“Will is one of the hardest working players I have ever coached,” said Warren boys soccer coach Denny Flatt of his all-region goalkeeper. “He is a great example of how dedication and a strong work ethic can elevate your game. He went from a nonstarter to a captain and one of the best keepers in the district. Will’s career wins in net, and number of shutout victories, speaks volumes for his talent level. His motor never stops; he would do anything to help his team. A good player strives to improve every aspect of his game, and Will is one of those players. I can’t tell you how many times I would drive by the field and see him practicing. Although his stats are impressive, his style of play was equally important. During his high school career, his never-give-up attitude helped us secure many victories. I have no doubt he will continue to progress, and Carlow is getting a very good goalkeeper.”

It was a long process to become the goalkeeper and soccer player he is today, so it’s no surprise he took every part of the college process seriously.

“The process took a very long time, like almost a year and a half,” said Nebinski. “It definitely was hard. I had to make the decision of a lifetime.”

Seems like the correct one for the WAHS senior who made 118 saves, saved four penalty kicks and helped secure eight shutouts for the 11-win Dragons.

Submitted Photo Will Nebinski went from a nonstarter to a captain and one of the best keepers in the district.

“Yes, I will still be playing goalie,” said Will. “The coaching staff said they really liked my game and how much I work to be the best player in the field.

“The process with selecting a school was a lot of back and fourth with the schools and coaches, what was best for academics and athletics and, mostly, what school was the best fit for me,” he added. “The decision was made to play soccer at Carlow because coach Alan Duda really made me feel like I was welcomed to not only the team but the entire Carlow campus, and they were really the only school that made me feel that way. At Carlow, I will be studying early childhood education and special education, and there were other choices, but I think Carlow is the place for me.”

The Celtics — an NAIA Division 1 program — ended the season 3-14-1 overall and 1-8 in the conference. Carlos’s senior goalie Kevin Garcia was named an all-River States Conference honorable-mention recipient.

Nebinski said Carole’s men’s soccer team is in a rebuild and he’s up for the challenge.

“I was always really interested in college soccer and it has been a dream of mine to play at that kind of level for years,” he said. “I really thought I was good enough to go to the next level after the 2021 soccer season. I really think that working with my goalie coach, Paul Green, my soccer coaches, Denny Flatt, Chris Darling, and Stephen Blair, has gotten my game to that level through pushing me mentally and physically to be the best I can possibly be.

Submitted Photo Will Nebinski

“I have really been playing soccer my entire life,” said Will. “It has always been my first love. But, through my career, I played basketball and baseball as well. It really hit me when I got to middle school that I wanted soccer to be my number one sport and focused a lot of time and effort into being the best I can.

“My greatest influence in my soccer career was my brother, Alex Nebinski,” said Will. “He would stay after a lot of my practices and work for hours with me in net and push me to be the best player on the field. I had the great opportunity to finally play on the same team as him my freshman year, and that is an experience I’ll never forget.”

What his coaches and teammates won’t forget, Will has an “unbreakable dedication,” according to Flatt. “I can’t tell you how many times I would drive by the State Hospital fields and see him practicing. I’m sure (teammates) got numerous texts from him regarding pick-up games.”

“My friends would describe me as a nice person, but my teammates would describe me a hard worker,” said Nebinski. “So, in my career, I was a player who played all positions, but my main position was goalie, even though I was the shortest on the team. But the adjustments I always had to make was using my height to a greater advantage and being able to save anything low or high in the net. I’d say the biggest thrill on the field is saving a penalty shot at any point of the game; it is a morale-booster for not just me, but the entire team to hopefully feed off of that and score goals. Being able to save shots like that really motivates me.”

He’s always up for a challenge.

“I’d like to say, none of this surprises me with him,” said his father, Bill. “I’ve watched him over the years, (and) once he set his mind to putting work into something he loves, I knew he’d get there. He doesn’t know the meaning of the word ‘fail.’ If he ever fell on his face, he figured out what went wrong, and went back to work to better his game.”