Avery Subik was watching from the stands the last time the Shaker boys’ soccer team played in the Class AAA state semifinals.
The Blue Bison trailed Scarsdale 1-0 in Middletown in 2024 when his older brother, Spencer Subik, scored the tying goal. Owen Brant scored the eventual game-winner in the closing minutes to send the Blue Bison to their first-ever state championship game, which they lost 2-1 to Fairport in overtime.
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“The amount of pride I felt in that moment for [Spencer] was just amazing,” Avery Subik said.
Two years later, Subik has helped Shaker return to that same field in Middletown, where the Blue Bison will play Section 6’s Lancaster in the state semifinals on Friday at 5:15 p.m. But instead of taking the field, the senior captain will again be watching, this time from the Shaker bench after injuring his knee in the sectional final against Guilderland. Unable to contribute on the field, Subik has embraced a different role, helping guide and motivate his teammates as the Blue Bison pursue their first state championship.
Growing up, Subik recalls going to Shaker games with his parents. His brother, Spencer, two years older, was a midfielder, and as Spencer’s love for the Shaker program grew, so, too, did Avery’s. Watching Spencer tie the game against Scarsdale, Avery imagined what it would be like to find himself in that spot.
This postseason, the brothers’ roles were reversed. When Avery Subik scored in Shaker’s 2-0 sectional semifinal win over Saratoga Springs, he looked into the stands and saw Spencer Subik celebrating. The elder Subik, now a sophomore midfielder at Nazareth University, returns for Shaker games whenever he can.
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“I just remember seeing him in the stands celebrating when I scored that goal,” Avery Subik said. “That was amazing.”
In the sectional final against Guilderland, Subik twisted his knee and exited the game midway through the first half with an ACL injury. When he was examined by the trainer on the sidelines, it was realized his season was over.
Coach Dan Fountain remembers trying to talk to Subik on the sideline about his injury, but the captain just wanted to watch the game and cheer for his teammates.
“After I got injured … [my teammates] were just telling me, ‘We’ll win for you. We’ll get it done,'” Avery Subik said. “And I had confidence that they would do that. I was just heartbroken to not be able to help them achieve that.
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“But the fact that they were so quick to comfort me was something that really stood out to me. And it’s something I’ll never forget for the rest of my life.”
Shaker beat Guilderland 3-1, led by a hat trick from senior Sami Terra. After the game, Subik spoke with his brother about his injury and was reminded of how far he and his teammates had already come – and how much more was ahead.
“[Spencer has] always been a role model for me,” Avery Subik said. “So to hear him say that … really built my confidence up and shifted my perspective.”
Sophomore Garrett Levy and seniors Jude El-Hajjar, Antonio Luzcando and Aidan Donahue have done a good job stepping up in Subik’s absence, Fountain said, but replacing the senior captain’s leadership isn’t as simple.
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“[Avery’s] like having a coach on the field,” Fountain said. “He not only is a phenomenal player, but he’s a great communicator on the field.
“I think his team really misses him on the field. I think Avery would be the first person to be like, ‘No, they’re fine without me.’ But he is a very noticeable absence out there because he’s just a humble kid who’s a great player. And I think if you ask anyone on the team, they’d say, ‘Man, we miss him. Man, we could use him.'”
As Shaker gets ready to return to Middletown, Subik’s teammates are using him as another source of motivation.
“We want to play good for him,” senior Braddigan Lanfear said.
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Subik, meanwhile, is trying to savor the last week of his senior season.
“We made it this far,” Subik said. “This is the farthest we can go, so to be here is a big deal. And I’m just going to think for the rest of my life how we were able to make this season last and make it something I’ll never forget.”
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This article originally published at Shaker boys’ soccer captain Avery Subik returns to state semifinals, this time from sideline.
