MSOC : Chamney uses height advantage for smooth position switch
Coming into Syracuse, Brien Chamney faced two difficult transitions. One was transitioning into a new position on the Syracuse soccer team, and the other was transitioning to the new campus. Unfortunately for Chamney, the second one did not start off as successful as the first.
Chamney, a new face on the SU soccer team, recently transferred in from McMaster University in Ontario, Canada. The midfielder has started every game so far this season for the Orange.
Unbeaten Syracuse (3-0-3) will open up the Big East portion of its schedule this weekend with home games Friday at 7 p.m. against Pittsburgh (1-4-1) and Sunday at 1 p.m. against West Virginia (4-1-0).
Chamney – who stands 6-foot-3 – was recruited as a defender, but SU head coach Dean Foti has been slowly transitioning him into a different role as the team’s starting defensive midfielder. The move compliments Chamney’s versatility and athleticism because very rarely does an athlete of his height patrol the center of the soccer field. However, the decision has proven beneficial as Chamney quickly adapted to the defensive midfield role and played an integral role in the team’s two defensive shutouts during the Wolstein Classic on Aug. 31-Sept. 2. Throughout the tournament, Chamney showed potential in his new position, which even caught the eye of SU defender and team captain, Brad Peetoom.
‘He literally wins every ball in the air because he knows how to use his height,’ Peetoom said.
When it comes to playing style, Chamney tries to emulate his favorite former professional player: midfielder Zinedine Zidane of France. In any case, Chamney knows he still needs to improve as a player in order to reach his own potential and even admitted that he still needed to polish his offensive skills. Yet, the Ontario native is off to an outstanding start, and his height and talent will definitely bring an intimidation factor against the opposition.
The exciting part for the Orange and head coach Dean Foti is that he is only a sophomore, so he still has a few years to solidify himself at the new position.
‘He still needs to get sharper with his passing, but already he brings a strong presence to the midfield,’ Foti said. ‘Given his size and athleticism, he will get more and more comfortable in his new position.’
Not bad for a sophomore transfer starting in his first year on a new team at a new position. Peetoom also believed that the defense’s good communication with Chamney in the midfield was significant to the Orange’s defensive shutouts in the Wolstein Classic.
However, off the field, Chamney has found himself in a much tougher predicament. For him, settling into the SU soccer team was easy, but finding his new classes was a different story.
In fact, he even admitted that the biggest struggle he encountered since joining the team was acclimating himself to the new campus and schedule. Since transferring to Syracuse, Chamney has been very appreciative of his teammates for their willingness to ease his transition to the new environment. In essence, he believed the camaraderie from his teammates made his transition to the new soccer system smooth and fun, but it could not prevent him from getting lost throughout the first week of classes.
‘Having friends on the team definitely made the transition easier,’ Chamney said. ‘I didn’t have to go through the trouble of forcing myself to make new friends.’
Peetoom noted that Chamney was a ‘funny guy’ and described him as ‘always having a smile on his face.’ Even Foti noticed that he fit right into the team and has developed good relationships with his teammates.
‘He has a good personality and that has had a positive influence on the team chemistry,’ Foti said. ‘He just fit right in with the team.’
Chamney is still young, but he has the potential to become a dominant threat with his height and dexterity as a midfielder, whether on offense – using his tall frame to rise up and head the ball in for a goal – or on defense, towering over forwards to clear the ball from the defensive box.
In the end, Brien Chamney is simply happy to play soccer and represent Syracuse in the Big East. When asked why he transferred from McMaster to SU, he replied, ‘I was given the opportunity to play Division I soccer in the Big East, and I just couldn’t pass it up.’
