Aggressive start keys OPRF's 1st win
Kindler's 3rd-minute score give Huskies 1-0 win over Young
By Patrick Z. McGavin
OAK PARK — Coaches love balance and versatility. The magic of one dominant player is a pretty awesome tool to have at your disposal. Predictability be damned.
In its first three games, Oak Park and River Forest rode the wave of elite junior forward Evan Kindler. The Huskies are young and many of their players are still getting assimilated to the speed, size and physical nature of the game.
Kindler is a throwback. The junior has accounted for all team's goals through four games.
"Evan Kindler has just put us on his back," Huskies' coach Paul Wright said.
The Huskies were tired of moral victories or coming close. They were ready to make their own statement.
Kindler provided just the spark. His rocket shot in the opening minute set the aggressive tone and illustrated how the Huskies would approach the game. It was just a prelude to a more defining act.
In the third minute, Kindler took a ball from midfielder Flynn Sheehan and blasted a volley that rang true and gave the Huskies their first win of the season, a 1-0 shutout of Chicago Public League foe Young on Wednesday night.
Kindler earned Chicagoland Soccer's Man of the match distinction for his performance.
"We always talk about we have to put them away early and set the early tone for the game," he said. "We don't want to go down one because then we're chasing. You have to come out aggressive and play the entire game with a high intensity."
Senior keeper Will Dunne, the lanky and imposing 6-foo-6 senior, shared the spotlight with Kindler. He registered nine saves in posting the first shutout of the year for the Huskies (1-2-1). He preserved the victory in the 69th minute when he aggressively cut down the angle of Young forward Patryk Kopytko and blocked a point blank ball with his shin.
"It was a little kick save," Dunne said. "By being very tall I try to play as big as possible. On those balls, I'm a little bigger so it's tough to get down with my hands, but my legs are super long, and I can use them that way."
Oak Park and River Forest remained in attack mode through the game, at times almost recklessly as Young was able to generate some significant counterattacks and strong play on their own. The Dolphins athletic defender Justin Bruce punched two headers that narrowly missed.
The host's came close when Nikos Chulos hit the crossbar in the second half, and Kindler had a second goal nullified by an offsides call. Even if the activity did not render goals, the play showcased the growing confidence and range of attack the Huskies are capable of.
"In one week, where we have gone from our first game to now, there are more opportunities [offensively] instead of just being run-and-gun," Wright said.
"We're trying to build up play. We're trying to do the things we are working on in practice. The encouraging thing was they didn't throw in the towel after the first couple of games, and they see it's starting to work."
Young (1-3-1) is a formidable side despite its record. The Dolphins played highly-regarded Lyons to a 1-0 game a week ago. The Dolphins have struggled finishing, but the team has some imposing weapons. Jose Espinosa served the ball especially well on several free kicks. They also hurt the Huskies with other set pieces, specifically the throw-in.
"I think the biggest struggle we have every year is that we have a group of guys who are coming from all over the city," Young coach Ian McCarthy said. "A couple of them might have played club together. Ultimately they're coming together for a brief amount of time and trying to establish a chemistry.
"So far the chemistry experiment is not done."
To his credit, Oak Park and River Forest's Dunne played a significant role in the Dolphins' struggles inside the box. He has the length and size to make players miss or force them to shoot either before they are ready, out of rhythm or both.
"That keeper is very long," McCarthy said. "On the ball by Patryk, he read the play correctly, and he extended as big as possible. You have to give him credit. It was a great game by him."
As Wright experiments with different lineups, he throws some unorthodox parts into the mix. Twice on dead balls at midfield, Dunne served two sharp balls into the box. A natural defender, Cuyler Dull played the forward and used his speed and quickness to get on the edge and put the Dolphins on their heels.
"Every game we have tried to work on one facet and have a step back," Wright said. "So far it's worked."
The aggressive play of the Huskies did not yield a goal after the opening flurry though it provided a chance for the team to play together, maintain possession and generate some consistent offensive chances.
At the start, Oak Park and River Forest jumped on the Dolphins' own defensive uncertainties.
"We've struggled with playing some guys in the back who are normally playing some other positions," McCarthy said. "Some of our outside backs are converted attacking players, and sometimes they don't know the game as well. We have them back there, because we're trying to establish possession. That's exactly what happened. They countered us off some bad passes, and it was the end of us."
Scoring early is an offensive boost. Defensively it is a mixed blessing, Dunne said.
"It's great to be up 1-0 in the third minute, it provides a nice cushion, but it puts some pressure on you," he said. "It puts pressure on the offense to get another goal."
Fittingly one was enough. Getting that first win was an act of liberation. Confidence zoomed up.
"I think once we get set we're going to win every single game," Kindler said. "We've got athletes out there who are soccer players.
"Once we get into a groove we're going to be playing high intensity the whole game."
Starting lineups
Young
GK: Hector Torres
D: Reed Schaefer
D: Francisco Rojas
D: Fabio Cesar
D: Eric Thompson
D: Credo Duarte
M: Patryk Kopytko
M: Leo Daley
M: Alexander West
M: Jose Espinosa
F: Ricardo Tovar
Oak Park and River Forest
GK: Will Dunne
D: Elliot Orellana
D: Jacob Meister
D: Justin Bruce
M: Matt Schiffner
M: Flynn Sheehan
M: Max Klevgard
M: Kyle Pendleton
F: Evan Kindler
F: Corey Hellman
F: Cam Duncan
Man of the match: Evan Kindler, F, Oak Park and River Forest
Kindler's 3rd-minute score give Huskies 1-0 win over Young
By Patrick Z. McGavin
OAK PARK — Coaches love balance and versatility. The magic of one dominant player is a pretty awesome tool to have at your disposal. Predictability be damned.
In its first three games, Oak Park and River Forest rode the wave of elite junior forward Evan Kindler. The Huskies are young and many of their players are still getting assimilated to the speed, size and physical nature of the game.
Kindler is a throwback. The junior has accounted for all team's goals through four games.
"Evan Kindler has just put us on his back," Huskies' coach Paul Wright said.
The Huskies were tired of moral victories or coming close. They were ready to make their own statement.
Kindler provided just the spark. His rocket shot in the opening minute set the aggressive tone and illustrated how the Huskies would approach the game. It was just a prelude to a more defining act.
In the third minute, Kindler took a ball from midfielder Flynn Sheehan and blasted a volley that rang true and gave the Huskies their first win of the season, a 1-0 shutout of Chicago Public League foe Young on Wednesday night.
Kindler earned Chicagoland Soccer's Man of the match distinction for his performance.
"We always talk about we have to put them away early and set the early tone for the game," he said. "We don't want to go down one because then we're chasing. You have to come out aggressive and play the entire game with a high intensity."
Senior keeper Will Dunne, the lanky and imposing 6-foo-6 senior, shared the spotlight with Kindler. He registered nine saves in posting the first shutout of the year for the Huskies (1-2-1). He preserved the victory in the 69th minute when he aggressively cut down the angle of Young forward Patryk Kopytko and blocked a point blank ball with his shin.
"It was a little kick save," Dunne said. "By being very tall I try to play as big as possible. On those balls, I'm a little bigger so it's tough to get down with my hands, but my legs are super long, and I can use them that way."
Oak Park and River Forest remained in attack mode through the game, at times almost recklessly as Young was able to generate some significant counterattacks and strong play on their own. The Dolphins athletic defender Justin Bruce punched two headers that narrowly missed.
The host's came close when Nikos Chulos hit the crossbar in the second half, and Kindler had a second goal nullified by an offsides call. Even if the activity did not render goals, the play showcased the growing confidence and range of attack the Huskies are capable of.
"In one week, where we have gone from our first game to now, there are more opportunities [offensively] instead of just being run-and-gun," Wright said.
"We're trying to build up play. We're trying to do the things we are working on in practice. The encouraging thing was they didn't throw in the towel after the first couple of games, and they see it's starting to work."
Young (1-3-1) is a formidable side despite its record. The Dolphins played highly-regarded Lyons to a 1-0 game a week ago. The Dolphins have struggled finishing, but the team has some imposing weapons. Jose Espinosa served the ball especially well on several free kicks. They also hurt the Huskies with other set pieces, specifically the throw-in.
"I think the biggest struggle we have every year is that we have a group of guys who are coming from all over the city," Young coach Ian McCarthy said. "A couple of them might have played club together. Ultimately they're coming together for a brief amount of time and trying to establish a chemistry.
"So far the chemistry experiment is not done."
To his credit, Oak Park and River Forest's Dunne played a significant role in the Dolphins' struggles inside the box. He has the length and size to make players miss or force them to shoot either before they are ready, out of rhythm or both.
"That keeper is very long," McCarthy said. "On the ball by Patryk, he read the play correctly, and he extended as big as possible. You have to give him credit. It was a great game by him."
As Wright experiments with different lineups, he throws some unorthodox parts into the mix. Twice on dead balls at midfield, Dunne served two sharp balls into the box. A natural defender, Cuyler Dull played the forward and used his speed and quickness to get on the edge and put the Dolphins on their heels.
"Every game we have tried to work on one facet and have a step back," Wright said. "So far it's worked."
The aggressive play of the Huskies did not yield a goal after the opening flurry though it provided a chance for the team to play together, maintain possession and generate some consistent offensive chances.
At the start, Oak Park and River Forest jumped on the Dolphins' own defensive uncertainties.
"We've struggled with playing some guys in the back who are normally playing some other positions," McCarthy said. "Some of our outside backs are converted attacking players, and sometimes they don't know the game as well. We have them back there, because we're trying to establish possession. That's exactly what happened. They countered us off some bad passes, and it was the end of us."
Scoring early is an offensive boost. Defensively it is a mixed blessing, Dunne said.
"It's great to be up 1-0 in the third minute, it provides a nice cushion, but it puts some pressure on you," he said. "It puts pressure on the offense to get another goal."
Fittingly one was enough. Getting that first win was an act of liberation. Confidence zoomed up.
"I think once we get set we're going to win every single game," Kindler said. "We've got athletes out there who are soccer players.
"Once we get into a groove we're going to be playing high intensity the whole game."
Starting lineups
Young
GK: Hector Torres
D: Reed Schaefer
D: Francisco Rojas
D: Fabio Cesar
D: Eric Thompson
D: Credo Duarte
M: Patryk Kopytko
M: Leo Daley
M: Alexander West
M: Jose Espinosa
F: Ricardo Tovar
Oak Park and River Forest
GK: Will Dunne
D: Elliot Orellana
D: Jacob Meister
D: Justin Bruce
M: Matt Schiffner
M: Flynn Sheehan
M: Max Klevgard
M: Kyle Pendleton
F: Evan Kindler
F: Corey Hellman
F: Cam Duncan
Man of the match: Evan Kindler, F, Oak Park and River Forest