Optimism abounds for Bishop Canevin boys, Carlynton girls soccer programs

By: Don Rebel
Saturday, October 24, 2020 | 11:01 AM

Sometimes in sports, a small snow ball rolls to the point it becomes an avalanche.

A tough early loss rolls into another, then another, and, eventually, the season is in the rear-view mirror. The wins are few and far between.

Such was the case for the Bishop Canevin boys soccer and Carlynton girls soccer teams this season.

Bishop Canevin was a playoff team in 2019, but this fall, the Crusaders finished last in Section 3-A with an 0-8 record.

The season started with a 4-3 loss to Aquinas Academy and went downhill from there.

“The confidence didn’t really waiver, but it was very disappointing,” Bishop Canevin coach Al Gestiehr said. “It was a game that went back and forth, and a couple of bounces one way or another, and we could be having a different conversation. It appeared to be a season we had to overcome too much and just couldn’t put it together.”

The adversity the Crusaders faced began early when one of the top returning players was sidelined because of injury.

“The biggest obstacle this year to overcome was the loss of senior Nevan Crossey,” Gestiehr said. “He suffered a leg injury that kept him out the entire season. Last year, he led our team in goals and was our second-best player. The boys did everything they could, but we just were not deep enough, and Nevan was too key of a player to effectively overcome his injury.”

Offensively, the Crusaders scored three goals in their first two games, then only four goals in their final six. However, Gestiehr felt Bishop Canevin’s biggest problems came when they didn’t have the ball.

“The offense wasn’t the problem this year at all. Defensively, we couldn’t seem to get anything figured out,” he said. “We had to continually readjust for various reasons, and it took us way too long to get into a rhythm.”

Despite the lack of positive results, Gestiehr praised the team’s effort and the play of senior Jack Staley, whom he calls one of the best players he ever coached.

The Carlynton girls soccer team struggled to a 1-14 record, finishing winless in Section 4-A.

“The girls were consistently uplifting and positive throughout the season,” Carlynton coach Ciara Scott said. “There were a few girls who have never even touched a soccer ball in their life, and the girls who had more experience were always willing to help out and stayed patient while working with them.

“The majority of the second half of the season was played with only nine players, and they never stopped fighting. They were sore, tired, beat up and were tired of losing, but they never once gave up. They gave it their all whether they had nine players on the field or 11.”

Scott said the roster numbers was a by-product of the uncertainty of even having a season because of the covid-19 pandemic.

“Then about halfway through the season, we started to be affected by injuries, leaving us with only nine healthy players,” Scott said. “The girls were getting burnt out faster playing against a full-rostered team with 11 players on the field and fresh legs to be subbed onto the field.”

There was one highlight, a 3-1 victory over Carrick.

“It was senior night and a doubleheader with the boys team, so there was a larger crowd than usual and the moral was high,” Scott said. “We had two girls who have never played before score. They have been working so hard all season with little opportunities to execute on the opponents net.”

Still, the Bishop Canevin boys and Carlynton girls soccer teams have reasons to look forward to next fall.

“Even though we struggled, many of the younger guys got a lot of minutes and have showed real promise,” Gestiehr said. “Hopefully, we can build on that for next year.”

Scott said: “We have roughly six girls that are currently in 8th grade that will be joining our roster next year. That is always a good thing to hear when numbers are usually always low in our program. We have a fairly young team, but they all show up to practice with a smile on their faces wanting to be there and improve.”

Tags: Bishop Canevin, Carlynton