Campbell provides spark in Friends Academy's 2-0 win
Cold Spring Harbors Rich Pisano chases Friends Academy's Chris Campbell at Friends Academy. Friends Academy won 2-0. Campbell scored one of the two goals. (Sept. 25, 2010) Credit: Lee S. Weissman
Much of what Chris Campbell does rarely shows up in the boxscore. The Friends Academy senior defender is responsible for anchoring a defense featuring two new players.
But he also gets to take penalty kicks and corner kicks and has the freedom to push the ball and lead scoring opportunities. Matt Slotnick and Colin Heffron are the main scoring threats for the Quakers, but Campbell could be dangerous, too.
Campbell scored his second goal of the season and, as usual, snuffed out several scoring opportunities by the opponent in a 2-0 home win for Friends Academy over Cold Spring Harbor in a Nassau Conference VIII boys soccer game.
"It's really reassuring to have him there," said Heffron, who scored the first goal. "Very rarely does he mess up. He's also very good going forward and when he does, it opens things up for Matt and me. It gives us more opportunities."
Campbell is getting more chances to get involved in the offense after scoring just three goals last season. Twice he dribbled at least 50 yards to help create some offense.
"He has to dictate how much he stays back and how much he pushes up," Friends Academy coach Marshall Linder said. "He is the catalyst for feeling the game. He's very special. He has the physical presence and the soccer savvy."
Friends Academy (2-0-1, 1-0-1) took a 1-0 lead 1:26 into the second half on a goal by Heffron.
"Colin hit it with his left foot and I'm not sure the goalie saw it," Linder said. "There were bodies in the way. That was the momentum changer."
Campbell added the insurance goal with 5:04 left off a pass from Mike Isernio.
"The ball was bouncing around and Mike chipped the ball to the back post and I was there to put it away," Campbell said.
Friends Academy is the defending Class C state champion and with no other teams in the class in the county, the Quakers will automatically play for the Long Island championship.
"Coach tells us we have to win the conference championship," Campbell said. "We won the states last year, but we didn't win the conference championship."
Cold Spring Harbor (0-5, 0-3), the five-time defending Nassau Class B champions, has yet to score a goal.
"It's just taking us longer to hit our stride," CSH coach Ed Moeller said. "This is a great league. It's not for lack of effort. We can't seem to get that lucky bounce to take advantage of it. It's going to take time. I think we'll be OK. I thought we played great in the first half and in the second half their talent took over."
