Young and Hungry: The Backline In Carthage's System
- Oct 24, 2017
- 3 min read
Photos by M. Fingerson
Goalkeepers are a special breed. At least, that’s an ideology that Carthage goalkeeper Niko Mavrogiannis partially subscribes to.
“Most of my life, I've been told you have to be crazy in order to play goalie. I agree and disagree with the concept, but more agree. Throwing your body around, diving, and going up for high balls requires fearlessness. By the same token, field players are running for 90 minutes which takes a toll on the body,” said Mavrogiannis.
While a goalkeeper is considered the most visible part of any defense, the player only makes up for a good defense. A great defense consists of a goalie and backline covering their right side, left side, and your center. For most teams, that backline consists of the most skilled defensive players on the team.
For the Red Men, it just so happens that this backline is also young.
With two upperclassmen and five underclassmen in rotation the backline is young, but hungry and experienced. As a former defender for the men’s soccer team, Assistant Coach Filip Dyminski recognizes the potential this backline is capable of.
“Jamie Tausend is one of the best left backs in America and we have relied on him since day one. We put a lot of confidence and blame on him, and he takes a lot of pride in that. Matt Rojel is learning the grind of being on that backline. AJ Abara has a lot of potential and he’s only a freshman, and Kevin Reilly even though he transferred from Dayton, he’s still technically a freshman and on that learning curve," said Dyminski.
Additional impacts on the backline throughout the season have included Nicholas Messino and Jeff Montemayor, both of whom have seen more time on the field in 2017. The Messino scored his first career goal and game winning goal for the Red Men while clocking in 735 minutes on the field. Montemayor clocked in 845 minutes of action with eight shots and one assist in 2017.
The progression of the cohesiveness for this group did not happen overnight. Rather, it took time to be familiar with each other’s style of play and how to capitalize on one another’s strength.
“I played with Kevin Reilly over the summer and we used that time to work together. Matt has stepped up as a sophomore and he communicates with us. I trust them and what we have learned is really starting to come around,” said left back Jamie Tausend.
This is by no means discrediting the work of the goalkeepers. Rather, it lifts a weight off the shoulders for the net minders. With two top-performing goalies in elite shape, and a freshman goalie to teach, the duo doesn’t have to worry about their backline and are able to focus on their roles in practice.
“Brayan Arce Justiniano and I push each other every day to be better. Nothing in this program is just given to you and we know that. It is nice to have a guy pushing you the whole way so that we don't become complacent with the position that we are in. Andrew Ochoa is a great goalie and with time he will be able to lead the boys back there,” said Mavrogiannis.
The coaching staff also recognizes that with extensive knowledge and training, the results of every match still come down to what this backline does to keep the ball far away from the back of their net.
“Once they’re on that field, they’re on their own so we do our part to prepare them and give them what they need to work as a unit. They have done that well, and we put a lot of trust in them,” said Dyminski.
With the powerful combination in a backline like Carthage, it means trouble for offenses throughout the conference.
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