Sophomore forward Jack Carney burst onto the scene this season for the Ithaca College men’s soccer team. The walk-on phenom led the charge offensively for the Bombers with five goals, which tied with junior forward Jared Krasnove for most on the team.
Carney, who joined the Bombers last spring after being left off the roster the previous fall, credits his teammates for putting him in position to succeed.
“You know, I can do all I can do at the end of the day, but I can’t score, can’t pass without my teammates doing their part,” Carney said.
Carney has been a star athlete his entire life, playing both varsity soccer and basketball at Framingham High School in Massachusetts. He said that after not making the team last fall, he took some time to rest and focus on classes. He said it was odd but, also was a nice break as it allowed him to take a step back from competitive sports.
“[It was the] first time in my life not really being an athlete and I feel like I definitely should have because in the spring my touch wasn’t as good as the other guys,” Carney said. “But it was definitely good for rest considering right now we’re all banged up.”
Ithaca head coach Garret Eldridge said Carney’s development has been a process and he is proud of the strides Carney has made so far.
“I [give] credit to his work rate and his commitment to getting better because when he showed up last spring he would not have been a contributing player to our group,” Eldridge said. “He’s worked incredibly hard on his technical ability and his finishing to get himself an opportunity now where he’s doing well.”
Carney’s success at the collegiate level is no surprise to his high school coach Jeff Parrish. Parrish said that he and Carney both knew that he was talented enough to make the Bombers’ roster, and he encouraged his former athlete to keep at it during some rough patches last year.
“There’s not many guys I would rather have out there battling for me,” Parrish said. “He’s just a tremendous athlete and someone you want on the team, someone that’s going to certainly push your buttons at times, but he’s going to give everything he has for you and his teammates.”
Unfortunately, despite Carney’s surprising offensive production, this season was a disappointing one for the South Hill squad. After going 8-6-4 in the 2023 season and making it to the Liberty League Championship game, the Bombers dropped to 7-7-4 and lost in the first round of the Liberty League tournament to Skidmore College 0-0 in penalty kicks Nov. 5.
This zero in the scoring column was a common theme throughout the season for the Bombers. The playoff defeat was the Bombers’ sixth time being shutout this season. However, Eldridge said he does not believe his team has a weak offense. The team outshot opponents 294 to 208 and averaged 16.3 shots per game compared to their opponents’ 11.3 shots per game average.
“We missed a lot of chances in front of the goal,” Eldridge said. “Some of that is soccer and this year being unfortunate.”
This season marked another season where the Bombers came up short of a Liberty League Championship. Since transitioning to the Liberty League from the Empire 8 in the 2017 season, the Bombers have yet to capture a conference championship.
Despite only being immersed in the Bombers’ culture for one season, Carney is ready to dedicate the next two-to-three years to making history for the South Hill squad. He said that his main goal for the remainder of his career is simple: to win.
This winning attitude is nothing new for Carney, according to Parrish. Parrish said Carney was a two-year captain in high school and would do anything it took to get the job done for his team.
“He wants to be that guy and I don’t think he views that as pressure,” Parrish said. “I think he thrives on being there for his teammates and doing what he does best.”
Fortunately for the Bombers, Carney is part of a strong young core. Sophomore defender Nick Dignazio started 15 games for the South Hill squad, and first-year student Emmett Enriquez started 13 and contributed one goal and three assists.
Eldridge said the team is only graduating three starting players and is excited about the abundance of talent that his squad is returning for next season.
“We think we have a tremendous future ahead of us,” Eldridge said. “I think Jack’s part of that future and we’re really excited about what we have going on. We have a lot of talent, but talent only goes so far. So the work rate and what we do this offseason will prove to be really important come next fall.”
Eldridge said he believes that Carney has the capabilities to be one of the best players in Division lll. He said that if Carney can continue to work on the technical aspects of his game, he has all of the physical tools to be elite at the collegiate level.
“He’s very committed to being a great teammate and a great leader, so we’re really excited that he’s part of our team and we’re proud of his development so far and look forward to what he does in the future,” Eldridge said.
Carney said that while there were some bumps in the road, he has no regrets and is happy he ended up as a Bomber. He said anyone who is considering trying out for a college team should go for it, as he thinks that the bonds created with teammates are worth all of the struggles.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better spot to be in,” Carney said. “You always think about making the right decision of where you want to go for the next four years. It didn’t exactly turn out the way I expected but the outcome was definitely great.”
