Libertyville upsets Wheaton A.
for PepsiCo finals berth
Sixth-seeded Wildcats end Warriors' 26-game unbeaten streak
By Patrick Z. McGavin
LA GRANGE—The subjective is the hardest to disentangle in the blur of a moment. Bodies collide and the precise sequence of events is hard to fully map out.
The consequences were telling.
In the 11th minute of the first PepsiCo Showdown semifinal at Lyons, Libertyville players Tucker Goebeler and Jacob Rasmussen found themselves in the center of activity. Off a free kick Goebeler ran back post and was the first to touch the ball before it glanced off a Wheaton Academy defender.
Rasmussen was the cool beneficiary.
"I didn't see much at first," he said. "I just felt the ball bounce off of my face and go in."
For being in the right place at the right time, Rasmussen earned the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match distinction.
The sixth-seeded Wildcats parlayed the early goal to gain the psychological advantage and then used multiple defenders to swarm the Warriors' Ty Seager for the physical and exacting 1-0 victory over the no. 2 seeded Warriors here Saturday afternoon.
The victory was the sixth in a row for the Wildcats (6-1-0) and catapulted the team into the championship against fourth-seeded Lyons next Sunday at DePaul University. The game is a rematch of the 2011 final that Libertyville won in overtime. The Wildcats were also the runnersup in 2010.
Libertyville also ended the Warriors' 26-game unbeaten streak dating to last year's PepsiCo Showdown semifinals.
"We went a year without losing," Wheaton Academy coach Jeff Brooke said.
It also marked the first time the defending Class 2A state champion failed to score in a game since that 2-0 loss against Morton.
Libertyville coach Andy Bitta knew the importance of a fast start. Wheaton Academy had its quarterfinal match with New Trier extended to Friday because of weather and 58 minutes of regulation, two overtimes and penalty kicks before subduing the Trevians.
"We knew they played yesterday, and they were a little tired," Bitta said. "That's why we downhill in the first half. We put a lot of pressure on them, and we were trying to get two or three goals and then just try and play defense in the second half. We only got the one, but we held on.
"We beat a very good team."
Wheaton Academy (9-1-1), the top ranked team in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, is not used to playing from behind. Seager had scored 15 goals in the first 10 games. Bitta's tall and physical backline dispatched a constant wave of defenders at him.
"We just tried to not let him turn," Goebeler said. "We had a guy on his back the whole time. He's going to Northwestern. He's very athletic and fast and very dangerous on the ball, but we were able to contain him."
Libertyville defenders Daniel Marks and Grant Widmark were attached to Seager like velcro. Seager managed one good look at the start. After Wheaton Academy fell behind, Seager scissored between two defenders and forced starting keeper Brant Kym out of the box. His last touch was just wide of frame.
"We knew we had to keep him out of the game, because he's a great player," Bitta said. "He got the one shot at the beginning, and then we tightened up. As you can see, we were playing four in the back, but if the ball was sliding on that side, we were dropping our midfielder back because we wanted two guys on him at all times because he can break away at any time."
The advantage of the early goal has multiple implications. Libertyville could afford to drop back defensively and deprive the Warriors of open spaces.
"That goal gave us a lot of early energy and from there we just coasted on," Rasmussen said.
Libertyville sustained the early pressure. Off another service, midfielder Kevin Reilly smashed a header that hit the crossbar.
Most importantly the early goal enabled the Wildcats to set the style of play, which was by its nature ragged, disruptive and out of kilter. The physical game featured multiple stoppages and a combined 12 yellow cards were issued.
"Libertyville is a big, physical team, and they try to get under your skin," Brooke said.
"I think some of the fatigue factored in. We had a great game against New Trier, and it stretched us. Today we played a different game against a very difficult team. For them to get that first goal was tough because then they could really bring those numbers back. They swarmed the ball very well.
"It was tough to keep the ball on a day like today, with a lot of fouls and breaks in the game. Give credit to them. For us to go down 1-0 against a team like that hurt us, and I think it's why we were not able to keep [possession] the way we usually do."
Seager said after the exhilarating though emotionally exhausting victory over New Trier, the greater difficulty in the quick turnaround was the mental challenge of responding to another very different opponent.
In the 78h minute, he elevated in the box off a service from Luis Rocha for a header that he punched just high. Libertyville's defenders also sacrificed their bodies, taking several free kicks from Seager in the back in forming their agile and tenacious wall.
"Our game yesterday was really emotional, especially in the penalty kicks," he said. "So we had a little emotional high coming from that game. It was tough to stay mentally focused when you're playing a team like Libertyville.
"They try to get inside your head and play physical, and that takes a toll on your body as well, with the fatigue and the soreness. We were trying to push through it, but unfortunately it wasn't enough."
Libertyville also had its own motivation after Wheaton Academy beat them in a double overtime quarterfinal in last year's tournament.
"We have a lot of seniors, and we wanted to get back at them," Goebeler said.
The victory marked a culmination of effort and discipline and dealing with past disappointment, Bitta said.
"The kids really wanted it, because we've been close. Two years ago we were in the semifinals. Last year we were in the quarterfinals. A game or two away and you're in the finals and that's a big thing because these kids have been on the varsity since their freshman or sophomore years.
"They know what it takes and they really wanted to get there. We deserved to be in the finals."
Starting lineup
Libertyville
GK: Brant Kym
D: Michael Quigley
D: Tucker Goebeler
D: Daniel Marks
D: Grant Widmark
M: Kevin Reilly
M: Nate Edmunds
M: Liam O'Connell
M: Jacob Rasmussen
F: Ryan Wittenbrink
F: Ryan Bever
Wheaton Academy
K: John David Gunn
D: Samuel Bergquist
D: Christian Ziesemer
D: Ethan Stoneman
D: Jacob Kapitaniuk
M: Elias McCloud
M: Simon Spivey
F: Timothy Steininger
F: Luis Rocha
F: Isaac Anthony
F: Ty Seager
Man of the match: Jacob Rasmussen, MF, LIbertyville
for PepsiCo finals berth
Sixth-seeded Wildcats end Warriors' 26-game unbeaten streak
By Patrick Z. McGavin
LA GRANGE—The subjective is the hardest to disentangle in the blur of a moment. Bodies collide and the precise sequence of events is hard to fully map out.
The consequences were telling.
In the 11th minute of the first PepsiCo Showdown semifinal at Lyons, Libertyville players Tucker Goebeler and Jacob Rasmussen found themselves in the center of activity. Off a free kick Goebeler ran back post and was the first to touch the ball before it glanced off a Wheaton Academy defender.
Rasmussen was the cool beneficiary.
"I didn't see much at first," he said. "I just felt the ball bounce off of my face and go in."
For being in the right place at the right time, Rasmussen earned the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match distinction.
The sixth-seeded Wildcats parlayed the early goal to gain the psychological advantage and then used multiple defenders to swarm the Warriors' Ty Seager for the physical and exacting 1-0 victory over the no. 2 seeded Warriors here Saturday afternoon.
The victory was the sixth in a row for the Wildcats (6-1-0) and catapulted the team into the championship against fourth-seeded Lyons next Sunday at DePaul University. The game is a rematch of the 2011 final that Libertyville won in overtime. The Wildcats were also the runnersup in 2010.
Libertyville also ended the Warriors' 26-game unbeaten streak dating to last year's PepsiCo Showdown semifinals.
"We went a year without losing," Wheaton Academy coach Jeff Brooke said.
It also marked the first time the defending Class 2A state champion failed to score in a game since that 2-0 loss against Morton.
Libertyville coach Andy Bitta knew the importance of a fast start. Wheaton Academy had its quarterfinal match with New Trier extended to Friday because of weather and 58 minutes of regulation, two overtimes and penalty kicks before subduing the Trevians.
"We knew they played yesterday, and they were a little tired," Bitta said. "That's why we downhill in the first half. We put a lot of pressure on them, and we were trying to get two or three goals and then just try and play defense in the second half. We only got the one, but we held on.
"We beat a very good team."
Wheaton Academy (9-1-1), the top ranked team in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, is not used to playing from behind. Seager had scored 15 goals in the first 10 games. Bitta's tall and physical backline dispatched a constant wave of defenders at him.
"We just tried to not let him turn," Goebeler said. "We had a guy on his back the whole time. He's going to Northwestern. He's very athletic and fast and very dangerous on the ball, but we were able to contain him."
Libertyville defenders Daniel Marks and Grant Widmark were attached to Seager like velcro. Seager managed one good look at the start. After Wheaton Academy fell behind, Seager scissored between two defenders and forced starting keeper Brant Kym out of the box. His last touch was just wide of frame.
"We knew we had to keep him out of the game, because he's a great player," Bitta said. "He got the one shot at the beginning, and then we tightened up. As you can see, we were playing four in the back, but if the ball was sliding on that side, we were dropping our midfielder back because we wanted two guys on him at all times because he can break away at any time."
The advantage of the early goal has multiple implications. Libertyville could afford to drop back defensively and deprive the Warriors of open spaces.
"That goal gave us a lot of early energy and from there we just coasted on," Rasmussen said.
Libertyville sustained the early pressure. Off another service, midfielder Kevin Reilly smashed a header that hit the crossbar.
Most importantly the early goal enabled the Wildcats to set the style of play, which was by its nature ragged, disruptive and out of kilter. The physical game featured multiple stoppages and a combined 12 yellow cards were issued.
"Libertyville is a big, physical team, and they try to get under your skin," Brooke said.
"I think some of the fatigue factored in. We had a great game against New Trier, and it stretched us. Today we played a different game against a very difficult team. For them to get that first goal was tough because then they could really bring those numbers back. They swarmed the ball very well.
"It was tough to keep the ball on a day like today, with a lot of fouls and breaks in the game. Give credit to them. For us to go down 1-0 against a team like that hurt us, and I think it's why we were not able to keep [possession] the way we usually do."
Seager said after the exhilarating though emotionally exhausting victory over New Trier, the greater difficulty in the quick turnaround was the mental challenge of responding to another very different opponent.
In the 78h minute, he elevated in the box off a service from Luis Rocha for a header that he punched just high. Libertyville's defenders also sacrificed their bodies, taking several free kicks from Seager in the back in forming their agile and tenacious wall.
"Our game yesterday was really emotional, especially in the penalty kicks," he said. "So we had a little emotional high coming from that game. It was tough to stay mentally focused when you're playing a team like Libertyville.
"They try to get inside your head and play physical, and that takes a toll on your body as well, with the fatigue and the soreness. We were trying to push through it, but unfortunately it wasn't enough."
Libertyville also had its own motivation after Wheaton Academy beat them in a double overtime quarterfinal in last year's tournament.
"We have a lot of seniors, and we wanted to get back at them," Goebeler said.
The victory marked a culmination of effort and discipline and dealing with past disappointment, Bitta said.
"The kids really wanted it, because we've been close. Two years ago we were in the semifinals. Last year we were in the quarterfinals. A game or two away and you're in the finals and that's a big thing because these kids have been on the varsity since their freshman or sophomore years.
"They know what it takes and they really wanted to get there. We deserved to be in the finals."
Starting lineup
Libertyville
GK: Brant Kym
D: Michael Quigley
D: Tucker Goebeler
D: Daniel Marks
D: Grant Widmark
M: Kevin Reilly
M: Nate Edmunds
M: Liam O'Connell
M: Jacob Rasmussen
F: Ryan Wittenbrink
F: Ryan Bever
Wheaton Academy
K: John David Gunn
D: Samuel Bergquist
D: Christian Ziesemer
D: Ethan Stoneman
D: Jacob Kapitaniuk
M: Elias McCloud
M: Simon Spivey
F: Timothy Steininger
F: Luis Rocha
F: Isaac Anthony
F: Ty Seager
Man of the match: Jacob Rasmussen, MF, LIbertyville