By: Carter Gribble
SEATTLE-O'Dea soccer in the '23 season took a devastating first-round loss to Roosevelt due to major roster readjustments that stemmed from injuries. The roster at the beginning of the season was stronger than the year prior where the Irish had placed 4th in the state tournament after losing in double OT to Lakeside in the semifinals.
Going into the '24 season, the Irish were in a scramble to fill numerous roles of soccer alums like Connor Lofy, Jack Suk, Favian Martinez, Logan Richardson, Dylan Weinstein, and Ben Sollom.
Many of these roles were not filled by seniors but by standout underclassmen like Lucas Tamalunas, Hugh Lear, and Hudson Curnutt.
These 3 underclassmen have played the majority of all minutes this season and their respective positions and have made a major impact while they have been on the field.
Tamalunas is finally playing after a devastating skateboarding accident his freshman season.
In one game for the Irish in the '23 season, Tamalunas scored one goal in a friendly against Inglemoor.
Now he is a lockdown defender on the left side facing metro's toughest strikers. He also is a force to be reckoned with in the attack as he has sparked a fair amount of counter-attacks in crucial moments of the game.
"When I go out on the field, I don’t care how much bigger, taller, older, or faster you are than me; you're not getting by me." Tamalunas stated.
Lear was a huge addition for the Irish and has been an absolute powerhouse in the midfield since the start of the season. He and senior Julius Suber have great chemistry and are nightmares for other metro competition.
Lear has recorded 2 goals and multiple assists and has a bright future looking forward to the rest of the season.
"Most people can't stand being outworked in the midfield; I can't either so I just outwork them." Lear remarked.
Curnutt has also been a big addition to the Irish attack at left wing. While Curnutt normally doesn’t start, he is a power sub who has had major impacts on games during his time on the pitch.
He scored his first goal against Chief Sealth to get the Irish some momentum that was much needed in the second half and has worked beautifully with the midfield to create chances for strikers Greg Wheeler and Suber.
As far as the Irish schedule goes, the boys kicked off the season with a major win against Lakeside. It was the first time in over 4 years that the Irish had taken down the lions.
They kept the ball rolling with big wins against Lincoln, Prep, and Roosevelt but fell short in both games against Ballard.
Looking forward, the Irish have another big game against the number 1 seed Lincoln this Wednesday at Lower Woodland. If the Irish secure this win, it will secure them a favorable spot for the metro playoff standings and hopefully kick off a good state run.
The boys are hungry for a ring and will stop at nothing until they get it.
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