying to contain Carmel in the second half was the backbreaker for Marian Central.
"It was our defense in the back," Dixon added. "Carmel was a great team. They've always been a good team.
"The biggest problem that we had was the way they were playing up the left and right sides. We were unable to stop them, and they were crossing the ball extremely well."
Starting lineups
Marian Central
GK-Caleb Taylor
D-Aiden McCrea
D-Paul Sweeney Jr.
D-Zaid Haque
D-Sebastin Kielsa
MF-Robert Sbarounis
MF-Jonathan DePrey
MF-Jake Farley
MF-Mateo Raso
F-Conor Werfelman
F-Nicolas Iafigliola
Carmel
GK-Camden Krautsack
D-Sean Seidl
D-Michael Handel
D-Riley Pierson
D-Joe Baude
MF-Ian McKernan
MF-Ryan Long
MF-Shane Farrell
MF-Matt Grzesiak
F-Aidan Day
F-Tim Milner
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Matt Duffy, jr. F, Carmel
Scoring summary
First half
C: Day (unassisted) 19
MC: DePrey (Iafigliola) 37
Second half
C: Duffy (unassisted) 55
C: Duffy (Long) 65
C: Duffy (Long) 69
C: Duffy (Handel) 75
Junior scores 4 2nd half goals, leads Corsairs over Marian C.
By Rusty Silber
MUNDELEIN -- When's a good time to bring up a player for a shot at the varsity? If the move has a chance to help the team, anytime. After a disappointing 5-2 defeat at no. 23 St. Patrick on Monday, Carmel had designs on turning things around. The first chance came at home against Marian Central.
The Corsairs decided to move Matt Duffy from the JV level to the big squad. The junior forward didn't start, but when he got on the field he more than made sure he was noticed in a hurry. Duffy scored four goals in the second half, two of them on headers, and Carmel rolled past the Hurricanes 5-1 in an East Suburban Catholic Conference match Wednesday afternoon.
Needless to say, earned Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honors for his auspicious varsity debut.
The match started on the grass but was halted by lighting eight minutes in. It resumed an hour later on the turf in the stadium.
Duffy actually found out during the day on Wednesday that he would be playing in his first varsity contest.
"I found during the day, when my JV coach texted me," Duffy said. "Then, I showed up at the varsity game. I was nervous coming in and playing with a lot of upperclassmen, but it was fun. I always wanted to play on varsity, because you want to play on the top level you can."
Something that has been missing from Carmel's attack this season has been the speed up-top after a core of fleet-footed players graduated last school year. Duffy filled a need and did it in impressive style.
"We knew that he's fast," Carmel coach Ray Krawzak said. "We're now looking at this point of the season for speed up-top and somebody that can finish. He's been doing really well at the JV level.
"It made sense to call him up at this time. It was fun to watch someone have a great start. It was a fun game to coach, because you get to watch somebody having a really special game. Our season has a new energy and a new little speed up-top. It's good to see that he's got good potential moving forward.
"We're used to having these fast guys up-top, and we really haven't had it this year," Krawzak added. "He kind of fits the mold of people that we were used to. People just know how to play that type of a player. It's good to see it."
The Corsairs (5-3-1, 2-1-1) played the match without starting defender Eli Larson who received a red card during the match against St. Patrick. Duffy made sure the absence wasn't a problem.
Aidan Day opened the scoring for Carmel in the 19th minute by intercepting a bad pass in the back by Marian Central (1-11-1, 0-3-0). He took control of the ball and fired it into the side netting for a 1-0 lead.
However, the Hurricanes tied the match up in the 37th minute. When Jonathan DePrey scored in front off a corner kick from Nicolas Iafigliola the teams went into the break tied 1-1.
Duffy started his grand entrance in varsity soccer off a rebound in the 55th minute. The eventual game-winning goal gave Carmel a lead it would not relinquish.
Next he scored the first of two-headers in the 65th minute of play. Duffy finished a near-perfect cross from Ryan Long in front for a 3-1 advantage.
"I just saw some great passes," Duffy said. "On the headers, they were some great crosses. The defender just missed it, and I just turned my head and put it in. Getting a header was exciting, because your head is turning, you really don't see the goal."
His third goal came just four minutes later. He took control of the ball off a service from Long again and hit a low rolling shot into the back of the net that gave the Corsairs a 4-1 lead.
Duffy added his fourth goal in the 75th minute on another header, this time set up from a Michael Handel's cross for the final 5-1 result.
"This was a very good rebound win after the St. Patrick game," Krawzak said. "The St. Patrick's game was a nightmare. It was very tough to play down. But this was a good one."
Marian Central played better then its record and the final score in this game. The Hurricanes caused problems in the midfield for Carmel. The young squad is improving.
"We're getting further and further into the game and deeper and deeper," Marian Central coach Art Dixon said. "I think their getting stronger as we're going through the season. Their starting to communicate and working a little bit better together. We did have some breakdowns. But altogether, everything is starting to come together at the right time."
Trying to contain Carmel in the second half was the backbreaker for Marian Central.
"It was our defense in the back," Dixon added. "Carmel was a great team. They've always been a good team.
"The biggest problem that we had was the way they were playing up the left and right sides. We were unable to stop them, and they were crossing the ball extremely well."
Starting lineups
Marian Central
GK-Caleb Taylor
D-Aiden McCrea
D-Paul Sweeney Jr.
D-Zaid Haque
D-Sebastin Kielsa
MF-Robert Sbarounis
MF-Jonathan DePrey
MF-Jake Farley
MF-Mateo Raso
F-Conor Werfelman
F-Nicolas Iafigliola
Carmel
GK-Camden Krautsack
D-Sean Seidl
D-Michael Handel
D-Riley Pierson
D-Joe Baude
MF-Ian McKernan
MF-Ryan Long
MF-Shane Farrell
MF-Matt Grzesiak
F-Aidan Day
F-Tim Milner
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Matt Duffy, jr. F, Carmel
Scoring summary
First half
C: Day (unassisted) 19
MC: DePrey (Iafigliola) 37
Second half
C: Duffy (unassisted) 55
C: Duffy (Long) 65
C: Duffy (Long) 69
C: Duffy (Handel) 75