Glenbard North's recent history
looking up after win over Naperville North
Panthers lead in DVC race is common knowledge
By Dave Surico
CAROL STREAM -- There didn't seem to be any people at the Naperville North-Glenbard North game Tuesday who knew the last time, or if, the host Panthers had won a DuPage Valley Conference title. It might be time to think about checking.
Glenbard North, ranked seventh in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, took a big step forward toward a possible conference crown with a 1-0 win in overtime over no. 6 Naperville North.
After measured and defensive-minded play throughout the game with a focus on jamming up the middle, the Panthers pushed the game into extra time. They ended it when midfielder Jacob Scheufler found himself all alone left of the goal from about 10 yards out with a long cross from defender Isaya Ebengo bounding toward him.
"I thought the player in front of me was going to get it, and then it took a wierd bounce over him," said Scheufler. "I chested it, and then volleyed it over the goalie. I was kind of surprised to get that, and then I just shot it, just get it to where he couldn't reach it."
As Naperville North keeper Riley Wiest saw the unmarked Scheufler and moved toward him, the junior without looking at the net focused on the ball and gently bent his shot over the keeper, under the bar and into the far side netting for the latest biggest goal for Glenbard North (11-1-0, 5-0-0) this season.
"I didn't know how many more chances we were going to get after this so might as well make the most of it, and I just went for it," Scheufler said of his left-footed shot and third goal of the season. "I watched it bounce. I was kind of in shock that it actually worked."
The opportunity for the win was made possible by Glenbard North keeper Nathan Chalus, who was called upon many times to keep the Panthers in the game.
His numerous key plays began after Naperville North's top offensive weapons Chris Sullivan and Josh Penn ran a give-and-go in the middle of the field. Penn took the pass back from Sullivan and blasted a 20-yard shot that forced Chalus into a diving stop to his right in the 8th minute.
The senior went to the same side on the ground again to block a shot from Dylan Dvorak in the 20th minute and came outside the top of the 18-yard box to clear a ball a minute later.
Two of Naperville North's best weapons were the arms of senior defender Jon Heitz. His long throw-wins regularly found the middle of the box. In the 32nd minute, Grant Borg got his head on one and forced Chalus to tip the ball over the crossbar.
The onslaught did not surprise the keeper or his teammates.
"We saw this game at the beginning of the season and when we got our schedule we marked this date," he said. "We knew this was going to be a big day. We've been training for this game. We knew it was not going to be an easy game; they'd be on us the whole time. We knew we couldn't get lazy, one mistake could work against us.
"I didn't know any individual names or numbers, I just knew that they like to play through the middle a lot; they're really big. So we worked on defense, tucking in, staying together, moving as a unit a lot."
The senior, who recorded his fifth shutout of the season and second straight, had an additional person to share the credit for his performance with.
"My goalie coach Marco Parducci helps me a lot," he said. "Just yesterday we worked on reaction saves, last-second adjustments. I think a lot of it just came down to reaction."
The keeper continued to give Naperville North a negative reaction toward him. He was forced to lay out to defend the left side of the goal when Naperville North's Sullivan made a steal in the middle of the field and sped through defenders. His shot from about 20 yards was well meant, but well met.
Chalus last big save was barely a save at all, but it allowed Glenbard North to go down the field and score.
Naperville North's Jack Barry had more time and space then he realized when he received a ball in the middle of the box with his back to the goal in the 83rd minute.
It forced the Glenbard North keeper into action.
"My thought was get my body in front of it, get a deflection," said Chalus, who rushed off his line. "I didn't think I'd be able to catch the ball as he shot so I tried to give him some pressure in the back, try to scare him a little bit. I got a finger tip on it."
Barry turned and shot the ball wide to the left, and the game was soon history.
Glenbard North's gamble to give up outside space paid off.
The defense quartet of Ebengo, Daniel Jaimes, Isaac Manuel and Miki Ramirez kept their shape and determination to keep Naperville North at bay.
The Panther's limited offensive forays were sparked by Gio Duenas and Livre Emena, whose spirited runs on the right side gave the Huskies pause. Glenbard North's best shot on goal of the game actually wasn't one. Emena's cross into the box was contested by teammate Duenas, but gotten to first by a Naperville North defender. The ensuing header forced Wiest to make a diving stop to prevent an own goal in the 16th minute.
Panther coach Gregg Koeller was happy and relieved after the game.
"I'm pleased for our kids that we were able to find what we needed to find at the end," he said. "In overtime, we were going against the wind, and we told them
it didn't matter.
"You wanted to be the team that came off the kickoff with a little bit more momemtum. And I felt like we came off the kickoff wanting to win the game. That's about as good a team as we're going to see all year. And to be able to take this step is a big step for our kids."
Naperville North (10-3-0, 3-1-0) did everything necesarry to win the game but score.
"I thought we dominated possession and had most of the chances, but that's soccer sometimes. Just one fluke play and that was the game," said Sullivan. "I think it was just kind of an odd game. All credit to them ... they have an outstanding team this year. Props to them, they beat us."
Penn, North's freshman phenom, was a sparkplug for his team on the outside and a major player in the Huskie's possession game.
"It was pretty frustrating," he said. "At the end of the game we had some shots, their keeper made some good saves. It's just how it goes. They got a nice goal at the end."
Naperville North coach Jim Konrad couldn't do much but shake his head afterward.
"It was a great game. We had our chances didn't put them away," he said. "Their keeper came up big on a couple of plays, and we didn't create enough chances to finally finish one.
"They got us on a nice goal, and now we need someone else to win one for us. We just struggled. We had a few balls inside the six, inside the 12 and just couldn't tuck them away. When that happens against a good team, you're going to lose.
"We didn't do our part of things tonight, and unfortunately they did. It's a tough way to lose, but hats off to Glenbard North. They played a good game, and they're on a roll. So, hopefully someone will get them for us."
The DuPage Valley Conference title now goes through Carol Stream, figuratively. The Panthers play their final three league games on the road: at Wheaton North (1-3-0 in the DVC after a PK upset win over Lake Park) Thursday, at dangerous Lake Park (1-2-0, which lost to Naperville North in overtime) Oct. 6, and at Neuqua Valley (3-1-0) in the season finale Oct. 13.
Wheaton Warrenville South (4-1-0) is currently in second place in the league. The Tigers lone loss came to Glenbard North, but they handed Neuqua Valley its only loss.
So it might be time to check that DVC history book, but don't mark anything down yet in ink.
Starting lineups
Naperville North
G Riley Wiest
D Nick Carballo
D Jon Heitz
D Kevin Keane
D Mitch Konrad
M Ryan Budicin
M Konrad Jurkiewicz
M Grant Borg
F Chris Sullivan
F Josh Penn
F Adam Helf
Glenbard North
GK- Nathan Chalus
D- Isaya Ebengo
D- Daniel Jaimes
D- Isaac Manuel
D- Miki Ramirez
M- Livre Emena
M- Danny Koeller
M- Jacob Scheufler
M- Gio Duenas
F- Danny Ramirez
F-Michael Botchev
Man of the match: Nathan Chalus, GK, Glenbard North
Link to DVC standings
looking up after win over Naperville North
Panthers lead in DVC race is common knowledge
By Dave Surico
CAROL STREAM -- There didn't seem to be any people at the Naperville North-Glenbard North game Tuesday who knew the last time, or if, the host Panthers had won a DuPage Valley Conference title. It might be time to think about checking.
Glenbard North, ranked seventh in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, took a big step forward toward a possible conference crown with a 1-0 win in overtime over no. 6 Naperville North.
After measured and defensive-minded play throughout the game with a focus on jamming up the middle, the Panthers pushed the game into extra time. They ended it when midfielder Jacob Scheufler found himself all alone left of the goal from about 10 yards out with a long cross from defender Isaya Ebengo bounding toward him.
"I thought the player in front of me was going to get it, and then it took a wierd bounce over him," said Scheufler. "I chested it, and then volleyed it over the goalie. I was kind of surprised to get that, and then I just shot it, just get it to where he couldn't reach it."
As Naperville North keeper Riley Wiest saw the unmarked Scheufler and moved toward him, the junior without looking at the net focused on the ball and gently bent his shot over the keeper, under the bar and into the far side netting for the latest biggest goal for Glenbard North (11-1-0, 5-0-0) this season.
"I didn't know how many more chances we were going to get after this so might as well make the most of it, and I just went for it," Scheufler said of his left-footed shot and third goal of the season. "I watched it bounce. I was kind of in shock that it actually worked."
The opportunity for the win was made possible by Glenbard North keeper Nathan Chalus, who was called upon many times to keep the Panthers in the game.
His numerous key plays began after Naperville North's top offensive weapons Chris Sullivan and Josh Penn ran a give-and-go in the middle of the field. Penn took the pass back from Sullivan and blasted a 20-yard shot that forced Chalus into a diving stop to his right in the 8th minute.
The senior went to the same side on the ground again to block a shot from Dylan Dvorak in the 20th minute and came outside the top of the 18-yard box to clear a ball a minute later.
Two of Naperville North's best weapons were the arms of senior defender Jon Heitz. His long throw-wins regularly found the middle of the box. In the 32nd minute, Grant Borg got his head on one and forced Chalus to tip the ball over the crossbar.
The onslaught did not surprise the keeper or his teammates.
"We saw this game at the beginning of the season and when we got our schedule we marked this date," he said. "We knew this was going to be a big day. We've been training for this game. We knew it was not going to be an easy game; they'd be on us the whole time. We knew we couldn't get lazy, one mistake could work against us.
"I didn't know any individual names or numbers, I just knew that they like to play through the middle a lot; they're really big. So we worked on defense, tucking in, staying together, moving as a unit a lot."
The senior, who recorded his fifth shutout of the season and second straight, had an additional person to share the credit for his performance with.
"My goalie coach Marco Parducci helps me a lot," he said. "Just yesterday we worked on reaction saves, last-second adjustments. I think a lot of it just came down to reaction."
The keeper continued to give Naperville North a negative reaction toward him. He was forced to lay out to defend the left side of the goal when Naperville North's Sullivan made a steal in the middle of the field and sped through defenders. His shot from about 20 yards was well meant, but well met.
Chalus last big save was barely a save at all, but it allowed Glenbard North to go down the field and score.
Naperville North's Jack Barry had more time and space then he realized when he received a ball in the middle of the box with his back to the goal in the 83rd minute.
It forced the Glenbard North keeper into action.
"My thought was get my body in front of it, get a deflection," said Chalus, who rushed off his line. "I didn't think I'd be able to catch the ball as he shot so I tried to give him some pressure in the back, try to scare him a little bit. I got a finger tip on it."
Barry turned and shot the ball wide to the left, and the game was soon history.
Glenbard North's gamble to give up outside space paid off.
The defense quartet of Ebengo, Daniel Jaimes, Isaac Manuel and Miki Ramirez kept their shape and determination to keep Naperville North at bay.
The Panther's limited offensive forays were sparked by Gio Duenas and Livre Emena, whose spirited runs on the right side gave the Huskies pause. Glenbard North's best shot on goal of the game actually wasn't one. Emena's cross into the box was contested by teammate Duenas, but gotten to first by a Naperville North defender. The ensuing header forced Wiest to make a diving stop to prevent an own goal in the 16th minute.
Panther coach Gregg Koeller was happy and relieved after the game.
"I'm pleased for our kids that we were able to find what we needed to find at the end," he said. "In overtime, we were going against the wind, and we told them
it didn't matter.
"You wanted to be the team that came off the kickoff with a little bit more momemtum. And I felt like we came off the kickoff wanting to win the game. That's about as good a team as we're going to see all year. And to be able to take this step is a big step for our kids."
Naperville North (10-3-0, 3-1-0) did everything necesarry to win the game but score.
"I thought we dominated possession and had most of the chances, but that's soccer sometimes. Just one fluke play and that was the game," said Sullivan. "I think it was just kind of an odd game. All credit to them ... they have an outstanding team this year. Props to them, they beat us."
Penn, North's freshman phenom, was a sparkplug for his team on the outside and a major player in the Huskie's possession game.
"It was pretty frustrating," he said. "At the end of the game we had some shots, their keeper made some good saves. It's just how it goes. They got a nice goal at the end."
Naperville North coach Jim Konrad couldn't do much but shake his head afterward.
"It was a great game. We had our chances didn't put them away," he said. "Their keeper came up big on a couple of plays, and we didn't create enough chances to finally finish one.
"They got us on a nice goal, and now we need someone else to win one for us. We just struggled. We had a few balls inside the six, inside the 12 and just couldn't tuck them away. When that happens against a good team, you're going to lose.
"We didn't do our part of things tonight, and unfortunately they did. It's a tough way to lose, but hats off to Glenbard North. They played a good game, and they're on a roll. So, hopefully someone will get them for us."
The DuPage Valley Conference title now goes through Carol Stream, figuratively. The Panthers play their final three league games on the road: at Wheaton North (1-3-0 in the DVC after a PK upset win over Lake Park) Thursday, at dangerous Lake Park (1-2-0, which lost to Naperville North in overtime) Oct. 6, and at Neuqua Valley (3-1-0) in the season finale Oct. 13.
Wheaton Warrenville South (4-1-0) is currently in second place in the league. The Tigers lone loss came to Glenbard North, but they handed Neuqua Valley its only loss.
So it might be time to check that DVC history book, but don't mark anything down yet in ink.
Starting lineups
Naperville North
G Riley Wiest
D Nick Carballo
D Jon Heitz
D Kevin Keane
D Mitch Konrad
M Ryan Budicin
M Konrad Jurkiewicz
M Grant Borg
F Chris Sullivan
F Josh Penn
F Adam Helf
Glenbard North
GK- Nathan Chalus
D- Isaya Ebengo
D- Daniel Jaimes
D- Isaac Manuel
D- Miki Ramirez
M- Livre Emena
M- Danny Koeller
M- Jacob Scheufler
M- Gio Duenas
F- Danny Ramirez
F-Michael Botchev
Man of the match: Nathan Chalus, GK, Glenbard North
Link to DVC standings