Twins Tyler and Justin Smith have been playing soccer together for as long as they can remember … and then some.
“We started before I can even remember stuff,” Tyler said. “My parents would pass us soccer balls in the living room and we would kick them back when we first started walking.”
Those parents, Deb and Andy, didn’t play soccer themselves, but, “they’re huge fans. We have six (older) brothers and sisters and they all played soccer, so our parents learned to love it and learned a lot about the game and helped us develop,” Tyler said.
The Smith family’s soccer tradition and dedication has been Pembroke Academy’s gain. Tyler, a goalkeeper, and Justin, a defender, helped Pembroke to a 17-2 record last year and a spot in the Division II semifinals as juniors. They’re back at it this year as senior captains, and with Tyler in net and Justin right in front of him as the center back in PA’s three-man back line, the Spartans are off to a quick 3-0 start.
“It’s just amazing to have the two of them back there,” Pembroke Coach Pete Bisson said. “They’re great kids, first of all, both top of their class. They come to play, they’re well-behaved, there’s nothing more you could ask for. And both are giants (6-foot-3), which is a bonus … Tyler has so much confidence back there it just permeates through everybody else. And then having his brother in front of him gives us another rock that everyone knows will help.”
Tyler was a First Team D-II pick last year after giving up just 0.79 goals per game. When it comes to goal keeping, he’s the complete package.
“He’s very, very good,” said Bow Coach George Pinkham after his team’s 1-0 loss at Pembroke on Friday. “He’s very athletic, he reads the game so well and his kick is a weapon, it reminds me a little of Dylan Thomson (the former Concord High goalie who is now playing at the University of New Hampshire). He didn’t show any goaltending weakness that I saw.”
And like Bisson said, having that kind of keeper gives the rest of the team confidence, starting with the player who is directly in front of him.
“He’s always there if you make a mistake,” Justin said of his twin. “If I can’t get there to block a shot he can usually get to it, even if it’s a challenging shot.”
Last year it was Cole Sporcic, a Second Team D-II pick, who was the vocal leader of the Pembroke back line. Now, with Sporcic graduated, Justin has stepped into that role, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed.
“He controls the middle, there’s no question,” Pinkham said of Justin. “And compared to last year you can see him taking charge.”
He can also take charge at the other end, as Pinkham and his Falcons found out on Friday. In the game’s 10th minute Pembroke’s Damon Smith (no relation) lofted a free kick into the box toward Justin, who timed his run and leap just right to head in the game’s only goal.
Offense, however, is icing on the cake for Justin. He’s always been a defender, and he likes it that way.
“I like the physicality of it, and the pressure,” Justin said. “They’re coming down at you and you really just have to stop them.”
While Tyler’s abilities give everyone else confidence, he gets the same thing from his twin.
“I enjoy having him right in front of me because I know his capabilities and I’m really confident in him, so I don’t have to ever worry about him,” Tyler said of his brother.
Even if Justin wasn’t directly in front of his brother on the pitch, the two would still play with a special connection.
“He could be anywhere and we would work together somehow,” Tyler said.
That’s just what happens on the Pembroke robotics teams. The Smith twins were invited to a robotics competition as freshmen and they were immediately hooked. Their team has reached the world championships, held in Louisville, Ky., the last two years and made it all the way to the semifinals in their division last year.
“Our goal is to make it back there this year and go even farther,” Justin said.
That’s the same goal for the Pembroke soccer team – make it past the semifinals, where they lost a 2-1 heartbreaker last year to eventual champion Goffstown. With the Smith brothers anchoring the defense, that feels like an attainable goal.
(Tim O’Sullivan can be reached at 369-3341 or tosullivan@cmonitor.com or on Twitter @timosullivan20)