Smokin’ Sophomore

Leading a soccer team in points scored isn’t easy, especially when trying to get to the top of that category in a week—starting from the very bottom.

That is exactly what sophomore forward Brian Charnock did in an incredible three-game, seven-point stretch last week for the Harvard men’s soccer team (3-2-2). The points were the first of his collegiate career.

Charnock recorded two goals and three assists, which lead the Ivy League. He is now tied atop the Crimson point standings with freshman Matt Hoff and sophomore Anthony Tornaritis.

“I’ve always felt that Brian’s been a great player,” captain Andrew Old said. “I’m sure it’s an indication of things to come.”

Though Charnock was exemplary in all three contests, the highlight of the week came last Friday night during Harvard’s 3-2 upset of Duke, when he was involved in all three scores. He scored the second goal of his career in the opening minutes on a header off a ball from sophomore midfielder Nicholas Tornaritis, Anthony’s brother.

“I don’t normally score with my head, so I was pretty excited when I headed it in around the 10th minute,” Charnock said. “That was awesome.”

He also provided the game-winning assist in a play that involved all sophomores.

After collecting the ball, goalie Ryan Johnson rolled it to defender William Craig, who passed it on to Nicholas Tornaritis. Tornaritis played the ball up the line to Charnock, who fed it back to a breaking Anthony Tornaritis for the clinching score.

“We knew that we could hit Duke on the counterattack, and Brian was well aware of this,” said Harvard coach John Kerr. “Brian had been so dangerous all day that Duke actually had to collapse on the ball as soon as he received it.”

Charnock was also brilliant against Maine last Wednesday, where he delivered one goal and one assist for the Crimson. Though his goal came with just over ten minutes remaining in a 3-0 Harvard victory, it put the final nail in the coffin.

“It felt great to get that monkey off my back,” Charnock said of his first collegiate goal. “I had been getting pretty unlucky. I had hit about three or four posts in games before that.”

On Sunday against No. 8 UNC, Charnock only managed one shot, as the Tar Heels out-shot the Crimson 14-3. But despite the most recent setback, Harvard’s offense is rejuvenated by young stars such as Charnock, freshman Charles Altcheck, Hoff—who was named Ivy League Rookie of the Week—and the Tornaritis brothers.