NOBLESVILLE, Ind. (WISH) — It has been an incredible season for senior striker Sam Duquaine and the Guerin Catholic boys’ soccer team.
Duquaine leads the Golden Eagles with 17 goals and has helped the team to a 15-0-5 record. Guerin Catholic is now two wins away from claiming back-to-back Class 2A state championships. Duquaine has scored at least one goal in every state tournament game so far. He says the chance to end his high school career playing for a state title alongside some of his best friends would be special.
“It’d be awesome,” Duquaine said. “It’s a crazy stadium it’d be awesome to play in front of all the people in front of fans and my family. It’d be an awesome way to end the season and end my senior year.”
Head coach Jim Alvarez described how fun it is to watch his senior striker on the field.
“Big players find the big moments,” Alvarez said. “They find a time to meet the moment. I think Sam [Duquaine] has found that. Again, he trusts in his abilities; he trusts in his teammates. If he doesn’t have the ball, he’ll create the space and move to space, and his teammates will find him.”
Duquaine does not consider himself one of the team’s most vocal leaders. Instead, he prefers to lead by example.
“I’d say I’m a leader. I’m not technically a captain, but I like to try to lead by example,” Duquaine said. “I’m not the loudest person but I like to show everyone how to act by how I play and how I hold myself.”
Alvarez said Duquaine’s intensity can lift the team, even if he is not often directing players on the field.
“He’s not real vocal when it comes to directing players on the field but he’s intense,” Coach Alvarez said. “When he picks up his intensity, our team picks up their intensity. From a senior leader, even though he’s not a quote-unquote captain, all of our seniors I expect them to lead. I think his energy and his intensity raises the team at the right moment.”
Duquaine and the Golden Eagles will face Hammond Bishop Noll in the semi-state Saturday, Oct. 24, with a spot in the state title game on the line.
