Student-Athlete of the Week: Baldwinsville’s Andrew Jung

SYRACUSE (N.Y.) — Andrew Jung has played soccer almost his entire life, and from the age of five until now, the sport has given him a second family.

“I feel like I just like the team aspect of it. I play tennis, and it’s a really individual sport. You’re not really with a lot of teammates. But just the environment that you get, even now we’re practicing. So, it’s like really nice to just be with your friends every day, work towards the same goal,” said Jung.

His older brother Brian also played for the Baldwinsville Bees, and Andrew followed in his footsteps. This season, however, Andrew has excelled into a playmaker role.

“Andrew is part of the engine that makes our team go. He plays in the center of the park with the other two center midfielders, and his work rate is just incredible. What Andrew has learned to do this year is attack from that spot. So, he’s one of the guys who makes runs past the center midfield or center defenders, and he has scored several important goals for us as a result, like the game-winner the other night,” said Baldwinsville Head Coach Tim Scheemaker.

That goal in the regional finals is one he will never forget.

“I just got subbed on, and I just was not expecting it at all, but there was a really good sequence. I think we sort of scored off a throw-in. So it was our left back who threw it into our forward, and he played off a really good cross, and I was just right place, right time type of situation. I was really thankful for my teammates because it was a good goal, good sequence by them,” said Jung.

A great goal that even had his coach amazed.

“The hard part was sorting his feet out because that keeper was coming out at him pretty strong, and he actually shoved the ball in with his left foot, which I didn’t know he did that until I watched it on the video because we work on our left foot a lot because a lot of the guys don’t use it. So I was really impressed when I saw that he had to slide it in with his left,” said Scheemaker.

For Andrew, helping his team meant the most.

“So it’s really something special. I don’t think a lot of players get the opportunity to be playing school sports this late in the season. And just knowing that I played a really big impact in helping my team stay in the game is really helpful for my confidence and made me feel really good for my teammates because they all worked really hard,” said Jung.

Congratulations, Andrew! You are the Byrne Dairy and Deli Newschannel 9 Student-Athlete of the Week!

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