Goalkeeper Meyers offers
hope for Hinsdale South in loss
Hornets finally yield to Downers North's pressure
By Dave Owen
DARIEN -- A future star may have been born Friday for Hinsdale South – or at least showed the first glimmer of a bright future.
Making his varsity debut in an emergency start, Hornets usual JV goalkeeper Chris Meyers looked like a seasoned veteran with great poise and athleticism against a relentless Downers Grove North attack.
And while the waves of second-half pressure by the Trojans (4-2) finally paid off with a 1-0 win on Mike Molloy’s goal with 11:06 left, Meyers and a solid defensive effort by the host Hornets (0-6) limited the damage.
“Even on shots from inside he was cool, calm, like it was nothing,” Hornets’ coach James VanDenBurgh said. “It’s nice to know that he’s in the lower ranks ready to come up and step in.”
Meyers learned he would start at 5 p.m. Thursday, less than 24 hours before kickoff.
“To be honest, it was really nerve-racking to be coming up for the first time as a sophomore,” Meyers said. “And to know they’re all counting on me to be that last guy on defense to prevent the goals – I had big shoes to fill.”
Usual keeper Alec Carpenter was forced to sit out after receiving a red card in the previous match. But if his replacement was nervous a day earlier, it didn’t show by kickoff.
“Chris comes with a confidence that is nice to have, especially as a sophomore,” VanDenBurgh said. “The circumstances allowed him to get a shot to start a varsity game, and it didn’t even faze him. He was like, ‘yeah, I’ll be there.’ Some people might be a little shy, like ‘wait – me, start,’ but he was very confident.
“And when you play with that confidence in the people in front of you, the defenders in front of you with two juniors and two seniors, they feel confident too with the keeper.”
Coach VanDenBurgh said, “Alec (Carpenter) wasn’t able to play today, but Chris stepped up. It was nice to see him make the most of his opportunity.”
Meyers stood tall in a very busy second half, facing the dual challenge of a Trojans offense with a strong wind at its back and a rain-soaked field that made another low, bouncing shot a danger to skip on the wet turf.
The two teams essentially exchanged chances in the 0-0 first half. The Hornets finished the half strong when Karel Ondra’s nice chip to the left post required a short hop smother by Trojans’ keeper Alex Wall 50 seconds before the break.
But circumstances would produce a different last 40 minutes.
Hinsdale South defenders Lucas Carlson and Austin West (blocked shot) combined to deny good chances of a Trojans’ corner kick with 38:15 left, the first of many challenges.
Then five minutes in, Hornets standout Mike Noble suffered a leg injury and had to leave the match for good.
“Mike Noble always gives 150 percent, but he got a cleat to the ankle there that cut him up a little bit,” VanDenBurgh said. “He’s kind of the heart of our center, so we really missed him out there. But he impressed me when he was out there with a lot of touches on the ball.”
With 30:10 left, the Hornets’ Chris Metcalf lined a 35-yard shot on which Wall made a nice save of the skipping ball. But with the wind at their backs, the Trojans’ offense soon set sail.
Meyers proved to be a tough obstacle: he made a nice save of a low line drive 45-yard direct kick by Brett Pyburn with 28:30. Then with 22:40 left, he came rushing off his line to smother the dribble on Jack Richards’ nice drive in past two defenders. In short, the prep rookie showed the poise of a pro.
“I’ve struggled with not being aggressive and not coming up when I should be,” Meyers said, “so I knew that was something I needed to work on and prove that I knew what I was doing back there.”
Meyers stood tall again with 21:15 left, stopping a low 12-yard blast by Mike Molloy.
“I’d say I did pretty well, but there’s always room for improvement,” Meyers said. “On the one goal, that was a case where I could have been more aggressive and gone out for it.”
That goal started with a great effort by Molloy, who dribbled past and around three Hornets to create a breakaway chance and lined a 15-yarder into the lower right corner of the net.
“I got the clear, took it off my chest, dribbled in and shot,” Molloy said of the goal. “I’m just happy I hit the net. We worked all yesterday on finishing with Coach (Mike Schmitt), so that helped.
“And the second half was all the work Coach has been doing on fitness with us.”
Conditions (the wind at their backs) and conditioning were difference makers in the Trojans’ strong finish.
“We were going into the wind in the first half, so it was a little bit of a battle there,” Schmitt said. “The wind and the weather were an issue. But we regrouped in the second half and had the majority of the control. We controlled the tempo and the pace and really had a lot of opportunities.
“We did a much better job of possessing the ball. It really helped with our conditioning – we were able to stay in this game longer, especially in the second half, and again that allowed us to create more opportunities and work into deeper areas.”
Molloy later sent a header wide of a corner kick with 2:20 left. The Hornets made a bid to tie with1:40 to go on a combined attack by Alec Raatz and Ondra. But after an initial block by the Trojans defense, Wall save of a bouncing shot from beyond 30 yards ended the threat.
The Hornets’ Myk Meilus made two nice defensive plays in a two-minute span midway through the second half to repel Trojans' threats inside 40 yards, and other teammates also stood out.
“We definitely have confidence in our defense – that’s what we build around,” VanDenBurgh said. “I thought our combination play coming out of the back was solid. Lucas Carlson is always a force to be reckoned with. He kind of holds down the fort in the back. And Austin West did a great job with head balls.”
The Hornets also had solid play upfield.
“Dino Vessol at right mid came in with his first start, so that was nice to see him step into a nice role there,” VanDenBurgh said. “And Karel Ondra is a freshman who has assists on our two goals, and he’s also a solid contributor in the middle of the field.”
Noble and Zach Duffy have scored Hinsdale South’s only two goals this season, both on Ondra assists. And while the Hornets offense looks to finish more, the overall squad is making strides.
“We haven’t won yet, and I think there’s a general frustration with that,” VanDenBurgh said. “It’s our job as coaches to let them know they’re a good team – it’s not a hard thing to do, it’s just a challenge for us sometimes when they’re hanging their heads.
“We just need to get an opportunity – one lucky break is going to make or break a game. So we just have to keep them hungry, and also we get to go back at it and play Saturday (2 p.m. against Glenbard West). The bad taste in our mouth now, we've get to wipe that out tomorrow.”
And with players like Meyers on the horizon, the long-term tomorrow looks much brighter.
“This definitely builds confidence, knowing I can compete well on this level,” Meyers said. “I can bring that down to the JV team and also help these guys as much as I can.”
“He (Meyers) kept us in the game with some really good saves,” VanDenBurgh said. “He’s a good guy, a good student, and he’s going to be a helluva soccer player.
“We definitely believe in this group here, but it’s also nice to look at our JV 1 squad and know there’s a good group that’s going to come up and fill the shoes of our seniors.”
One already has.
Starting lineups
Downers Grove North
G-Alex Wall
D-Jack Drobny
D-Jake Stevenson
D-Sam Crowley
D-Brett Pyburn
M-Liam Budnik
M-Jack Richards
M-Ryan Shanahan
M-Matthew Metzler
F-Steven Klasing
F-Carter Tome
Hinsdale South
G-Chris Meyers
D-Lucas Carlson
D-Myk Meilus
D-Austin West
D-Zach Duffy
M-Karel Ondra
M-Mike Noble
M-Dino Vessol
M-Homar Garcia
F-Chris Metcalf
F-Paul Figus
Man of the Match: Chris Meyers, Hinsdale South
hope for Hinsdale South in loss
Hornets finally yield to Downers North's pressure
By Dave Owen
DARIEN -- A future star may have been born Friday for Hinsdale South – or at least showed the first glimmer of a bright future.
Making his varsity debut in an emergency start, Hornets usual JV goalkeeper Chris Meyers looked like a seasoned veteran with great poise and athleticism against a relentless Downers Grove North attack.
And while the waves of second-half pressure by the Trojans (4-2) finally paid off with a 1-0 win on Mike Molloy’s goal with 11:06 left, Meyers and a solid defensive effort by the host Hornets (0-6) limited the damage.
“Even on shots from inside he was cool, calm, like it was nothing,” Hornets’ coach James VanDenBurgh said. “It’s nice to know that he’s in the lower ranks ready to come up and step in.”
Meyers learned he would start at 5 p.m. Thursday, less than 24 hours before kickoff.
“To be honest, it was really nerve-racking to be coming up for the first time as a sophomore,” Meyers said. “And to know they’re all counting on me to be that last guy on defense to prevent the goals – I had big shoes to fill.”
Usual keeper Alec Carpenter was forced to sit out after receiving a red card in the previous match. But if his replacement was nervous a day earlier, it didn’t show by kickoff.
“Chris comes with a confidence that is nice to have, especially as a sophomore,” VanDenBurgh said. “The circumstances allowed him to get a shot to start a varsity game, and it didn’t even faze him. He was like, ‘yeah, I’ll be there.’ Some people might be a little shy, like ‘wait – me, start,’ but he was very confident.
“And when you play with that confidence in the people in front of you, the defenders in front of you with two juniors and two seniors, they feel confident too with the keeper.”
Coach VanDenBurgh said, “Alec (Carpenter) wasn’t able to play today, but Chris stepped up. It was nice to see him make the most of his opportunity.”
Meyers stood tall in a very busy second half, facing the dual challenge of a Trojans offense with a strong wind at its back and a rain-soaked field that made another low, bouncing shot a danger to skip on the wet turf.
The two teams essentially exchanged chances in the 0-0 first half. The Hornets finished the half strong when Karel Ondra’s nice chip to the left post required a short hop smother by Trojans’ keeper Alex Wall 50 seconds before the break.
But circumstances would produce a different last 40 minutes.
Hinsdale South defenders Lucas Carlson and Austin West (blocked shot) combined to deny good chances of a Trojans’ corner kick with 38:15 left, the first of many challenges.
Then five minutes in, Hornets standout Mike Noble suffered a leg injury and had to leave the match for good.
“Mike Noble always gives 150 percent, but he got a cleat to the ankle there that cut him up a little bit,” VanDenBurgh said. “He’s kind of the heart of our center, so we really missed him out there. But he impressed me when he was out there with a lot of touches on the ball.”
With 30:10 left, the Hornets’ Chris Metcalf lined a 35-yard shot on which Wall made a nice save of the skipping ball. But with the wind at their backs, the Trojans’ offense soon set sail.
Meyers proved to be a tough obstacle: he made a nice save of a low line drive 45-yard direct kick by Brett Pyburn with 28:30. Then with 22:40 left, he came rushing off his line to smother the dribble on Jack Richards’ nice drive in past two defenders. In short, the prep rookie showed the poise of a pro.
“I’ve struggled with not being aggressive and not coming up when I should be,” Meyers said, “so I knew that was something I needed to work on and prove that I knew what I was doing back there.”
Meyers stood tall again with 21:15 left, stopping a low 12-yard blast by Mike Molloy.
“I’d say I did pretty well, but there’s always room for improvement,” Meyers said. “On the one goal, that was a case where I could have been more aggressive and gone out for it.”
That goal started with a great effort by Molloy, who dribbled past and around three Hornets to create a breakaway chance and lined a 15-yarder into the lower right corner of the net.
“I got the clear, took it off my chest, dribbled in and shot,” Molloy said of the goal. “I’m just happy I hit the net. We worked all yesterday on finishing with Coach (Mike Schmitt), so that helped.
“And the second half was all the work Coach has been doing on fitness with us.”
Conditions (the wind at their backs) and conditioning were difference makers in the Trojans’ strong finish.
“We were going into the wind in the first half, so it was a little bit of a battle there,” Schmitt said. “The wind and the weather were an issue. But we regrouped in the second half and had the majority of the control. We controlled the tempo and the pace and really had a lot of opportunities.
“We did a much better job of possessing the ball. It really helped with our conditioning – we were able to stay in this game longer, especially in the second half, and again that allowed us to create more opportunities and work into deeper areas.”
Molloy later sent a header wide of a corner kick with 2:20 left. The Hornets made a bid to tie with1:40 to go on a combined attack by Alec Raatz and Ondra. But after an initial block by the Trojans defense, Wall save of a bouncing shot from beyond 30 yards ended the threat.
The Hornets’ Myk Meilus made two nice defensive plays in a two-minute span midway through the second half to repel Trojans' threats inside 40 yards, and other teammates also stood out.
“We definitely have confidence in our defense – that’s what we build around,” VanDenBurgh said. “I thought our combination play coming out of the back was solid. Lucas Carlson is always a force to be reckoned with. He kind of holds down the fort in the back. And Austin West did a great job with head balls.”
The Hornets also had solid play upfield.
“Dino Vessol at right mid came in with his first start, so that was nice to see him step into a nice role there,” VanDenBurgh said. “And Karel Ondra is a freshman who has assists on our two goals, and he’s also a solid contributor in the middle of the field.”
Noble and Zach Duffy have scored Hinsdale South’s only two goals this season, both on Ondra assists. And while the Hornets offense looks to finish more, the overall squad is making strides.
“We haven’t won yet, and I think there’s a general frustration with that,” VanDenBurgh said. “It’s our job as coaches to let them know they’re a good team – it’s not a hard thing to do, it’s just a challenge for us sometimes when they’re hanging their heads.
“We just need to get an opportunity – one lucky break is going to make or break a game. So we just have to keep them hungry, and also we get to go back at it and play Saturday (2 p.m. against Glenbard West). The bad taste in our mouth now, we've get to wipe that out tomorrow.”
And with players like Meyers on the horizon, the long-term tomorrow looks much brighter.
“This definitely builds confidence, knowing I can compete well on this level,” Meyers said. “I can bring that down to the JV team and also help these guys as much as I can.”
“He (Meyers) kept us in the game with some really good saves,” VanDenBurgh said. “He’s a good guy, a good student, and he’s going to be a helluva soccer player.
“We definitely believe in this group here, but it’s also nice to look at our JV 1 squad and know there’s a good group that’s going to come up and fill the shoes of our seniors.”
One already has.
Starting lineups
Downers Grove North
G-Alex Wall
D-Jack Drobny
D-Jake Stevenson
D-Sam Crowley
D-Brett Pyburn
M-Liam Budnik
M-Jack Richards
M-Ryan Shanahan
M-Matthew Metzler
F-Steven Klasing
F-Carter Tome
Hinsdale South
G-Chris Meyers
D-Lucas Carlson
D-Myk Meilus
D-Austin West
D-Zach Duffy
M-Karel Ondra
M-Mike Noble
M-Dino Vessol
M-Homar Garcia
F-Chris Metcalf
F-Paul Figus
Man of the Match: Chris Meyers, Hinsdale South