As he looked ahead to his senior year, Metea Valley forward Colin Bastianoni formulated a plan this summer while playing for a club team that won a national title.
“My point of emphasis was to come into the season scoring,” he said. “Being a top scorer for my club team, I had to bring that mentality to the high school season.
“I worked on creating shooting opportunities to get me more involved in the game.”
With a prime-time gamer in Bastianoni, the Mustangs (3-1) have already surpassed their win total from the spring.
The Missouri State recruit scored four goals and added two assists in leading Metea to the St. Charles Invitational championship game. The Mustangs lost to top-ranked St. Charles East.
“He was the best player on the field in most of the games,” Metea coach Josh Robinson said. “He has matured into a player that sees open space so well. He also has the freedom to seek that space out and is great at exposing that.”
Bastianoni had a junior year of playing soccer that was marked by extremes.
During a spring season impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, he primarily was a midfielder as the young and inexperienced Mustangs, who only won two games, played better than their record indicated.
The unprecedented season, however, ended on a high note for the Mustangs with an upset win over Naperville Central.
In the late spring and summer, Bastianoni was the captain and leading scorer for a juggernaut Eclipse club team that finished 26-0-3 and captured the U-17 national championship.
The intertwining moments proved bracing for the four-year varsity starter.
“I have been in winning and losing positions before,” he said. “Continuing to touch the ball and outwork the opponent is optimal for our success this season.”
The 6-foot, 175-pound Bastianoni leverages his size and speed, offering a physical and dynamic component while creating shots and finishing.
He has learned to excel at exploiting individual matchups.
“Utilizing my size and strength getting in behind defenders and pushing them off the ball is essential in my game,” he said. “Playing for a team that connects the ball, I have developed a high amount of skill and technical abilities, utilizing both my feet and expanding my game intelligence to make me very versatile.”
In making the transition with the Mustangs from a facilitator to the primary scoring threat also altered the equation.
He had to expand and refine his game. Scoring is a skill that is rigorously developed.
“Conditioning and shooting were a major upgrade and spacer I needed to work as on a forward,” he said.
The win over Naperville Central to end the spring buoyed Metea but also sharpened Bastianoni’s individual confidence.
He was determined to transfer Eclipse’s winning culture to the Mustangs.
Everything has worked according to plan. Metea defeated perennial powers St. Charles North and Leyden at the St. Charles Invitational.
“The spring was a good experience for the guys who are not playing club to get some work in and train with the team,” he said. “We were able to stretch the season and continue to play barely five months later.”
The game has become his way of life.
“My favorite part of playing is the joy I receive by being able to travel and playing with my best friends,” he said. “And bringing success to my club team and high school.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.