2023 Daily Chronicle Boys Soccer Player of the Year: DeKalb’s Matt Tuszynski

When the DeKalb boys soccer team won, the Barbs won with defense. Even in most of their losses, the defense shined.

And with the back line going through massive injuries and sickness at the start of the year, the play of senior center defensive midfielder Matt Tuszynski became even more valuable.

The Barbs went 5-2-1 to close out the year, including picking up shutout wins against local rivals Sycamore and Kaneland, after a rough start to the year, with senior captain Tuszynski leading the charge.

Tuszynski scored four goals, added three assists and was first-team all-sectional and All-DuPage Valley Conference. He also was named the 2023 Daily Chronicle Boys Soccer Player of the Year.

“We had a lot of grit, and we just wanted what was best for our team,” Tuszynski said. “We wanted to put in the work to win. We just focused on that and worked toward it, every practice, every game.”

DeKalb coach P.J. Hamilton said illness and injury tore through his team at a clip he’s never seen before. The Barbs (7-12-2) started the year losing eight of their first 10 matches en route to a 2-10-1 start to the year.

But only twice in that stretch did they give up more than three goals – once to DVC foe Naperville North, which went on to take third in the state, and once to Naperville Central, which lost 1-0 to Naperville North in a sectional final.

“Our record doesn’t really say everything about us because we overcame a lot this season,” said Tuszynski, who hasn’t finalized his college plans yet. “I feel like that was what it was all about, our resilience and overcoming obstacles. ... We just put our heads down, worked together and learned to enjoy playing soccer together. You could see that in our record too.”

Hamilton said Tuszynski can see what’s going to happen and anticipate solutions. It was a skill that led him to perform so well at his position, even though at times late in the season he’d move up to center attacking midfielder.

“He does a really good job of seeing things in front of him and covering box to box,” Hamilton said. “Toward the end of the year we started moving him up ... where he could attack more because his vision was so good.”

Hamilton said Tuszynski and the other seniors did a good job of demonstrating mental toughness, especially at the start of the year. Five of their first eight losses were by one goal, and three of their first 10 defeats – all against DVC foes – were by more than two.

“We love the DVC. We want to see the best of the best, and I think the DVC offers us some of the best schools in the state,” Hamilton said. “I know we hit a patch this year our group wasn’t proud of, but ... the mental toughness of this group had has a lasting effect. We went through a stretch that was challenging. And for guys to want to come in and continue to train and continue to get better, each day was turning. It took a little longer than we wanted but we finally started understanding what it takes to win.”

Hamilton said even with the start, the team never gave up, making the strong ending to the season possible. The Barbs beat Sycamore in penalty kicks to claim the El Classicorn, shut out Kaneland and knocked off Hampshire in a 3A regional play-in game,

“They just continued to believe and trust each other,” Hamilton said. “That starts with your captains and for us one of the most alpha players on the field in Matthew. He just got working and knew at some point it was going to click.”