The second Senior Spotlight on this final Saturday in May features boy’s soccer player Matt Ochman. Here is our conversation.
College? Major? I will be attending Cabrini College and will most likely be majoring in business.
Favorite class at CHS? My favorite class at CHS had to of been both Spanish 2 and Spanish 3 with Mrs. Orphanos. Even though spanish was one of my least favorite subjects, Mrs. Orphanos is a great teacher and makes going to class really enjoyable.
Favorite movie? My favorite movie is Step Brothers.
Favorite song and/or artist? I don’t have a favorite song or artist. I usually just listen to any genre out there besides most country music.
Favorite TV show? Criminal Minds or Friends.
Most memorable moment from athletic career at CHS? My most memorable moment had to of been in the state semi-final when we beat Governor Livingston 2-1. We tied the game with less than 90 seconds remaining due to a great goal from Allen Barrett. Then we won in OT thanks to Mark Staudenmayer.
Will you be playing soccer in college? Yes I will be.
What will you miss most about CHS? I’m gonna miss the great staff at CHS and also being able to support all the other sports during my offseason no matter where the games are at.
Will you play with a club team this summer? If so, which one? Also, what do you hope to accomplish while playing for the club team? Will you be focusing on a certain aspect of your game? I’ve been playing with the same club team (Burlington County Soccer Academy) since I was about 8 years old and I finishing the 10 year career with the team this summer. I hope to win as much tournaments as possible this summer. The one part of my game I will certainly focus on is the being better at one on one defending.
What part of your game has improved the most during your varsity career? Throughout my varsity career I’ve improved on using my body size as an advantage to shield strikers off the ball and my throw ins into the box have definitely improved and helped the team this year since I got about 5 assists from them thanks for Pat McCarthy and Allen Barrett.
What do you look forward to the most about college? I really look forward to having freedom, living on my own and meeting the people I will be spending the next four years of my life with.
Who has been the biggest influence on your athletic career at CHS? I have a lot of people that have had a huge influence on my career. Both my parents and my Pop-Pop have been very supportive by making coming to my games a priority. Even for my club team, my parents made sure I attended every game and practice to make sure I was a better player. Also, all the coaches I’ve had at CHS especially Coach Meile who coached me for all 4 years along with my club coach, Dave Howarth.
How did you first get interested in soccer? My dad was a big reason of why I play soccer today. He played throughout his high school career so he pushed my brother and I to start at a very young age. Also, he supported me in focusing just on soccer for the rest of my athletic career.
Image courtesy of Matt Ochman
