When asked to describe his style of play in one word, Nazareth soccer player Connor O’Neill came up with “scrappy.”
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It’s an appropriate label for the 5-foot-9, 155-pound senior, the smallest starting defender for the Roadrunners (6-8, 2-4 East Suburban Catholic). What O’Neill lacks in height, he makes up with his tenacity as one of the last roadblocks in front of senior goalkeeper Alex Ziegler, the biggest member of the team at 6-3, 170 pounds.
“Connor may not be the biggest guy, but he uses his body,” Ziegler said. “He hustles and he never quits on the ball.”
O’Neill has also become a team leader, a co-captain with senior forward Sam McLachlan. The Roadrunners start only five seniors.
O’Neill is in his second season as sweeper after previously playing left midfield. The North Riverside resident was a reserve guard for the varsity boys basketball team last season and was the only Roadrunners athlete to play both varsity sports last season.
“I think my jumping in basketball has helped make up for my size (in soccer),” O’Neill said.
He admitted that he needed to adjust to his new position last season after he was approached by coach Doug Hunt in the offseason.
“I started playing (defense) in summer league last year. It took me all summer to get the position down to where I wanted it to be, out on the field and how I wanted to play,” O’Neill said.
O’Neill is in his third varsity season for Nazareth, which plays its final three regular season games on the road. Hunt said he likes the basketball mentality O’Neill brings to the soccer field.
At sweeper, O’Neill plays behind defenders Dominic Carmignani, a senior, and Jack Herbst and Ryan Rollag, both juniors.
“He has a high motor and high energy, like in basketball,” Hunt said. “Last year we talked a lot about (switching positions), conditioning and playing defense. Connor and Jack Herbst have stepped in and really solidified things.”
Nazareth received the fifth seed in the Class 2A Glenbard South Sectional and opens the playoffs at home against 12th-seeded St. Rita on Tuesday Oct. 20.
Twitter @geomwilcox