Despite loss, Nazareth still growing as program

Nazareth senior soccer player Carlos Nassar-Velasquez thought he knew his brother well, but even he was surprised by what he witnessed sophomore goalkeeper Jamie Nassar-Velasquez do last season.

"I remember he jumped so high that he hit his head on the crossbar (which is 8-feet high)," Carlos Nassar-Velasquez said. "He may not be one of those 6-5 goalies, but he has some hops and is very athletic. I think for his age, he's excellent."

The Nassar-Velasquez brothers have played a key role in the development of the program. Carlos Nassar-Velasquez was a four-year varsity defender and had three goals and two assists this season, while Jamie Nassar-Velasquez started as a freshman last year when he had five shutouts and made 184 saves this year.

Nazareth (7-12-1) suffered a disappointing 6-0 loss to Montini Oct. 21 in the Class 2A Nazareth Regional semifinals, but the Roadrunners increased their win total from the previous season for the third year in a row and also picked up their first East Suburban Catholic Conference victory.

"When I was a freshman, we only had one win," Carlos Nassar-Velasquez said. "We've shown that our program has a (bright) future and that makes me proud of the team and what we are able to do. We've come a long way over the four years I've been here. It was really something special getting to play with my brother. It made us tighter as brothers."

Sophomore Alex Wilkinson had 14 goals and eight assists to lead the offense, while seniors Frankie Rodriguez (6 goals, 6 assists) and Jesus Campos (4 goals, assist) and freshman John McLaughlan (4 goals, assist) also came up big.

The Roadrunners will graduate 13 seniors, including defender Mike Kocourek, who earned honorable mention all-sectional honors.

"The senior class were sophomores when I first came and they kind of set the foundation and helped us progress to where we're at," third-year Nazareth coach Doug Hunt said. "It didn't end the way we wanted, but Carlos Nassar-Velasquez, Mike Kocourek, Jesus Campos and Frankie Rodriguez kind of set the pace and kept it going."