New Trier's prep work earns Grade-A marks
Coach lauds team for commitment to program in uncertain times
By Bill McLean
Look no further than New Trier’s 2021 boys soccer slogan to learn what matters to each Trevian. The slogan: “Every Moment Matters.” Trevians coach Matt Ravenscraft praised assistant coach Ryan Loris for coming up with that motto, in pre-pandemic times (remember those?) no less.
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“Every team, since last March, has a story, has a journey, right?” Ravenscraft said. “Athletes everywhere had to deal with uncertainty because of the pandemic. But our thinking, from the start, was, ‘We’d be sure to be prepared for the season if one were to start. It would have been unacceptable to not be ready, as a team or as a program.
“There was a lot of waiting, hoping, preparing,” added the coach of the 11th-ranked team in Chicagoland Soccer’s First 50 state-wide preseason poll. “My varsity captains [junior back James Paden and senior midfielders Will Franzen and Jake Krueger] did an incredible job keeping the varsity group focused, and the entire varsity team helped the program stay focused. There was a significant chunk of time for a high school kid to manage controllables vs. non-controllables.”
Each of Ravenscraft’s 12 returning players, including eight starters from his 16-2-4 club in 2019, served as a group leader for most of the 497 days between the ’19 sectional playoff loss to Evanston to the 2021 season opener against Highland Park (a 6-2 win) on March 9. Each of the dozen wore out both thumbs texting all kinds of messages, from friendly orders to stay fit to reminders to stay positive.
“We all had to have faith after we found out there wouldn’t be a fall soccer season,” said Trevian senior defender Peter Norehad, who’s as stable as they come with his knack for settling errant soccer balls and dishing a transition’s initial pass. “We were hopeful, too. We’re family. Our players, especially our seniors, were excited that we got to play this spring because our program is full of traditions — traditions we wanted to pass down to the younger guys.”
“It was tough, at times, to stay focused while we waited for such a long time to find out if we’d ever get to play again,” added Trevians senior forward Collin Donnelly-Maine, who, with his speed and Mensa-esque soccer IQ, is a constant handful for anyone not wearing New Trier togs. “What helped was having teammates — brothers, really — around for support.”
The pandemic brought Paden and his blood relatives closer together. Solving puzzles at home. Watching movies at home. Taking family walks. Paden cherished every one of those moments.
“I consider myself super fortunate, having all those opportunities to be with them and receiving support from them along the way,” Paden said. “And now, I get to feel joy as I take the field with a team that’s definitely special. I’m an observer … I see my teammates, and I see my role as a player who’s constantly talking to them and encouraging them. There we were, up only 2-0 [in the second half] against a scrappy Maine West team, but I knew we were playing well. It helps to let your teammates know what you’re thinking.
“I’m always asking, ‘How can I be the best possible leader for this team?’”
It’s early, yes. But Ravenscraft certainly liked what he saw from his squad in the first week. He didn’t give his boys a grade.
Words sufficed.
“We’ve looked prepared,” he said.
Footnotes:
Where there’s a Will Franzen, there’s production. The New Trier senior tri-captain followed up his two-goal,two-assist game against Highland Park in the opener March 9 with a goal and an assist in a victory at Maine West two days later. Those totals lead the team. ... Trevians senior goalkeeper Nate Tanner has notched back-to-back shutouts. He recorded two saves in each. ... Seniors Jacob Holroyd, Rowan Simon, Donnelly-Maine and Paden also netted goals vs. HP’s Giants; Simon, Holroyd and Paden had each entered the game with 0 varsity goals. ... Donnelly-Maine scored the only goal of the first half at Maine West. Following Franzen’s free kick goal in the 58th minute, junior forward Ronan O’Neill and Holroyd beat the Warriors’ keeper in the 70th and 80th minutes, respectively. ... Ronan O'Neill, Krueger and Paden scored in the win against Vernon Hills. ... The Trevians have recorded 11 assists on their 13 goals: Franzen, three: Krueger, two; and Paden, Peter Norehad, Beccan Simon, Rowan Simon, Michael Malyszek and Tommy Schindler with one apiece. ... Early in the season Paden graded himself harshly. Not for his soccer. For his ability to play the ukulele. “Invested in one shortly after the start of the pandemic,” the fun-loving, team-first Paden said after he and his Trevians played a strikingly polished brand of soccer in their 4-0 defeat of host Maine West on March 11. The Trevians improved to 3-0-0 on the season, with a 13-2 goal differential, with a 3-0 win over Vernon Hills on Saturday. “I bought the ukulele on Amazon, where you pretty much can buy anything. I’m not a very good musician; I probably deserve a ‘D’ mark at this point in my career as a ukulele player. But I’ll keep strumming, keep singing, no matter what anybody thinks of my music.”
Coach lauds team for commitment to program in uncertain times
By Bill McLean
Look no further than New Trier’s 2021 boys soccer slogan to learn what matters to each Trevian. The slogan: “Every Moment Matters.” Trevians coach Matt Ravenscraft praised assistant coach Ryan Loris for coming up with that motto, in pre-pandemic times (remember those?) no less.
st
“Every team, since last March, has a story, has a journey, right?” Ravenscraft said. “Athletes everywhere had to deal with uncertainty because of the pandemic. But our thinking, from the start, was, ‘We’d be sure to be prepared for the season if one were to start. It would have been unacceptable to not be ready, as a team or as a program.
“There was a lot of waiting, hoping, preparing,” added the coach of the 11th-ranked team in Chicagoland Soccer’s First 50 state-wide preseason poll. “My varsity captains [junior back James Paden and senior midfielders Will Franzen and Jake Krueger] did an incredible job keeping the varsity group focused, and the entire varsity team helped the program stay focused. There was a significant chunk of time for a high school kid to manage controllables vs. non-controllables.”
Each of Ravenscraft’s 12 returning players, including eight starters from his 16-2-4 club in 2019, served as a group leader for most of the 497 days between the ’19 sectional playoff loss to Evanston to the 2021 season opener against Highland Park (a 6-2 win) on March 9. Each of the dozen wore out both thumbs texting all kinds of messages, from friendly orders to stay fit to reminders to stay positive.
“We all had to have faith after we found out there wouldn’t be a fall soccer season,” said Trevian senior defender Peter Norehad, who’s as stable as they come with his knack for settling errant soccer balls and dishing a transition’s initial pass. “We were hopeful, too. We’re family. Our players, especially our seniors, were excited that we got to play this spring because our program is full of traditions — traditions we wanted to pass down to the younger guys.”
“It was tough, at times, to stay focused while we waited for such a long time to find out if we’d ever get to play again,” added Trevians senior forward Collin Donnelly-Maine, who, with his speed and Mensa-esque soccer IQ, is a constant handful for anyone not wearing New Trier togs. “What helped was having teammates — brothers, really — around for support.”
The pandemic brought Paden and his blood relatives closer together. Solving puzzles at home. Watching movies at home. Taking family walks. Paden cherished every one of those moments.
“I consider myself super fortunate, having all those opportunities to be with them and receiving support from them along the way,” Paden said. “And now, I get to feel joy as I take the field with a team that’s definitely special. I’m an observer … I see my teammates, and I see my role as a player who’s constantly talking to them and encouraging them. There we were, up only 2-0 [in the second half] against a scrappy Maine West team, but I knew we were playing well. It helps to let your teammates know what you’re thinking.
“I’m always asking, ‘How can I be the best possible leader for this team?’”
It’s early, yes. But Ravenscraft certainly liked what he saw from his squad in the first week. He didn’t give his boys a grade.
Words sufficed.
“We’ve looked prepared,” he said.
Footnotes:
Where there’s a Will Franzen, there’s production. The New Trier senior tri-captain followed up his two-goal,two-assist game against Highland Park in the opener March 9 with a goal and an assist in a victory at Maine West two days later. Those totals lead the team. ... Trevians senior goalkeeper Nate Tanner has notched back-to-back shutouts. He recorded two saves in each. ... Seniors Jacob Holroyd, Rowan Simon, Donnelly-Maine and Paden also netted goals vs. HP’s Giants; Simon, Holroyd and Paden had each entered the game with 0 varsity goals. ... Donnelly-Maine scored the only goal of the first half at Maine West. Following Franzen’s free kick goal in the 58th minute, junior forward Ronan O’Neill and Holroyd beat the Warriors’ keeper in the 70th and 80th minutes, respectively. ... Ronan O'Neill, Krueger and Paden scored in the win against Vernon Hills. ... The Trevians have recorded 11 assists on their 13 goals: Franzen, three: Krueger, two; and Paden, Peter Norehad, Beccan Simon, Rowan Simon, Michael Malyszek and Tommy Schindler with one apiece. ... Early in the season Paden graded himself harshly. Not for his soccer. For his ability to play the ukulele. “Invested in one shortly after the start of the pandemic,” the fun-loving, team-first Paden said after he and his Trevians played a strikingly polished brand of soccer in their 4-0 defeat of host Maine West on March 11. The Trevians improved to 3-0-0 on the season, with a 13-2 goal differential, with a 3-0 win over Vernon Hills on Saturday. “I bought the ukulele on Amazon, where you pretty much can buy anything. I’m not a very good musician; I probably deserve a ‘D’ mark at this point in my career as a ukulele player. But I’ll keep strumming, keep singing, no matter what anybody thinks of my music.”