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Haddon Twp.'s Burns a quick study in net

At the end of the preseason during his freshman year, Kieran Burns moved from forward to goalie. "Just because my friends told me they thought I'd be good at it," he said.

At the end of the preseason during his freshman year, Kieran Burns moved from forward to goalie.

"Just because my friends told me they thought I'd be good at it," he said.

He remembers learning on the job.

"I had just bought my first pair of goalie gloves," he said. "And I was starting JV games. I literally had no idea what I was doing."

Burns, it turned out, was a quick study.

Last year, in his sophomore season, he turned in one of the finest campaigns in the history of Haddon Township boys' soccer.

His 12 shutouts set a single-season team record. He allowed just 15 goals in 25 games. And his most impressive performance was his last.

Despite losing the state Group 1 title game, 4-0, to Harrison, Burns stole the show. The 6-foot-1 keeper made 12 saves in an acrobatic performance.

A year ago, he was an unknown, first-year starter. Now he's a team leader, a veteran player and mentor on a young team with lofty goals.

He enters this season in the conversation as one of South Jersey's top goalies. And one can only wonder where he can go from here.

"To me, that's what's really neat about this whole thing," Haddon Township coach Jim Bonder said. "Before his sophomore season, nobody was talking about him, nobody knew who he was.

"But he worked hard and he proved himself. He absolutely earned every bit of recognition he received."

Burns credits former teammates for assisting his quick rise as a goalie.

Scott LaPan and Kyler White were established keepers when Burns was a freshman. LaPan started in net for the Hawks. White was a keeper by trade - a high-level club player now at Providence - who played forward during the high school season largely because of his elite athleticism.

"They took me under their wing," he said. "During practice Scott was always very helpful. And Kyler White got me to where I am today. Kyler would pick me up and we'd train together all the time - we'd spend hours and hours just practicing."

It didn't take Burns long to develop an affinity for the finer points of being a goalie. When he's not practicing, Burns is often reading books on soccer, watching YouTube videos, studying on the Internet, and trying to absorb everything there is to know about being a great goalie.

"I think the mental aspect of the game is so important," Burns said. "Communication with teammates helps so much. Half the battle is making sure your defense is in line and your team is organized."

Awareness of the game is something Bonder considers one of Burns' biggest strengths. Even more, Burns isn't afraid to share what he sees.

"That's why my friends told me they thought I'd be a good keeper," Burns said, "because I never stop talking on the field."

Added Bonder: "He's always communicating with his teammates. Even though I've seen improvement in his footwork and the technical part of his game, I think his reaction time has gotten faster because he knows where to be and he's so connected with every play. I think his focus and his knowledge of the game really separated him last year. And what's nice is that I see him trying to instill that in his teammates this year."

This season, Burns' communication skills will be vital as the Hawks field four new defensive starters.

Haddon Township returns just three starters this year, including Burns.

On paper, it's a rebuilding year.

First-year starters aren't supposed to compete for state titles, right?

In that sense, Burns couldn't be a more perfect role model for his teammates.

"We're trying to live up to the expectations that we set last year," he said. "And we're getting better every day."