BOYS SOCCER: Miller, Smucker Stick it to Patriots in Opener

If not for the impressive debut of one of his freshman teammates, Marcus Smucker would have been the undisputed player of the match in C. Milton Wright's 2-0 boys soccer victory against John Carroll on Tuesday.

Not only did Smucker score the game-winning goal, but the senior also played 15 minutes in net before goalie Colin Miller made his first high school appearance.

Miller finished what Smucker started as the two survived a first-half onslaught by the Patriots. While Mustangs head coach Joe Davis said the plan was always for Miller to enter the game near the middle of the first half, Smucker was not supposed to start.

Junior Dan Kissner, who Davis said is one of the team's best strikers, was going to start in goal before moving up top when Miller entered. Kissner, however, was late for school Tuesday making him ineligible, Davis said.

"[Kissman sat] just to stick to our rules and to be fair to everybody and not to give preference to a player," Davis said. "I'd seen Marcus play goalie before in unorganized soccer, so I said, 'OK, let's give him a try.'"

Smucker did not mind the change of plans.

"I felt pretty comfortable, actually. I played goalie pretty much for my whole travel career," he said. "Anything to help the team out I was all for it."

The Mustangs, who did not put a single shot on goal in the first half, seldom got past their offensive 18 while Smucker and Miller stonewalled their eastside, private rival with eight saves in the first 40 minutes.

Momentum shifted in the second half as the Mustangs scored on two of their three shots on goal.

"[After] halftime I was pleased that the team made the adjustments we were looking for," Davis said. "We said the way to beat [John Carroll] was to limit our touches. Once we got to two-touch we were able to find the spaces and take advantage of a goal early on."

Smucker ran a loose ball inside the right post to give the Mustangs a 1-0 lead with their first shot on target at the 35:16 mark.

"It was definitely a nice prize for me. Normally I don't score that many goals so when I can get them I'll take them," Smucker said.

Less than six minutes later, junior Shane Carroll headed home a pass in the box from Grant Caspero on a set piece.

"We've been working a lot on free kicks in practice and that actually translated [today]," Davis said.

Miller turned down a few more shots from the Patriots, while even more were sent high or wide in the waning moments. Although John Carroll dominated in shots and possession early, Davis does not feel as if his team stole the match.

"Based on the full game, I don't think we did. I think in the second half we were the better team," Davis said.

Senior Shaun Ostrowski had multiple opportunities for the Patriots in the first half, but was unable to capitalize on his size advantage, and his teammates had just as much trouble finding the goal.

Ostrowski put a cross in the box 10 seconds into the match, but it was deflected before junior Chris Wohlfort sent it over the crossbar from outside the 18. Within six minutes of the opening whistle Smucker had made three saves, two of them on set pieces that were put on goal. He said he was relieved to see Miller approaching him as a sub around the 15th minute.

"Oh yes, you have no idea how much pressure he took off me," Smucker said with a smile.

Miller said he was anxious to make his high school debut.

"It's great for me. I was excited to play, a little nervous. But things clicked when I got in there," Miller said.

Perhaps the most threatening opportunity of the day came in the 21st minute when Patriot junior Chris Perry went down well inside the box in pursuit of the ball, but was not granted a penalty kick.

Soon after, Miller's back-to-back diving saves in the 29th minute, the second on a try by a distraught Perry, thwarted two other Patriot scoring chances.

John Carroll had multiple corners and direct kicks in the final 40 minutes, but did not come too close to converting any of them. The visitor's final threat came on a chip by Perry from the left side of the goal that sailed over a pursuing Miller and narrowly missed the inside of the right post.

Miller's play removed most of the doubt Davis might have had about his freshman goalie, and likely earned Miller the starting role.

"We've been kind of experimenting," Davis said. "Probably it's going to be Collin because we want to use the other goalie, Dan Kissner, up top as a forward."

The Patriots travel to Archbishop Spalding this Wednesday for a 4 p.m. match while the Mustangs host Franklin today at 4 p.m.