Calhoun’s boys’ soccer team set a target of scoring 30 goals last autumn – hitting the mark in its final game to notch a satisfying 31 tallies on the season, more than double the club’s production from a year prior.
Colts coach Chris Vogel had said his team devoted last year to “proving we could finish.” That box now checked, Calhoun this season has moved on to showing it also knows how to start.
Through six games the unbeaten Colts (5-0-1, 4-0-1 Nassau Conference AA1) have scored a league-best 25 goals – a clip that projects to surpassing last year’s output before this season’s midpoint, the Colts on pace to redouble team goals for a second year running.
“We put a big emphasis this summer on possession,” said Vogel, whose first-place club sits a game ahead of both Long Beach and Roslyn in AA1. “We learned how to finish, now we 're looking to always finish with a shot or a cross. The key is possession. So far our offense has really come together.”
Calhoun’s defense, meanwhile, has handled business in complementary fashion – conceding a mere four goals on the season, while posting a trio of shutouts. An All-County honoree last season in his first year starting at goalie, Calhoun senior Austin Sheehan sits atop AA1 allowing 0.66 goals per game, a feat which has been aided greatly by All-County center back Jack Gunn.
“Austin really runs things for us in the back,” Vogel said. “Jack Gunn does all our dirty work, which might not show in the stats. Those two have been phenomenal.”
Building on its yearslong foundation of solid defense, Calhoun’s credibility as a new two-way force continues to grow, as two-time All-County midfielder Drew Lennon and forwards Jacob Bachrach (Honorable Mention All-County) and Lucas Nangle (All-Conference) lead the Colts' attack.
Bachrach's team-leading seven assists and eight goals rank No. 1 and No. 4 in Nassau, respectively, while Nangle’s seven tallies and four assists are second-most on the team, with Lennon (four goals, three assists) ahead of fellow senior Liam Brown, whose pairs of goals and assists each rank fourth on the club.
“This offseason we worked a lot on speed and strength training,” Vogel said. “That shows up on the field. Our guys are faster, stronger. But mainly, it’s just having another year together under their belts, the chemistry. They’ve been together a long time.”
The fact that Calhoun this season is seeing a peak in its roster cycle – not only returning six award-winners, but also nine starters, all seniors – has led some to see a rare moment of opportunity for these ascendant Colts. Asked if such sentiment exists around the clubhouse, Vogel said he may have noticed a bit of it, but that “we try to stay away from hype.”
“With us it’s what’s in front of us, and staying within ourselves,” said Vogel, whose AA2 champion squad last season earned Calhoun its first conference title since 2016. “The goal is to just do the right thing and keep working hard. And let the rest fall into place.”
