Senior midfielder Aidan Breslin is in just his second year at Shepard after transferring from St. Rita, but he has found his home with the Astros.
Breslin was sure to soak in the moment Monday on senior night.
“It feels like I’ve been here for four years,” Breslin said. “It’s amazing here. I have great teammates and great coaches.
“It’s great seeing everyone come out for the game on a day we didn’t have school. It was a great atmosphere.”
Locked in a tie with Marist late in the game, Breslin made sure the night would be a joyous one. He scored on a penalty kick with just over 3 minutes remaining to lift the host Astros to a 2-1 win over Marist.
“I just had to be composed,” Breslin said. “I knew we had probably the biggest crowd we’ve had all season. We wanted to celebrate with them after and not with a tie. I knew I had to finish it.”
Zach Soltysiak, who last week became Shepard’s all-time leading scorer, added his 80th career goal for the Astros (15-6).
Danny Olsen scored for Marist (3-14-3).
Breslin’s penalty kick was set up when freshman midfielder Damyan Villanueva drew a foul in the box. Breslin stepped up and buried a line drive inside the left post.
“It was a great feeling, especially against Marist,” he said. “I always love beating them. There was no better feeling than that.”
After transferring last year to Shepard, Breslin had a strong first season with the Astros. This year, though, he’s playing with another level of confidence.
“I’m way more comfortable,” Breslin said. “Just getting to know everyone for a full year last year was huge. I knew some of these guys when I was younger, but I was able to catch up with them.
“The chemistry is going good. I feel like I know how to connect with everyone now, and I have a lot of assists this year.”
Indeed, Breslin has 13 goals and 25 assists. He was happy to see Soltysiak get his record and proud of his contributions to that accomplishment.
“I think I have a decent amount of assists on that number,” Breslin said.
Shepard coach Zeno Toscas knows he can always depend on Breslin.
“He makes a huge impact,” Toscas said. “I coached him before he got to Shepard, so I knew what he was capable of. I just didn’t know how it was all going to fall into place. Then he comes in and just crushes it.
“Game in, game out, no matter what, he’s the most consistent player.”
Villanueva, meanwhile, has come on strong late in his freshman year. He said Breslin has helped him improve.
“He just talks to me and boosts my confidence,” Villanueva said. “He makes me want to be a better player.”
After Soltysiak scored off Villanueva’s assist with 31:15 to play, Olsen answered for Marist with 17:49 left, converting a penalty kick after the Astros were called for a handball in the box.
Gannon Marin marked six saves for Shepard, while Max Perez made seven saves for Marist.
The loss snapped a two-game winning streak for the RedHawks, who have fought through a ton of adversity to play their best soccer at the end of the regular season.
“It was a heck of a game,” Marist coach Sean Maxwell said. “Shepard is a nice team. I thought we played well enough to win. It was pretty even. These guys are neighborhood rivals and a lot of them play club together, so it’s always a fun game.
“It was a playoff atmosphere. We stepped up and we just came up a little bit short. Considering where we’ve been this season, it’s coming.”
Steve Millar is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.