Dynamic duo leaves indelible mark on CBU men’s soccer

Dynamic duo leaves indelible mark on CBU men's soccer

Goalkeepers Lyczywek, Jackson champions on, off the pitch

By Corey LeBlanc

Memories of those nine-hour rides home from a weekend road trip to Fredericton will never fade for Viktor Lyczywek.

"I remember looking down and seeing the light from his laptop," he says of his friend and former teammate Ben Jackson.

Lyczywek was doing the same – using that time to keep up on his studies.

That's just an example of how the pair of Cape Breton University (CBU) student-athletes successfully juggled their hectic schedules, an effort that not only brought them success on the pitch but also in the classroom, where they earned Academic All-Canadian status in every season that they donned Caper orange.

Their accomplishments on the field with the men's varsity soccer program are equally as impressive – four Atlantic University Sport (AUS) championships, along with three U Sports' medals, including national championship gold in 2017.

The COVID-19 global pandemic snuffed out plans for a fifth-and-final season this fall, one where they would have continued to serve as leaders for a team poised to capture more championship hardware.

Instead, both young men remain at home; Lyczywek in Toronto and Jackson in Bury, England.

Although they are no longer on the Sydney campus, a piece of their hearts will always remain there.

The dynamic duo – in separate recent interviews – reflected on their time with the Capers, which has left an indelible mark on CBU.

The beginning

Even though they grew up thousands of miles apart, the start of their soccer journeys share similarities.

"I was a defender, but not a very good one," Jackson remembers.

Then one day the keeper for his youth team didn't show up. Because he was the biggest player, he was put in goal.

"I must have been a much better goalkeeper than defender because I have been out of net ever since," he says, with a laugh.

To help change fortunes, Lyczywek's youth coach decided that one team member would start playing keeper exclusively.

"No one wanted to do it," he recalls, noting he suggested to his father – Marian – that he would like to "try it."

After he made the move to goal, his team started to win matches.

"I am not sure if it was because of the way I was playing, or the fact I wasn't on the pitch anymore," Lyczywek jokes.

And the rest – as they say – is history.

Both keepers continued to improve – and excel – as they grew up and played their beloved sport at a high level.

By the time that they reached high school, it was apparent that they would have opportunities – athletically and academically – at the university level.

Becoming a Caper

Both high-calibre athletes had countless choices, drawing interest from schools in both Canada and the United States.

"I fell in love," Lyczywek remembers of his recruiting visit to CBU, noting the terrific hospitality he received "as soon as I got off the plane."

"Everyone – players and coaches – made me feel like part of the team," he says.

Noting the appeal of attending a "smaller school," Lyczywek adds "I found my place really quickly."

He notes he "didn't feel like a number."

"I have always been treated like family – everything has been great," Lyczywek says.

Jackson echoes that sentiment, using "tight-knit" to describe that same atmosphere.

He chuckles when asked about his path to CBU, one he called "weird."

It was near the end of July of what would become his freshman season, but Jackson had yet to choose a university.

"Usually it has been sorted by then," he says.

When he made another call to him, Jackson adds Caper head coach Deano Morley said he was "still looking [for a keeper]."

Although he hastily arrived – his plane landed in Sydney one day before CBU's first match – Jackson says "it worked out brilliantly."

He notes that he has met "so many great people," including teammates and coaches, along with professors, fans and members of the Cape Breton community.

"I am always going to be really grateful," Jackson adds.

'An absolute joy'

Morley describes having them as part of the Caper program as "an absolute joy."

"They pushed each other every day," the CBU bench boss says.

"They have worked their hearts out and have had incredible journeys."

After he "didn't have the best first year," Morley remembers Jackson returned for his sophomore campaign with a "completely different mindset."

"One centered on becoming excellent," he says – a commitment he describes as "impeccable."

"Ben pushed himself and became a beast."

He also became a "tremendous leader" – on and off the field.

"Ben always did what we asked of him … and more," Morley says.

Noting Jackson was "so underrated" during his CBU career, he praises him for his sincerity, kindness and "great sense of humour."

As for Lyczywek – who had to tackle a year-long recovery from a broken tibia suffered between his first and second seasons with CBU – Morley uses the word "relentless."

"It took its toll – physically and mentally – but Vik was so strong and determined," he says.

Morley adds Lyczywek exhibited great leadership by "setting the tone" with his work ethic – one that was on full display during his injury comeback.

"Vik came into our program as a very young lad," he says, adding his former student-athlete matured into a "great young man."

In their final season – one that ended with a U Sports' bronze medal – Lyczywek and Jackson split the workload.

"He made several brilliant saves," Morley says of Lyczywek's effort in winning that third-place match last fall, as part of a "great final year."

Caper keeper coach Vernon O'Quinn had what he called the "privilege" of working closely with both student-athletes.

"They are fantastic young men who love the game," he says, adding that they "came early and stayed late," an illustration of their dedication to the program.

Describing him as a "big game player" – noting his "brilliant performance" in CBU's gold-medal victory in 2017 – he calls Jackson "the best keeper in U Sports."

"Ben has all the tools," O'Quinn says, noting his work ethic and attitude are second-to-none.

Describing him as a "hidden gem," he adds Jackson's statistics do not reflect his excellence.

"There may have been matches with few saves, but the stops were fantastic ones," O'Quinn remembers.

Like Morley, he says Lyczywek "matured a great deal," while in a Caper uniform.

O'Quinn adds he "bought-in" to his role, as he continued to "work hard and improve" and take advantage of his opportunities.

"In many of our training sessions, Vik was the best player on the field," he notes.

Describing Lyczywek as a "well-developed young man," O'Quinn says he will have a "bright future – no matter what he does in his life."

That development for the Toronto native didn't come without adversity, particularly after that summer in 2017, when he broke his leg.

"It was a huge recovery," Lyczywek says.

He didn't play again for more than one year.

One week after surgery – which not only left a scar, but also a metal rod in his leg as a legacy – he started painstaking rehabilitation four to five times per week.

That continued when he returned to the CBU campus that August, where he would offer support to his coaches and teammates while tackling his recovery process.

"I made the whole journey with them," Lyczywek says of that season he was injured, which ended with the Caper national championship performance.

He made all the road trips, including to the U Sports' tournament.

"I wanted to support them and show how much I cared," Lyczywek remembers.

Jackson says he and his teammates appreciated the support.

"It was an inspiration," he adds - not only the encouragement Lyczywek provided, but also the tireless effort he put forth to return to the field.

While his teammates practised that season, Lyczywek continued his rehab from the training area, where he had a view of the field.

"I could watch them through the glass," he remembers, noting that repeated scene served as inspiration.

Jackson talks about "something being missing," when Lyczywek was shelved.

"It wasn't the same without him challenging me," he says of their friendly – but intense – competition.

Striking a balance

With the varsity season wiped out this fall, the stellar student-athletes have been focusing – even more than usual – on the 'student' side.

Lyczywek will graduate from CBU in December with a Bachelor of Science – with honours – in chemistry, while sporting an 84 per cent average.

His honour thesis – under the tutelage of Dr. Matthias Bierenstiel – focussed on the qualitative and quantitative analysis of cresols found in birch bark oil.

Jackson, who finished with an 86.7 average, received his Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) from the Shannon School of Business in May. He was the recipient of the Erwin and Sylvia Epstein Award, along with the CBU Alumni Association Graduation Award at spring convocation.

"I couldn't have done it without their support," Lyczywek says of his professors.

He remembers, within a couple days of his arrival on the CBU campus in his freshman year, meeting chemistry professor and former Dean of Science Allen Britten – a huge Caper varsity athletics' fan that provides tireless assistance to student-athletes – who helped guide him on his academic path.

"Everyone always made sure that things were going well," Lyczywek notes.

Jackson adds his professors – everyone on the academic side – have been "incredible."

Albeit virtually from his hometown, Jackson continues to study at his alma mater. He is enrolled in the Masters of Business Administration (MBA) in Community Economic Development program.

Lyczywek has applied to the University of Toronto for a spot in its highly-regarded Masters of Management and Personal Accounting program, with a targeted start date in May.

As for his career path, Jackson plans to focus on banking and corporate finance.

"It is high performance, high octane," he says, in comparing those fields to competition on the pitch.

He adds – with both – "you have to perform."

Like his former Caper teammate, Lyczywek's interests vary, noting a passion for disciplines such as accounting, business management and entrepreneurship.

Combining his upcoming business studies – which he describes as "another tool in my belt" – with his chemistry background will provide him with a lot of versatility.

"I have some options – I haven't really decided," Lyczywek says of his career plan.

Their delighted head coach describes the academic achievements of both as "incredible."

"They set the standard for what top-quality student-athletes should be," Morley says, adding they are an "excellent example to follow."

Although he admires them greatly for their on-field achievements, he adds he is "most proud" of their commitment to continuing their studies.

"They are setting themselves up to succeed in life," Morley says.

"They are going to do something really special."

'Something I will never forget'

As for on-field highlights, Jackson describes the 2017 gold-medal win – with him between the pipes – as "something I will never forget."

"All four years were great, but that was such a talented team," he remembers.

As for his fondest memories, Lyczywek says there are "so many of them."

"I don't know where to start," he adds.

Although he describes falling short in the U Sports' tournament – when they captured silver and bronze, respectively – as "disappointing" at the time, Lyczywek says there are "tremendous accomplishments."

In the 2019 bronze-medal match, he garnered the victory.

"We showed how willing and ready we were – we were able to re-focus," Lyczywek says of the Capers' resilience in bouncing back after a heart-breaking semi-final loss.

He adds "I worked my butt off to get back into form," recalling the road to recovery from his serious injury.

Ever modest, Lyczywek credits his teammates for their performance in that match.

"I played well and did my job," he says.

'We hit it off'

Although they are now living on different continents – and far apart – technology allows the friends to stay in frequent contact.

"We have a great friendship – I have a lot of respect for him," Lyczywek says of Jackson.

Jackson describes him as "one of my closest friends" from his time at CBU.

From day one – although they were "fighting for the same spot" – Lyczywek says there was never any animosity or jealously.

"We hit it off," he adds.

Jackson says there was "none of that [animosity]."

"Vik is a great guy – an awesome person," he adds.

Lyczywek says they shared the same "mindset, values and goals."

He credits Morley and O'Quinn for helping foster that relationship.

"We were always there for each other – helping each other become the best version of ourselves," Lyczywek adds.

Jackson says he was "really lucky" to have Lyczywek as a teammate.

"We challenged each other to maintain high standards," he says.

"And, I think we were able to do it."

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