Spring Break
The Daily OrangeMSOC | High school teammates remain close despite playing at different colleges
By Eleazer Gorenstein
Posted: 10/6/05, 1:03 AM EST Section: Sports
After Syracuse lost to St. John's Wednesday night, 1-0, SU midfielder Jimmy Linus was surrounded by his tired and dejected teammates, all of whom were bent over at the waist and wondering how they managed to lose a game they mostly dominated. Jason Landers, the goalie for the Red Storm, was on the opposite side of the field, celebrating and congratulating his teammates on a win that kept the No. 5 Red Storm undefeated in the Big East this year.
The two were on opposite benches last night, but growing up, Linus, a freshman, and Landers, a sophomore, were inseparable, both on and off the field. The Philadelphia natives played on the same club soccer team since they were 10 years old. They starred on the same high school team in suburban Philadelphia and their families even go on Florida vacations together.
"My family just bought a vacation house down in Naples," Linus said. "His family just moved to Fort Myers, it's like 20 miles away and so we spend a lot of time together when we're not at school."
Linus joined the Wissahickon High School Trojans' soccer team during his junior year where Landers was the senior team captain. Linus proceeded to score 16 goals and was named first team all-conference that season before sitting out his senior year due to injury. Landers also earned a host of accolades, including all-state honors his junior and senior seasons.
While St. John's is a national powerhouse and a legitimate title contender, Syracuse has not won a Big East game and is winless since Sep. 11 against Adelphi. However, the two teams engaged in a tough scoreless battle on Wednesday, in which Syracuse controlled the ball for most of the game before St. John's put one by Orange goalie Robert Cavicchia in the 83rd minute. It would have been an important win for the Orange, but Landers said his team rose to the challenge well.
"Every game, people are gunning for you when you're playing for a team like this," Landers said. "Coming to play in college, it's a lot like coming to high school as a freshman. The pace is quicker, and the players are bigger so you just have to bulk up. One thing about me and Jimmy, we're both tough so we can compete at this level."
Landers has played well for the Red Storm. He earned a spot on the Big East honor roll this week and posted a goal against an average of less than .40 with six shutouts in his first season as the Red Storm starting goalkeeper. Linus, though only a freshman, had earned a spot playing midfield for the Orange due to an injury to sophomore James Goodwin. Linus has played well so far but has seen his playing time decrease since Goodwin's return in late September. Linus sees his playing time this year as a good experience for the future, and is not surprised by Landers' success.
"Jason is a really reliable guy, a great friend to have," Linus said. "He and I grew up together, hating to lose. I learned to rely on him and having him always make the big save in goal. When we played together and when we were hanging out I always could count on him to be there."
The two were on opposite benches last night, but growing up, Linus, a freshman, and Landers, a sophomore, were inseparable, both on and off the field. The Philadelphia natives played on the same club soccer team since they were 10 years old. They starred on the same high school team in suburban Philadelphia and their families even go on Florida vacations together.
"My family just bought a vacation house down in Naples," Linus said. "His family just moved to Fort Myers, it's like 20 miles away and so we spend a lot of time together when we're not at school."
Linus joined the Wissahickon High School Trojans' soccer team during his junior year where Landers was the senior team captain. Linus proceeded to score 16 goals and was named first team all-conference that season before sitting out his senior year due to injury. Landers also earned a host of accolades, including all-state honors his junior and senior seasons.
While St. John's is a national powerhouse and a legitimate title contender, Syracuse has not won a Big East game and is winless since Sep. 11 against Adelphi. However, the two teams engaged in a tough scoreless battle on Wednesday, in which Syracuse controlled the ball for most of the game before St. John's put one by Orange goalie Robert Cavicchia in the 83rd minute. It would have been an important win for the Orange, but Landers said his team rose to the challenge well.
"Every game, people are gunning for you when you're playing for a team like this," Landers said. "Coming to play in college, it's a lot like coming to high school as a freshman. The pace is quicker, and the players are bigger so you just have to bulk up. One thing about me and Jimmy, we're both tough so we can compete at this level."
Landers has played well for the Red Storm. He earned a spot on the Big East honor roll this week and posted a goal against an average of less than .40 with six shutouts in his first season as the Red Storm starting goalkeeper. Linus, though only a freshman, had earned a spot playing midfield for the Orange due to an injury to sophomore James Goodwin. Linus has played well so far but has seen his playing time decrease since Goodwin's return in late September. Linus sees his playing time this year as a good experience for the future, and is not surprised by Landers' success.
"Jason is a really reliable guy, a great friend to have," Linus said. "He and I grew up together, hating to lose. I learned to rely on him and having him always make the big save in goal. When we played together and when we were hanging out I always could count on him to be there."
