Ridgewood junior goalie Brian Kwiatkowski has been fighting two battles for the last several days: He’s been fighting against the Rebels’ opponents and he’s been fighting through a right knee injury that he sustained in a game against Deerfield.
“He (Kwiatkowski) is a great keeper for us and he’s been playing at around 40 percent or so since that injury,” Ridgewood coach Armando Cabrera said. “He’s been cleared to play, but he’s still not at his best.”
Instead of sitting on the bench with the lateral collateral ligament injury, Kwiatkowski’s competitive drive has kept him going out on the field.
“It’s been a struggle through the pain,” Kwiatkowski said. “But I’ve been doing whatever I can to keep pushing through.”
Cabrera supports his goalie, saying, “We’ve left it up to him if he wants to play, and he wants to keep playing. He wants to help his team.”
Facing Crystal Lake South in the first round of the PepsiCo Showdown’s Gatorade Bracket, Kwiatkowski spent much of the game under intense pressure on Saturday, Sept. 10, in Aurora. The third-seeded Gators had little trouble against the 14th-seeded Rebels, earning a 4-1 win. The Gators had 26 shots — 14 of them on goal— and while Kwiatkowski fought off the Gators’ attack as best as he could, it was a difficult game for him because of the injury.
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“It was pretty hard. I really can’t dive, and when I land on my right side I end up with a lot of pain,” said Kwiatkowski, who walked with a limp after the game. “So I’m kind of limited in what I can do.”
Even with the limits imposed on him by his injury, Kwiatkowski made several exceptional saves for the Rebels (3-3-1), including a one-on-one where he saved three shots within a span of 15 seconds in the first half. The final shot deflected off his face and chest before going out of bounds. He needed a moment to gather himself before continuing on.
Cabrera was complimentary of his goalkeeper, knowing that he was facing long odds.
“He did well for what he was facing and was able to keep us in the fight,” Cabrera said.
Kwiatkowski’s injury also meant he wouldn’t be able to kick effectively and that another player would handle goal kicks. Punting also was problematic and there were occasions where he threw the ball to his teammates after a save. This proved to be an effective tactic with the wind playing a factor in the match.
“I’ve been able to make some different kinds of plays and help my team,” Kwiatkowski said.
His throws allowed the Rebels to successfully move the ball down the sidelines. His pass in the second half helped start a sequence that allowed senior midfielder Adam Martinez to get behind the Gators’ defense and score Ridgewood’s only goal. His strong play in spite of the injury gives Cabrera hope as the Rebels continue on with their season.
“We look forward to him being 100 percent because that’ll be great for the team, but also great for him as well,” Cabrera said.
Chris Vavra is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter @ChrisVavra1