Riverview boys soccer to count on young roster

By: Michael Love
Saturday, September 2, 2023 | 11:01 AM

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For the second time in three years, the Riverview boys soccer team is youthful with no seniors on the roster.

But coach Mickey Namey said that the mix of experience and talent new to the varsity program is making strides in the early part of the season.

“I am really encouraged with what we can accomplish moving forward,” Namey said.

“Like the saying goes, it is a work in progress. There is a lot of talent, but it is young talent still finding their place as they work to get better. They know there is a lot of work they need to put in.”

Riverview won just once last year — a 4-3 section triumph over St. Joseph — after going winless in 2021. The Raiders, who weren’t able to field a team in 2020 because of low numbers, are just four years removed from seven victories and a trip to the WPIAL Class A playoffs.

Namey said the summer was a big step forward for the two team captains — junior midfielder Chris O’Toole, a two-time all-section selection; and junior defender Drew Hunter.

“The last two years have been tough, to say the least, and Chris and Drew see the level you need to be at to win in the section,” Namey said.

“They are showing that leadership in making sure the younger guys understand what it takes to improve as a team. We are in what I feel is the toughest single-A section with Springdale, Winchester Thurston, Burrell, Trinity Christian, Aquinas. Every game is almost like a playoff atmosphere. That is what they see we have to bring to every practice, that same intensity. They are here first, and they are the last to leave.”

O’Toole and Hunter are among six juniors on a 17-player roster which also features four sophomores and seven freshmen. Namey said that a couple of players who he expected would be big returning contributors to the team this fall decided not to play.

He said that before the season, he told the freshman group that a number of them would get starting nods out of the gate.

“They knew there wasn’t going to be much lag time to get ready for varsity soccer,” Namey said.

“I’ve seen rapid improvement in the freshman since the beginning of summer,” O’Toole said.

“They came for pick-up games, and they really pulled together to get better. They’re still getting used to the intensity of the faster-paced games compared to junior high. They are getting that experience and learning on the fly, but they are doing a really nice job.”

Junior goalkeeper Quinlan Fischer is back for the Raiders after earning all-section honorable-mention honors last year.

“Quinn has gotten a lot better,” Namey said.

“He made some big saves for us last year against some really powerful scorers. He’s also really done a nice job of taking our freshman goalie, Kyle (Scheutz), under his wing. He’s helping Kyle get better.”

There are a number of multi-sport athletes on the team. Junior Carter Loughren, who also golfs, is a newcomer to the varsity soccer team.

“He played with a lot of the guys throughout youth soccer at Twin Boros, but he just decided to not come out for varsity until now,” Namey said.

“It is great to have him because he has skill and knows how to play the game. It just took him a little bit of time to get conditioned to what soccer demands of you.

“(Freshman midfielder) Noah (Hunter) is more football, but he wants to play soccer, too. He’s a lineman for football and a bigger body (6-foot-3, 210 pounds).”

Namey said he was encouraged by the performance of his players in Tuesday’s season-opening 4-0 loss to Section 3 and WPIAL Class A power Springdale, which boasts a dynamic scorer in Billy Lawrence among a seasoned senior group.

“Springdale is always a powerhouse,” he said. “Lawrence is probably the best player in the section I’ve seen in a while with his speed and his intensity. It was 2-0 at the half. We were getting a little tired, and we went to a bench with not a lot of experience.

“We started six freshmen, and I think it was a good wake-up call to them to what varsity soccer is all about. Springdale beat us worse last season, so that is what I am saying with us making strides and seeing the difference over these past couple of weeks. I was really happy with the results. We gave them a tough game. We played well. We had a couple of miscues that they turned into goals.”

The Raiders return to action this Thursday afternoon (Sept. 7) with their home opener against Burrell at Riverside Park.

“We fought against Springdale to the very last minute of the game,” Drew Hunter said.

“I love to see how this team is coming along. We are learning to bring the intensity for games. It is a different look and feel for Riverview this year.”

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

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