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11/04/2024 03:03 PMWhenever Ethan Skonieczny steps onto a soccer field, he keeps his objective simple in winning the day. It has been that slow and steady approach that has led to him being a steady and ingenious two-way force for the Hand boys’ soccer team.
The midfielder grew up playing soccer his entire life for as long as he could remember, starting around the age of 4. While he did dabble with hockey and hoops along the way, those fell by the wayside and he stayed focused on the pitch. This fall, Ethan has worked his way up to earn himself a leadership role as a captain and has helped the Tigers finish off another impressive regular season resume complete with a 12-2-2 record.
“I feel like soccer just came to me naturally. I love the freedom of the playstyle. I get to really express myself as a player,” says Ethan. “I have just kept working hard and have stayed dedicated to the game. Earlier in my career, I was not the best player; I was a skinny and small kid. Every day, I go to practice with the goal in mind to keep working. I think that mentality has paid off really well for my high school career.”
Ethan is always game for the challenge of running up and down the sidelines to each end of the turf. Yet no matter how physically taxing it all is on him, he is intrigued by the independence he has mentally to paint with the pitch as his canvas.
“It can be tough with the amount of running and cardio involved. It is strenuous,” says Ethan. “I am a box-to-box midfielder, so I defend my half, and then on attack, I have to run to the other end to attack. It can also be tough being a presence in the middle and knowing where to go all the time, but I feel I do those things well. I love how there is no structure to the position. You have creative freedom to drive with the ball on attack or defend. I like getting the ball on the half turn and just springing it to the corner.”
The captain did miss some action for a good chunk of the campaign after dislocating his kneecap. Despite the road back being laborious and challenging, he used his iron-clad mindset to push and power through while making the most of his time away from the fray.
“I always have a next play attitude and I tell myself that whatever happens, happens and I must respond to it,” says Ethan. “The kneecap injury was difficult for me mentally, and I missed three weeks of time. What was important for me was that I knew I had to put the team at my highest priority. As a captain, I knew I had to be there for the team. My approach to physical therapy was to get better every day. It strengthened my mind and body, plus I got to know a lot of the underclassmen while I was on the sideline.”
The Tigers have their eyes locked in on the top team prize in the second season of the 2024 slate. It has been their target ever since the final horn sounded on the prior run, and they will stop at nothing to make it happen.
“This postseason, we want to win states,” Ethan says, as he scored the winning double-overtime goal against Fairfield Prep in the SCC Tournament quarterfinals. “Since the offseason started after last year ended, those have always been the goals in our minds. I know those are the things we are all playing for.”
Hand boys’ soccer Head Coach Mike Shirley explains that Ethan is never just a passive player that looks to hand off the ball with each touch. He is a gritty and intuitive player who is a throwback soccer player in certain regards.
“What makes Ethan such an incredible soccer player is his ability to get into the heart of the battle in the midfield and win the ball with tenacity, technical ability, an incredible feel for the game, and sheer desire,” says Shirley. “Once Ethan wins the ball, he is not one who just needs to make the easy pass. He loves to drive the ball at defenses to create opportunities. He also loves to find passes when he enters the final third. In that sense, he is one of the most battle-tested, true center midfielders in the conference. He is a midfielder you would find on an English pitch in the late 1990s. He is ready to win the ball at all costs, advance the ball to gain field territory, and pick a pass that creates a goal. It is a rarity to find center midfielders that can help teams at the high ability that Ethan does. We are so lucky to have that type of player on the team.”
In terms of the x-factors that make a championship club with intangibles, it flows from the top down for Hand. The savvy veterans have it on full display 24 hours a day, and then the remainder of the roster follows suit as they begin to embark on the playoff push.
“Our group of seniors has been very important this year. We have had the same attitude and mindset of focus and determination to be successful,” says Ethan. “The mentality bleeds throughout the rest of the team. Our focus in training has been outstanding this year. I feel it is far and wide better than prior teams. We all want to be there and get better every day.”