Addison Trail loses unbeaten streak,
Novy title to Glenbard North
Blazers fall 2-0, can't dent Panther defense
By Dave Owen
ADDISON - Perfection is hard or impossible to maintain.
After outscoring its first four opponents 21-0, Addison Trail’s soccer team had its scoreless and unbeaten streak halted Saturday in a 2-0 loss to Glenbard North in the Joe Novy Invitational championship match.
“We fell behind early (a Glenbard North goal in the 21st minute) and hadn’t given up a goal all season, so it was a different spot for us,” Blazers’ coach Ryan Dini said.”We just couldn’t get it past their keeper. We were kind of settling for farther shots than we’re used to, and we came out a little flat today.
“Glenbard North is a heck of a team. They’re undefeated, they’re well coached and they had a great game plan. Give them a lot of credit because took us out of a lot of stuff that we like to do as far as our possession game and working the corners. In the first half we had a lot of corners – in the second half I don’t think we had one. That affected us.”
The Blazers had two good chances early: Isvic Quintana’s 18-yard one-timer just wide right 11 minutes in, followed three minutes later by a Damian Zielinski 25-yard shot on goal off a Tomasz Kania pass.
A nice passing combination 19:13 before halftime gave the Panthers a 1-0 lead. From left of the net, Jacob Scheufler sent a nice cross to Etabo Emena open at the right post, who chested the ball into the net.
“That was a great goal,” said Emena, who also assisted on the Panthers’ second goal en route to Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honors.
“The time I saw my teammate with the ball on the side, my intention was to get the last ball. As an outside midfielder I try to anticipate the play. My intention was to get the ball with whatever part of my body, and I chested it.”
Down for the first time all year and with the wind at their backs, the Blazers responded with a late first-half flurry of chances.
A total of seven good-to-great threats were generated in the last 10:55 of the half, starting with a Kania header off a 70-yard Uriel Martinez free kick that Glenbard North goalkeeper Nathan Chalus deflected wide of the net.
The ensuing Zielinski corner kick produced the chance of the half. Kania sent a sure goal towards the open right side of the net – only to have Panther defender Isaya Ebengo block the ball off the line.
Set pieces produced other late half chances. Enrique Luna was fouled to set up a 20-yard Zielinski free kick, which Jakub Marek headed just wide. At 6:50, a powerful 29-yard Kania direct kick needed a diving deflection at the left post by Chalus to keep the score 1-0.
“They’re a good team,” Emena said. “We got one, but they kind of had possession of the ball (late in the first half).”
The Blazers’ Enrique Luna created havoc from the flow of play with three quality chances, highlighted by a combination play with Kania 2:10 before halftime that resulted in a Chalus stop of a Luna 10-yard shot and an offside call on a would-be Kania rebound.
“During the last 10 minutes of the first half I felt we were playing much better compared to the first 30 minutes,” junior defender Martinez said. “Then halftime came and we tried to pump up a bit, but we just didn’t play our game compared to the opponents we’d played in the past.
“That’s how soccer is. If you aren’t ready to be hungry and don’t have that mentality, you’re going to face stuff like this.”
With the wind in their favor for the second half, the Panthers needed over 34 minutes to get an insurance score.
The Blazers’ defense repelled two corner kicks in the first five minutes, then Martinez made a nice block of an Emena point blank shot and Blazer goalkeeper Cosme Garcia dove to catch a Michael Botchev touch at the left post with 30:25 left.
Addison Trail’s best defensive sequence came with 17:30 to play. Garcia made a great initial save of a Gio Duenas 10-yard try, then defender Juan Martinez slid to clear Duenas’ rebound shot off the line.
The Blazers’ Luna answered with his own great second effort play with 13:40 left. After Ebengo blocked his first shot, Luna sent his own 19-yard rebound just over the net.
“Enrique Luna has been playing really well for us, and Tomasz Kania,” Dini said. “Uriel Martinez has been a beast in the back for us, and Cosme Garcia in five games has only given up two goals, so he’s been another really good player for us.”
With 7:10 to go, another good play nearly paid off. A great cross to the left post by Zielinski resulted in a redirect by Quintana that somehow bounced barely over the crossbar.
The Panthers finally created some breathing room with 5:26 left. Emena drove in on right wing and found Duenas left side, who created space and lined a low 10-yarder inside the right post to make it 2-0.
Garcia’s high block of a Duenas shot with 1:55 to go was the final shot on frame for either side.
“Our defense is usually really solid, but we just didn’t have the solid defense today,” Uriel Martinez said. “Everybody wasn’t cooperating. Every game’s a new challenge, and as a player you have to be ready.”
Said Dini: “This one hurts a little bit. We didn’t have our ‘A’ game today and they made us pay for it.”
Emotions were different on the other side, especially over the Panthers’ defensive effort.
“We won our flight (in the tournament) and we won close games against good squads,” Glenbard North coach Greg Koeller said. “But we allowed more goals than I’d like. We’ve always been a defensive squad and the scores were 4-2, 5-3 and 3-2.
“Today we’re going against a team that’s 4-0 and has outscored their opponents 21-0. I knew we had to tighten up the defense, and we did. That was the key to the game.
“I know we’re going to score goals – we have enough firepower,” Koeller added. “I thought we really played well in the midfield, and the back four was solid. Danny Jaimes and Miki Ramirez on the back line shut down their big guns, and Chalus came up with a couple of really big saves when it was scoreless, and that’s the formula for success.”
Danny Koeller was a standout all day at midfield for the Panthers, and Scheufler nicely won several 50/50 balls from his midfield spot.
For Addison Trail, the first four games of 2015 built a good foundation of confidence.
“I feel compared to last year that we’ve managed to get a better start,” Uriel Martinez said. “Dini likes to start off the year with a strong opponent Lake Park, and we managed to win that game. That made us really really hungry. This tournament was set up like a regional from Dini’s perspective, and I respect that because if you’re not ready to win or don’t have that mentality, you’re going to face hardships and stuff like this.”
The challenges only get bigger in the short term.
“We play Morton at their place (Tuesday), so we’re right back at it,” Dini said. “We’re playing a lot of good teams this year – Neuqua Valley, Hinsdale Central, and our conference.
“We purposely did this so we could see the best teams around. We faced some adversity today, and we’ll see how we bounce back on Tuesday.”
Starting lineups
Glenbard North
GK- Nathan Chalus
D- Isaya Ebengo
D- Daniel Jaimes
D- Isaac Manuel
D- Miki Ramirez
M- Etabo Emena
M- Danny Koeller
M- Emedi Emena
M- Gio Duenas
F- Danny Ramirez
F-Michael Botchev
Addison Trail
GK- Cosme Garcia
D- Noel Diaz
D- Uriel Martinez
D- Brian Ramos
M- Fernando Alvarado
M- Isvic Quintana
M- Ruben Amaro
M- Adrian Rozkuszka
M- Fernando Alvarado
F- Jonathan Hernandez
F- Tomasz Kania
MVP of the Match: Etabo Emena, MF, Glenbard North
Novy title to Glenbard North
Blazers fall 2-0, can't dent Panther defense
By Dave Owen
ADDISON - Perfection is hard or impossible to maintain.
After outscoring its first four opponents 21-0, Addison Trail’s soccer team had its scoreless and unbeaten streak halted Saturday in a 2-0 loss to Glenbard North in the Joe Novy Invitational championship match.
“We fell behind early (a Glenbard North goal in the 21st minute) and hadn’t given up a goal all season, so it was a different spot for us,” Blazers’ coach Ryan Dini said.”We just couldn’t get it past their keeper. We were kind of settling for farther shots than we’re used to, and we came out a little flat today.
“Glenbard North is a heck of a team. They’re undefeated, they’re well coached and they had a great game plan. Give them a lot of credit because took us out of a lot of stuff that we like to do as far as our possession game and working the corners. In the first half we had a lot of corners – in the second half I don’t think we had one. That affected us.”
The Blazers had two good chances early: Isvic Quintana’s 18-yard one-timer just wide right 11 minutes in, followed three minutes later by a Damian Zielinski 25-yard shot on goal off a Tomasz Kania pass.
A nice passing combination 19:13 before halftime gave the Panthers a 1-0 lead. From left of the net, Jacob Scheufler sent a nice cross to Etabo Emena open at the right post, who chested the ball into the net.
“That was a great goal,” said Emena, who also assisted on the Panthers’ second goal en route to Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honors.
“The time I saw my teammate with the ball on the side, my intention was to get the last ball. As an outside midfielder I try to anticipate the play. My intention was to get the ball with whatever part of my body, and I chested it.”
Down for the first time all year and with the wind at their backs, the Blazers responded with a late first-half flurry of chances.
A total of seven good-to-great threats were generated in the last 10:55 of the half, starting with a Kania header off a 70-yard Uriel Martinez free kick that Glenbard North goalkeeper Nathan Chalus deflected wide of the net.
The ensuing Zielinski corner kick produced the chance of the half. Kania sent a sure goal towards the open right side of the net – only to have Panther defender Isaya Ebengo block the ball off the line.
Set pieces produced other late half chances. Enrique Luna was fouled to set up a 20-yard Zielinski free kick, which Jakub Marek headed just wide. At 6:50, a powerful 29-yard Kania direct kick needed a diving deflection at the left post by Chalus to keep the score 1-0.
“They’re a good team,” Emena said. “We got one, but they kind of had possession of the ball (late in the first half).”
The Blazers’ Enrique Luna created havoc from the flow of play with three quality chances, highlighted by a combination play with Kania 2:10 before halftime that resulted in a Chalus stop of a Luna 10-yard shot and an offside call on a would-be Kania rebound.
“During the last 10 minutes of the first half I felt we were playing much better compared to the first 30 minutes,” junior defender Martinez said. “Then halftime came and we tried to pump up a bit, but we just didn’t play our game compared to the opponents we’d played in the past.
“That’s how soccer is. If you aren’t ready to be hungry and don’t have that mentality, you’re going to face stuff like this.”
With the wind in their favor for the second half, the Panthers needed over 34 minutes to get an insurance score.
The Blazers’ defense repelled two corner kicks in the first five minutes, then Martinez made a nice block of an Emena point blank shot and Blazer goalkeeper Cosme Garcia dove to catch a Michael Botchev touch at the left post with 30:25 left.
Addison Trail’s best defensive sequence came with 17:30 to play. Garcia made a great initial save of a Gio Duenas 10-yard try, then defender Juan Martinez slid to clear Duenas’ rebound shot off the line.
The Blazers’ Luna answered with his own great second effort play with 13:40 left. After Ebengo blocked his first shot, Luna sent his own 19-yard rebound just over the net.
“Enrique Luna has been playing really well for us, and Tomasz Kania,” Dini said. “Uriel Martinez has been a beast in the back for us, and Cosme Garcia in five games has only given up two goals, so he’s been another really good player for us.”
With 7:10 to go, another good play nearly paid off. A great cross to the left post by Zielinski resulted in a redirect by Quintana that somehow bounced barely over the crossbar.
The Panthers finally created some breathing room with 5:26 left. Emena drove in on right wing and found Duenas left side, who created space and lined a low 10-yarder inside the right post to make it 2-0.
Garcia’s high block of a Duenas shot with 1:55 to go was the final shot on frame for either side.
“Our defense is usually really solid, but we just didn’t have the solid defense today,” Uriel Martinez said. “Everybody wasn’t cooperating. Every game’s a new challenge, and as a player you have to be ready.”
Said Dini: “This one hurts a little bit. We didn’t have our ‘A’ game today and they made us pay for it.”
Emotions were different on the other side, especially over the Panthers’ defensive effort.
“We won our flight (in the tournament) and we won close games against good squads,” Glenbard North coach Greg Koeller said. “But we allowed more goals than I’d like. We’ve always been a defensive squad and the scores were 4-2, 5-3 and 3-2.
“Today we’re going against a team that’s 4-0 and has outscored their opponents 21-0. I knew we had to tighten up the defense, and we did. That was the key to the game.
“I know we’re going to score goals – we have enough firepower,” Koeller added. “I thought we really played well in the midfield, and the back four was solid. Danny Jaimes and Miki Ramirez on the back line shut down their big guns, and Chalus came up with a couple of really big saves when it was scoreless, and that’s the formula for success.”
Danny Koeller was a standout all day at midfield for the Panthers, and Scheufler nicely won several 50/50 balls from his midfield spot.
For Addison Trail, the first four games of 2015 built a good foundation of confidence.
“I feel compared to last year that we’ve managed to get a better start,” Uriel Martinez said. “Dini likes to start off the year with a strong opponent Lake Park, and we managed to win that game. That made us really really hungry. This tournament was set up like a regional from Dini’s perspective, and I respect that because if you’re not ready to win or don’t have that mentality, you’re going to face hardships and stuff like this.”
The challenges only get bigger in the short term.
“We play Morton at their place (Tuesday), so we’re right back at it,” Dini said. “We’re playing a lot of good teams this year – Neuqua Valley, Hinsdale Central, and our conference.
“We purposely did this so we could see the best teams around. We faced some adversity today, and we’ll see how we bounce back on Tuesday.”
Starting lineups
Glenbard North
GK- Nathan Chalus
D- Isaya Ebengo
D- Daniel Jaimes
D- Isaac Manuel
D- Miki Ramirez
M- Etabo Emena
M- Danny Koeller
M- Emedi Emena
M- Gio Duenas
F- Danny Ramirez
F-Michael Botchev
Addison Trail
GK- Cosme Garcia
D- Noel Diaz
D- Uriel Martinez
D- Brian Ramos
M- Fernando Alvarado
M- Isvic Quintana
M- Ruben Amaro
M- Adrian Rozkuszka
M- Fernando Alvarado
F- Jonathan Hernandez
F- Tomasz Kania
MVP of the Match: Etabo Emena, MF, Glenbard North