This year, Clifford returns
to the Flash organization as
the club makes its foray into
ECNL competition.
Kozak has been playing at
the Premier Level since 2013
and will also join the WNY
Flash organization for his
final scholastic club season.
Last year his Empire Buffalo
18’s team made it all the way
to the finals before bowing
out of the national champi-
onships of the NPL, but the
close calls for both young
men only stoked a fire that
carried over as a catalyst for
their final high school cam-
paigns.
Injuries hamper
competitors
both
As with any athlete com-
peting at the highest lev-
els, the reality of injury is
always a specter lurking
around the corner. As fate
would have it, both Clifford
and Kozak suffered through
a rough “off-season” leading
into their final high school
seasons.
Coach Kozak lamented,
“In our last indoor league
game, we won the champi-
onship, but Matt suffered a
broken ankle on a rash chal-
lenge. He was out for a cou-
ple of months and when he
returned to the Flash, he de-
veloped a serious back inju-
ry that nagged him into the
start of the season.”
Jonah Kozak on the oth-
er hand was sidelined on
a freak play during a local
BDSL men’s soccer league
Cup game on what seemed
like any other play. Jonah
says, “I came out to chal-
lenge their center back and
the ball was poked away
from behind.
The play-
er followed through and
caught my shin. It hurt but
I thought it was a Charlie
horse.”
What occurred was a bro-
ken leg, but contrary to the
American perception of the
frailty of soccer players,
Kozak played the final 65
minutes on that broken leg
scoring the game winning
goal and assisting on an in-
surance marker.
The next step
Kozak’s grit and tenacity
was not unnoticed by his
Empire United Coach Lu-
ciano Gallo, “Jonah was a
hard-working person with
a lot of character. He would
work hard and adapt to any
position I asked him to play.
He was always trying to
learn and willing to help the
team succeed.”
The five-foot ten central
midfielder knows that the
road to being noticed by
colleges is a rough one. Jo-
nah says, “I know I can help
a program. I’m a team first
player and I’d really like to
keep playing and getting
better each time I go out and
train. When I was invited to
train in Germany, I saw how
hard you need to push your-
self to play at a great level.”
For Matt Clifford, post sea-
son awards are welcome,
but he’d most like to adapt
to the next level of colle-
giate soccer.
“Take a look at my e-mail.
You’ll see dozens of subject
lines, and they all read ‘Matt
Clifford.’ So many college
programs want this young
man for what he can do on
the pitch, but I always make
sure to relate Matt is more
that just a great soccer play-
er,” said Coach Kozak.
Kozak continues, “When-
ever a college coach calls, I
NOVEMBER 2, 2018 | SportsUnion
make sure to add that Matt
is a fantastic student and
just a tremendous human
being. He’s a consummate
leader.”
“For example, everyone in
WNY soccer circles knows
Matt is a star. He’s the gen-
uine, real deal, complete
package. You know what?
Look and see who is carry-
ing the water. Look and see
who is cleaning up practice
bibs. Look and see who
stays and hour after prac-
tice to work on individual
skills; it’s Matt. For the past
two summers, in every type
of weather, Matt helped run
our junior soccer camp men-
toring our younger players.
Truth be told, I never asked
him to help. He just showed
up and taught these kids ev-
ery day,” said Coach.
Post Season Awards
Both Clifford and Kozak
have already earned First
Team All-ECIC Division 1
All Star Honors in both 2017
and 2018, but a seat at the
coveted “All-WNY” table
has been long sought after
by both gentlemen. Their
resumes have been crafted,
and now it’s up to the All-
21
WNY committee to see if
they meet their tough crite-
ria.
“Every coach we play
against game plans against
Matt. I think just that fact
is worth more than just an
award. I can’t tell you how
many times we hear a shout
to watch Number 23,” Coach
Kozak relayed.
For two years in a row, Jo-
nah Kozak led the regular
season statistical standings
for assists in the stingy ECIC
1 Division. In 2018, he ranks
tops in overall regular sea-
son points, assists and top 7
in scoring in a midfield po-
sition with responsibilities
of playing on the defensive
side of the ball.
He’s a playmaker but also
can score the big goal when
needed. No other midfield-
er in Frontier’s division
ranks in the Top 5 overall in
statistics.
Coach added, “Soccer isn’t
just a game of statistics, it’s
a game of thinking. Jonah
does some incredible things
on the pitch, but most of all,
he makes his teammates
better.”
Here’s to hoping both
these young men get to reap
the fruits of their labor.