Seniors bringing fun back to Brush offensive attack

The current edition of Brush boys seniors can be forgiven if they don’t have a vivid recollection of the days when Greg Shepka spearheaded a potent attack as the Arcs contended for regional competition more than a decade ago.

But maybe in some facets, these seniors are doing something in 2016 that arguably hasn’t been seen to this degree in Lyndhurst in a while — they’re bringing a fun, freeflowing brand of soccer back to Korb Field, and by extension to the area ranks as well.

Pushing for its first 10win fall since 2013 and just its fifth since 2004, Brush took care of visiting Benedictine, 5-1, on Sept. 29.

Coming into the season, it appeared the Arcs could be on the verge of a breakout campaign after going 5-12-1 a year ago in part because of a talented, veteran midfield led by Brett Gordon and Ben Bolinger.

After their sixth match this year with at least four goals in a 8-3-2 campaign, it appears that belief was well-founded.

“We looked good in the middle,” Gordon said after the win over the Bengals on Sept. 29. “Me, Ben and Bryce (Gordon), we work pretty well together. We’ve played together for maybe six, seven years, with travel and premier. So we work well together. We’re pretty good with give-andgos, so that’s how we like to attack on teams. Usually, we all pass through.”

The combination play through the middle of the park also blends nicely with a pacey workrate off the ball. It’s somewhat reminiscent of 2004, when the Arcs played a sharp, pleasing to the eye style with a prolific striker in Shepka and fellow All Ohiocaliber performer Antonio Starvaggi in the back.

While directly putting the 2016 side in the same overall perch as that 2004 side is unfair given the latter went 16-2-3 and made a Division I sweet 16 run, it’s nonetheless a welcome sight for the home faithful in Lyndhurst to have performers who can push offensive-third tempo the way this group has.

“We were a young team last year, so we knew we were all coming back,” Gordon said. “We had, I think, every single starter coming back. So we knew that we were going to be a lot better this year.”

Due to a straight red card assessed to the Bengals in the 26th minute, the match Sept. 29 was essentially played in two parts — the latter more disjointed due to numbers in the back.

But the first part for nearly a half-hour was the kind of attacking display Arcs coach Mike DiMatteo likes, and an improvement in the defensive third has also buoyed the side.

“We’ve been working really hard on that,” DiMatteo said. “And obviously, you see that with our results, being 8-3-2. Being able to play the ball through the midfield, obviously Ben, Bryce and Brett are as formidable a combination in the middle.

“Our defense has been really good this year. We talked about that all offseason. We gave up like 53 goals last year in 18 games. I said, ‘We’ve got to get that under 20.’ I think we’re sitting at 13 right now through 13 games. So we’re very pleased with that.”

Match recap

Gordon had a senior night to remember with a hat trick. The senior opened the Arcs’ account in the 12th minute with a leftfooted strike from the top of the box.

He slotted a strike off a Bolinger through ball in the 46th for a 3-0 lead and capped his hat trick in style with a lovely left-footed bender low-90 in the 58th.

Bolinger contributed a penalty kick in the 26th, and Brian King had a goal in the 58th.