Perhaps the most memorable event in Lincoln sports in 2015-’16 will be boys soccer’s victory over West Salem in the 6A State Championship. No one will forget the roars that resonated after junior Carson Graham’s corner kick or senior Ben Hardy’s header helped secure the 2-0 win – Lincoln’s first-ever boys soccer state title.

But what head coach Facundo Dipascuale will always remember about his first season with Lincoln are the countless contributions by senior defender Joey Resnick.

    Dipascuale remembers the improvement his players made practice after practice and the positive team mindset. Resnick embodied those positive traits better than anyone, according to the coach.

“I’ll definitely look back on this season with a smile on my face,” Dipascuale says. “There was so much positive energy that helped our morale and our play ultimately.”

Dipascuale believes that hard work is far more important that raw talent, especially in a team environment. Again, Resnick was the best example throughout the season. The defender was crucial in keeping the championship game scoreless for West Salem, the team’s 10th and final clean sheet of the season. Resnick was also key in the quarterfinals in the final seconds of the game. He scored the equalizer that would eventually be followed up by another goal which would secure the victory.

    Resnick’s efforts in the playoffs did not go unnoticed by other schools’ coaches either. At the end of the season, the majority of opposing coaches voted for him as the 6A player of the year, an honor he won.. He credits his teammates as equally responsible for his and the team’s success.

“I owe it all to all of my teammates and the coaches,” he says. “Soccer is not an individual sport, and what we accomplished as a team, winning state, is more important than what I accomplished as a member of the team.”

     Next year, Resnick will attend University of Colorado, Boulder where he will try out for the school’s club soccer team.

“It’s pretty competitive and Boulder is a big school, but hopefully I can continue to play how I did for Lincoln this year and stand out,” he says.