Mooney remembers Durst in game vs. ODC
Mooney remembers Durst in game vs. ODC
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YOUNGSTOWN -- Tuesday's home match vs. Open Door Christian had always been scheduled as the night the Cardinal Mooney boys soccer team would honor its four seniors. However, following the sudden death of Luke Durst last week, the final home game of the season also became the night the Cardinals could honor their freshman teammate.
While sporting arm and leg bands, wrist tape and undershirts with Durst's initials and jersey number 27, Mooney hung tough with the undefeated Patriots early before eventually falling behind and losing its home finale 4-1.
"After this week’s circumstances, it was important to try to get the kids out here and give them the best opportunity to still play. That’s what they want to do," Cardinals assistant coach Savvas Pizanias said. "We had a lot of meetings as a team. And we really wanted to sort of get them an opportunity to compete in this competition and keep their season going, because that’s what was important to them and to us."
After a pre-game ceremony in which the team honored seniors Chris Clautti, Nelson Lopez, Sam Scott and Anthony Spirko, as well as a moment of silence for Durst, Mooney and Open Door stayed in a scoreless tie for nearly the first 15 minutes of the match. The Patriots then took a lead with 25:07 remaining in the first half on a Brayden Bendik shot, which came from the far-right part of the box and ricocheted off a player to the far-left goal post and into the net.
Bendik added to Open Door's lead in the 26th minute, when he finished off a quick counter that began at the other end of the field.
With 28 seconds left before halftime, Donovan Whetstone put the Cardinals on the scoreboard. The junior forward sprinted ahead of the defense and beat Patriots goalkeeper Liam Coughlin to pull Mooney within a goal.
Open Door pulled away in the second half, with Flynn Yoho putting the Patriots ahead 3-1 with 31:50 to go before Bendik finished his hat trick on a penalty kick after a handball in the 69th minute.
Despite the result, Pizanias said a match like Tuesday's serves as a "distraction away from the harsh realities of what we have to go through day to day."
"I always tell them that no matter how difficult things get in life, you’ll have a couple hours a day where you don’t [have] to worry about anything. It’s just you with a ball and your teammates. And that’s a really beautiful thing for us to have," Pizanias said. "Coach Matt [Britton] tells them all the time that it’s a beautiful opportunity to be here and be able to play the game."
Many local soccer programs offered condolences and honored Durst since he was taken off life support last week following an ATV accident. In the face of the tragedy, the Cardinals have also deliberately decided to stick together as much as possible.
"We never thought anything like this would happen," Pizanias said. "But the amount of kind messages and support we’ve had from schools all around the area, all around Ohio really, has been just amazing. And I know the Durst family has been very appreciative of that, as have the kids.
"It's nice to have this kind of distraction, and it’s also nice to keep the team together. We had a girls senior night, I think it was on Thursday. And we had the whole team go together because we noticed that when the kids are together as a group, everyone’s laughing, everyone’s together, everyone’s enjoying their time in a situation that’s just been unimaginable. It’s really been important for that to happen."
Mooney (1-10) will finish its regular season on the road. The Cardinals first visit rival Ursuline on Thursday before playing at Mentor Lake Catholic on Saturday and at Andrews Osborne Academy next Tuesday.
"I think it allows them to kind of put in perspective that what they have is a blessing every morning. What they have is not only a blessing, but an opportunity every morning [and] an opportunity every time they step on the field for practice and for games," Pizanias said.
"It's also been important that they understand that while we have a couple games left. There are opportunities in every game. It’s 80 minutes with the other team, and we have the same opportunity to win as they do. So we just got to take it game by game and look to make a run in the playoffs."