(Photo by Frank Wojciechowski) caption: ON THE MARK: Hun School boys’ soccer star Mark Nicholas boots the ball in recent action. Senior defender Nicholas’ superb play along the back line together with classmates Brian Patriarca and Chris Leach has helped Hun get off to a 3-0-3 start. In upcoming action, the Raiders host the George School on October 6 before playing at the Lawrenceville School on October 9 and at St. Benedict’s on October 12.

Buoyed by Patriarca’s Gritty Defensive Play, Hun Boys’ Soccer Produces Solid 3-0-3 Start

Bill Alden

Brian Patriarca’s forte for the Hun School boys’ soccer team doesn’t revolve around dazzling kicks or fancy moves.

Instead, the senior defender provides grit along the backline and a fiery attitude.

“I just try to play hard,” said Patriarca. “I am not the best on foot skills. I am not the strongest soccer player but I will go into every tackle. I try to get the guys up and playing hard.”

Last Thursday, the Raiders needed Patriarca’s intensity as they headed across town to play Princeton Day School.

“I felt like we came out flat with the wrong attitude,” said Patriarca. “We had a big one Tuesday (a 2-1 win over Pennington) and we came out a little slow.”

As a result, Patriarca and the Hun defense had to hold the fort as the Raiders battled PDS to a 0-0 draw in two overtimes.

“We have a solid back,” said Patriarca, who is joined on the defense by classmates Mark Nicholas and Chris Leach. “We have been playing back there for three years now; we know what we have to do to keep it out to the net.”

Hun, though, couldn’t get the ball past the PDS defense. “We just had a hard time finding the back of the net,” said Patriarca. “Sometimes you score, sometimes you don’t. We are not very happy with the tie.”

Hun head coach Pat Quirk wasn’t happy with the stalemate either. “I don’t think we created enough opportunities,” said Quirk.

“I was disappointed in the way we played. We let too much that didn’t involve the game get the best of us. We got two yellow cards. It is something we have been battling all season; we have to get it under control. We took a step forward against Pennington and then took a step back today.”

Quirk did like the way Patriarca and the Hun defenders stepped up when it counted against PDS.

“Our defense always keeps us in every game,” said Quirk. “We couldn’t connect with our forwards today; it was just one of those days.”

In the early days of the season, post-graduate midfielder Daniel Gonzales has proved adept at making connections on the offensive end.

“I think he has two assists so far and he puts dangerous balls into the box,” said Quirk of Gonzales.

“He doesn’t stop working. He is still trying to figure it out with the guys and how everyone wants to play. I think he is only going to get better.”

Hun has been getting some good play from senior Julian Plummer and junior Frank Villaverde.

“Plummer is a key player in the middle,” added Quirk, who got a late goal from Plummer last Saturday in a 1-1 tie with Montgomery High to move to 3-0-3 on the season. “Frank hasn’t scored yet but he is playing, very, very well.

Overall, things have gone well for the Raiders so far this fall.

“I am happy with the way we have been starting,” said Quirk, whose team hosts the George School on October 6 before playing at the Lawrenceville School on October 9 and at St. Benedict’s on October 12.

“We have been making ourselves dangerous and playing really well together. Today wasn’t ours. Everyday isn’t going to be ours but we have to come out and play soccer and we didn’t do that today.”

Patriarca, for one, is going to make sure that the Raiders play some hard soccer over the rest of the fall.

“We have to come out better than we did today,” said Patriarca. “We came out joking around too much today; we have to come out with a better attitude.”

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