Dan Keane has been coaching long enough to know how to quickly put things in proper perspective.
The veteran head soccer coach at Christian Brothers Academy, Lincroft, was as disappointed as anyone when the Colts lost a tough 2-1 decision to Pingry in the Parochial A state final Nov. 13 at The College of New Jersey, Ewing.
But after 24 years behind the CBA bench, Keane has always been one to look at the big picture. Which is why despite the loss, Keane knows his team still had an outstanding season, one which saw the Colts compile a glossy 19-3-1 record — one which also saw them go 12-1-1 in the always tough Shore Conference and repeat as league champs in the A North Division, the largest division.
And one in which Christian Brothers Academy made it all the way to the state championship game for the second consecutive year. While the Colts couldn’t repeat last year’s showing, when they rallied to beat Pingry 3-2 for the state crown, losing the rematch this season was just a disappointing ending to an otherwise outstanding season.
No one knows this better than Keane, and in time he’s sure his players will realize the same thing, if they haven’t already done so.
"I’ve learned as a coach to look at the whole season," Keane said. "And as the players get older they will too. It’s disappointing to lose, but as time goes on, they’ll realize we had a helluva year.
"We all want to win," he added. "But like I told them, you play your best and give it your all, and whatever happens, happens. Last year we had a 3-2 come-from-behind win against Pingry, and this year we just fell a little short.
"I saw a lot of our players a day or two later in school, and they were looking very confident they had had a good season. We’re very happy."
They should be. There’s certainly no shame in losing to a program like Pingry, a private school and a perennial power in soccer which went a perfect 21-0 this fall. In fact, CBA’s win in last year’s state final is the only game Pingry has lost in New Jersey the last two seasons.
"They’re definitely a top-level program," Keane pointed out. "They’ve always had tremendous teams."
But Christian Brothers Academy, which won the Parochial A South crown, played Pingry on virtually even terms, and with a break or two, could have beaten the A North champs a second straight year.
"Going into the game we knew they would be seeking revenge for last year," Keane said. "I knew we had to play our best game to win, and I thought we played close enough to it. But that’s the sport of soccer. You play for 80 minutes, and one small play decides the game.
"It was disappointing we lost, but I thought we played well and we could have definitely won."
Trailing 1-0, the never-say-die CBA booters tied it with 23 minutes to go.
But Pingry quickly regained the lead one minute later, netting what proved to be the game-winner.
"They scored off a direct kick, and our goalie just misjudged it," Keane explained. "He lost it in the light and couldn’t react quick enough."
But Keane, once again, was able to put even that play in perspective when talking about standout senior goaltender J.P. O’Donoghue.
"We wouldn’t have been there without him," Keane said of O’Donoghue, who recorded 11 shutouts in the Colts’ 19 wins this season. "He had a great year."
Speaking of great years, senior forward Derek Swanner led CBA with 14 goals, while a pair of key midfielders, senior and three-year starter Alex Giotis and junior Nick Labrocca, added 11 and 10 goals, respectively.
Meanwhile, Jim Ryan, a senior stopper back, anchored the defense and chipped in with seven goals on offense. Then there was O’Donoghue, who Keane called "the key to our defensive team all year."
Christian Brothers Academy also won its eighth South Jersey Sectional championship under Keane this season. And while CBA relied heavily on seniors in several key positions, don’t shed too many tears for the Colts next season. This is a program where success definitely breeds success.
"We had a lot of experience, and we graduate 10 kids," Keane noted. "But we retain 12 lettermen who were juniors this season and will be seniors next year. At CBA, we graduate good kids, but good kids also move up. We’ve done very well."
Keane, who has led CBA to 13 Shore Conference championships and three overall Parochial state titles, will also be back next year for a 25th season, keeping things in proper perspective as usual.
"When you look back on our other successes of this season, you realize we had a great year," he concluded. "So we’re happy."