Chicagoland Soccer

Cadets give O'Connor memorable victory in final home match

By Curt Herron

As he gazed across the pitch on a beautiful fall afternoon, a big smile lit up Kevin O'Connor's face.

The man who began Marmion Academy's program from the ground up in 1994 had just coached his last match at the campus in Aurora.

While Monday's contest with Oswego served as the Cadets' home finale, it clearly was much more than that for those familiar with Marmion.

It was an opportunity to honor and celebrate the career of an outstanding coach who has obviously touched a lot of lives in meaningful ways.

As a bonus, the Cadets fought off a spirited challenge from the Panthers to capture a 5-2 win, which improved them to 13-6-3 on the season.

Senior captain Mike Frasca had a hand in all five of the Cadet goals, scoring three times while getting assists on the other two tallies.

Flynn Collins and Eddie Graham also scored while Matt Switzer handed out two assists and senior captain Mick Maley another on Frasca goals.

Senior keeper Brad White stopped several threatening shots while helping the Cadets improve to 11-3-1 since getting off to a 2-3-2 start.

Marmion led 2-0 at halftime, thanks to scores from Frasca, but Oswego twice pulled to within a goal before the hosts netted the last pair.

But the story of the day was O'Connor, and that was seen in the postgame congratulations and as the team posed for a photo with their coach.

However, this was no last chapter for the Cadets, who hope they can keep O'Connor's retirement plans on hold for at least a few more weeks.

Based on how Marmion has played of late, that's a possibility as it prepares to kick things off in next week's Class 2A DeKalb Regional.

O'Connor's philosophy has served him well during a three-decade career that was capped by his 16-year run as the Cadets' varsity coach.

"We've always tried to establish a high level of play by doing things the right way," O'Connor said. "It's been disciplined, with players being accountable for their play on the field and their actions off of it.

"But in the end, it's all about what kind of influence you have on the lives of young men. In the big picture, it goes way beyond the soccer field. I'm as proud of that as any of our accomplishments.

"Whether our guys have gone on to play college ball or not, we still get 30 or 40 guys back for our alumni game and that shows that this program was very meaningful to them and it continues to be."

When asked to start up the Marmion program 18 years ago, O'Connor consulted with his wife, Mart, as well as his two boys, Reilly and Cory.

Their enthusiastic support began not only a key moment for the entire O'Connor family, but also for the future of the Cadet soccer program.

With him and his wife both retiring from teaching this year, this seems to be a natural time for O'Connor to conclude his coaching career.

That way they'll spend more time with daughter Mollie's two kids, including a grandson who scribbled all over grandpa's scorebook afterward.

"When Marmion asked me to consider starting this program, the first thing that I did was go home and talk with my family," O'Connor said. "After I talked to my wife Mart, then I talked to my boys.

"I asked them if they wanted the possibility of having me as their high school coach. If they didn't, I wouldn't take the job. But they looked me in the eye and said that they'd love to play for me.

"I had coached their teams as they were growing up and they said that they would cherish the idea to play for me. We still laugh and talk about that and the memories that we've had here are wonderful.

"Reilly ended up being our first of many Division I players, and went on to Loyola University, and Cory was also a four-year player for us, and he went on to play at Lake Forest College.

"A lot of people thought that I'd give up coaching when my boys stopped playing, but Marmion meant too much to me and my family completely understood that. They knew I wasn't close to giving it up."

While enjoying the opportunity to coach his boys, O'Connor feels blessed that he's been able to lead many fine young men at Marmion.

"The players who have played here before are as important as this group since they set the standard that these guys are now trying to continue," O'Connor said. "I think this team has a chance to add to it.

"Over the 16 varsity seasons I think we've played a pretty high standard of soccer and have held the kids accountable and that's been a winning formula for how well they'll do when they leave Marmion.

"When these guys come back, or I go to their weddings or kids' baptisms and birthday parties, then you know that you've had a pretty positive impact on their lives. That's part of my reward as a coach.

"The reward for the players are the victories and championships. For me, it's helping them become wonderful young men, outstanding citizens, ambassadors of the game and of Marmion and friends for life."

The veteran coach is especially pleased to be finishing up at Marmion with a group of players who've helped bring about a lot of success.

Several of this year's team leaders were also a part of the memorable 2009 squad, which captured the program's initial sectional title.

After edging rival Wheaton Academy in the sectional final, the Cadets lost a heartbreaker to Freeport and fell a win shy of a state trip.

"The super-sectional game from two years ago is still as fresh as if it happened yesterday for guys like Mick Maley, Mike Frasca, Brad White, Alex Ruble and Matt Switzer," O'Connor said.

"They're the guys all year long who have set the standard for this team. They're wonderful young men and a special group and it would be nice if they can make a run in the playoffs.

"We hope that we have a lot of soccer left in us but we also understand that if we don't bring our best effort, then we can get beat, just like anyone else. That's the state tournament.

"I like the way we're playing and I love our possession. We're not playing the perfect game yet and we're still striving for that, but I think we're capable of making an extended run."

As O'Connor reflected on his years at Marmion, he pointed to the soccer facility as a clear sign of the great support that he had received.

"When you look at this beautiful complex and see the commitment that this administration and the boosters have given to the boys soccer program, we're very thankful for that," O'Connor said.

"It wasn't that way when we first started and we knew that it wasn't going to be an easy process and that it would be step by step. But we never wanted to take any short cuts to try to achieve things.

"The Marmion administration gave me the opportunity of a lifetime 18 years ago. I've just tried to do the best job I could of building a program that everyone can be proud of, and I think we've done that.

"I'm proud to be associated with this school and it's not going to stop now. I may no longer be the coach of the soccer team but Marmion is so much a part of who I am that this relationship won't end."

One of the players from this year's team that has enjoyed the opportunity to play for O'Connor is a four-year performer, senior captain Maley.

"With this being coach's last home game, it was kind of special for the seniors and for him," Maley said. "So we wanted to send him and send ourselves away with a good win in our final home game.

"Coach has been a huge figure in everyones' lives who has come through this program. Although we're sad to see him go, we also know that he's accomplished a lot during his years here.

"For the five or six of us that played on that team, losing to Freeport is still burned in my memory, so that's motivation for us. We know that we can't take a minute off or things change.

"We feel like we're playing our best soccer right now and we're ready to go. As leaders on this team, we're going to make sure that a loss like the one we had to Freeport doesn't happen again.

"He's a great guy and a great coach and we give him the utmost respect since he built this program from nothing. I've enjoyed my four years and it would be even better if we sent coach out the right way."

Another senior who hopes that the Cadets make a playoff run for their retiring coach is Frasca, a three-year regular who also is a captain.

"It's kind of a sad day since coach and the rest of the seniors will be moving on," Frasca said. "But hopefully his retirement year is also the year that we can make our first state appearance.

"I can remember the Freeport loss like it happened yesterday. We know we can't take a minute off, whether it's in the first game or the state finals, we have to be able to play a full 80 minutes.

"I feel like we're playing pretty good at this time, maybe as well as well as we were in our sophomore year on the team that went to the super-sectioonal. So I think it will be an exciting finish.

"In my years here, coach has pushed me to help make me the player that I am. He kept setting higher and higher expectations for me and said that I'm doing pretty good, which makes me feel better.

"He's a coach who expects perfection and that has made us even better. The only way that we can repay him is to go to state and hopefully win it and everyone on this team wants to give that to him."