Oak Park finishes chances, continues
streak in rivalry win over Fenwick
Trio of second-half goals spark Huskies
By Dave Owen
OAK PARK -- Oak Park and River Forest was already on fire with four straight wins. Thursday’s matchup with crosstown rival Fenwick only fed the flames.
After a scoreless first half, the Huskies (8-4-1) took the lead on Evan Kindler’s goal 2:11 into the second half and added two late insurance scores to defeat the Friars 3-0 before an energetic crowd at Oak Park Stadium.
The battle for bragging rights between two class programs added to the atmosphere, and the postgame celebration by the Huskies’ seniors showed the meaning of defeating Fenwick all four years of high school (including a 2-1 win over the Friars’ 2012 sectional championship squad).
“It’s good to keep up the tradition – I love it every single year,” said senior midfielder Noah Fluharty, whose scoring (one goal, one assist) and relentless play earned him Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honors.
“They’re a good team, so it’s fortunate that we get to play them every year," Fluharty said. "It was a fun game and a good performance by us too.”
Mavin Gill aided the shutout effort at defender and also scored his fifth goal of the season to do double damage in the rivalry win.
“It means a ton,” Gill said. “I’ve played sophomore, junior and senior year and we’ve won every time, and I remember freshman year we won.
“It’s almost our biggest game if not our biggest game of the season, so we came in with a lot of intensity and energy.”
Standout junior Kindler received plenty of long-distance reminders of the rivalry leading up to the game.
“I got texts from last year’s seniors this week saying, ‘You’ve got to win, you guys have got to win,’” Kindler said. “Now we can go back in the locker room and call them up – it’ll be fun.”
The fun was preceded by frustration, as Fenwick (8-8) stood tall in the face of many OPRF offensive challenges during a scoreless first half.
Harry Engoren was denied on two of the big opportunities: Fluharty’s steal led to an Engoren 30-yard shot just wide of the frame. Then Engoren broke free up the middle off a Kyle Pendelton pass 5:30 before halftime, his low 20-yard laser was stopped by Fenwick goalkeeper Max Herrera.
An even better chance earlier in the half was created by Joe Gullo, who fought off two defenders for a loose ball but had his 10-yard straight-on shot stopped by Herrera. Purvis Funches had a great chance blocked by a Fenwick defender, and Kindler had the last big chance of the first half, deflecting a 10-yarder just over the net off a nice Kirk Svensson cross.
In between, Fenwick nearly scored on a counterattack with 20:05 left in the half when Jonathan Kagan sent a 6-yard one-timer off a cross mere inches wide of the left post.
“I thought we had seven or eight quality chances,” OPRF coach Paul Wright said of the first half. “They countered really well against us a couple of times and we almost gave up a goal, but we talked (at halftime) about putting the ball on the ground in space, run onto it and get crosses in.
“It was just us cashing in our chances (in the second half).”
Kindler has been money in the bank since moving from midfield to forward. Without a goal to that point, he has scored in each his four games at the new position.
His latest came with 37:49 left on Thursday, as Kindler broke free up the middle off an intercepted goal kick and lined a high 25-yard shot inside the post for a 1-0 lead.
“Kyle (Pendelton) just stole it away and put it over the top, and I just ran past the defenders,” Kindler said. “I meant to put it bottom left and wound up putting it top right, but it worked.
“I’d been playing left mid before, and then some of our forwards got hurt so I got put up there (at forward). And it worked.”
Kindler’s scoring punch has been a welcome sight for the Huskies, who have scored 13 times in the last four contests.
“I think he has a goal a game the last few games,” Wright said. “He’s doing what we need him to do.
“It’s good that we’re starting to get a good rhythm moving the ball around in the final third of the season and creating a lot of good opportunities for ourselves. Hopefully we can keep on capitalizing and have a few more dominoes fall our way.”
Up 1-0, the Huskies kept up the heat as Zach El Metennani sent a 23-yard shot just wide of the post with 30:50 left. Andrew Barkidija had a shot deflected just wide four minutes later, then Joe Gullo's 12-yard shot off a Barkidija pass was saved at the left post.
A diving catch at the post by Fenwick goalkeeper Pat Daly denied Matt Schiffner’s 22-yard shot off a Pendleton cross on the next big OPRF chance with 13:10 to play. But the Huskies would finish the night in style.
After a Fenwick foul, Graham Nagle-Deamer’s 45-yard direct kick from the sideline connected with Fluharty, who found Gill breaking in on the right side for an 18-yard shot that caromed off a defender in front and just inside the left post for a 2-0 lead with 8:18 to go.
“Every set piece, I’m the designated one to go up, and usually a designated target,” Gill said. “On that particular set piece, the ball popped out to the 18. I just got wide and got the ball. It was actually supposed to be a cross to the far post for Evan Kindler. The defender got an unlucky touch on it, but I’ll take it.”
Fluharty then finished the night with an extra-effort goal, winning a loose ball, splitting two defenders on the dribble and lining a 6-yard shot into the net with 7:10 to go.
“The ball popped out, and it was good for my teammates to make runs around me to give me the space in the middle that I need to finish it from 6 yards out,” Fluharty said. “It was a good play by me, but it was my teammates giving me space down the middle too.
“We played really well, and the score line reflected it. I’m really happy with me and my team’s performance.”
Goalkeeper Will Dunne wrapped up his shutout with 1:05 left, making a diving cover of Pat Coffey’s attempted dribble into the box.
“Our defense in the first half was a little bit shaky, but in the second half we definitely got organized,” Gill said. “Our stopper ‘Q’ (Quentin) Drane was really organizing everyone well, and we kept possession of the ball, nothing stupid. We got the ball up to midfield, and the midfield and forwards did the rest. And Will Dunne did a great job in goal.”
Battling injuries all year, Fenwick also produced plenty of positives Thursday.
“I thought we played really well,” Friars coach Robert Watson said. “It was 0-0 for almost 50 minutes, and one goal just cracked it open. And we had our young reserve players on by the end. For me it’s a one-nil game.
“We’ve had six or seven guys out with injuries. We’re just hoping to get everyone fit and ready for the state tournament.
“My kids compete with class,” Watson said. “I wouldn’t trade them for the world.”
OPRF continued to build a world of confidence with its fourth win in a row.
“We’re coming together as a team,” Fluharty said. “We’ve played good opponents, but we’ve started to pick up our finishing, which we had been lacking on. We’re on a hot streak right now and we hope to ride it out.”
The offensive surge has been very evident.
“It’s definitely our combination play between our midfielders and forwards,” Gill said. “In practice we’ve been working on that and working on finishing a lot.
“Our defense has done a good job of holding strong and being really consistent every game and giving our midfielders and forwards a chance to ping the ball around. And they’re making really good runs off each other. We’re creating lots of chances and starting to finish those chances.”
Heading into a big match Tuesday at Hinsdale Central, Wright likes the Huskies’ rising level of play.
“What’s big for us is three goals from the run of play,” he said. “We just haven’t had kids take space and rip a shot. That’s what we need to do.
“We’ve been struggling all year to get quality finishes, and we got some in this game. It was great to see that.”
Starting lineups
Fenwick
G: Max Herrera
D: Charlie Rhomberg
D: Jack Hendricks
D: Michael Beaudin
D: Matt Benko
M: Joe Scanlon
M: Pat Jacobs
M: Jonathan Kagan
M: Brendan Hartman
F: Jay Militello
F: Tom Runnells
Oak Park and River Forest
G: Will Dunne
D: Mavin Gill
D: Kirk Svensson
D: Quentin Drane
D: Graham Nagle-Deamer
M: Harry Engoren
M: Noah Fluharty
M: Joe Gullo
M: Quinn Neuman
F: Evan Kindler
F: Purvis Funches
Man of the Match: Noah Fluharty, OPRF
streak in rivalry win over Fenwick
Trio of second-half goals spark Huskies
By Dave Owen
OAK PARK -- Oak Park and River Forest was already on fire with four straight wins. Thursday’s matchup with crosstown rival Fenwick only fed the flames.
After a scoreless first half, the Huskies (8-4-1) took the lead on Evan Kindler’s goal 2:11 into the second half and added two late insurance scores to defeat the Friars 3-0 before an energetic crowd at Oak Park Stadium.
The battle for bragging rights between two class programs added to the atmosphere, and the postgame celebration by the Huskies’ seniors showed the meaning of defeating Fenwick all four years of high school (including a 2-1 win over the Friars’ 2012 sectional championship squad).
“It’s good to keep up the tradition – I love it every single year,” said senior midfielder Noah Fluharty, whose scoring (one goal, one assist) and relentless play earned him Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honors.
“They’re a good team, so it’s fortunate that we get to play them every year," Fluharty said. "It was a fun game and a good performance by us too.”
Mavin Gill aided the shutout effort at defender and also scored his fifth goal of the season to do double damage in the rivalry win.
“It means a ton,” Gill said. “I’ve played sophomore, junior and senior year and we’ve won every time, and I remember freshman year we won.
“It’s almost our biggest game if not our biggest game of the season, so we came in with a lot of intensity and energy.”
Standout junior Kindler received plenty of long-distance reminders of the rivalry leading up to the game.
“I got texts from last year’s seniors this week saying, ‘You’ve got to win, you guys have got to win,’” Kindler said. “Now we can go back in the locker room and call them up – it’ll be fun.”
The fun was preceded by frustration, as Fenwick (8-8) stood tall in the face of many OPRF offensive challenges during a scoreless first half.
Harry Engoren was denied on two of the big opportunities: Fluharty’s steal led to an Engoren 30-yard shot just wide of the frame. Then Engoren broke free up the middle off a Kyle Pendelton pass 5:30 before halftime, his low 20-yard laser was stopped by Fenwick goalkeeper Max Herrera.
An even better chance earlier in the half was created by Joe Gullo, who fought off two defenders for a loose ball but had his 10-yard straight-on shot stopped by Herrera. Purvis Funches had a great chance blocked by a Fenwick defender, and Kindler had the last big chance of the first half, deflecting a 10-yarder just over the net off a nice Kirk Svensson cross.
In between, Fenwick nearly scored on a counterattack with 20:05 left in the half when Jonathan Kagan sent a 6-yard one-timer off a cross mere inches wide of the left post.
“I thought we had seven or eight quality chances,” OPRF coach Paul Wright said of the first half. “They countered really well against us a couple of times and we almost gave up a goal, but we talked (at halftime) about putting the ball on the ground in space, run onto it and get crosses in.
“It was just us cashing in our chances (in the second half).”
Kindler has been money in the bank since moving from midfield to forward. Without a goal to that point, he has scored in each his four games at the new position.
His latest came with 37:49 left on Thursday, as Kindler broke free up the middle off an intercepted goal kick and lined a high 25-yard shot inside the post for a 1-0 lead.
“Kyle (Pendelton) just stole it away and put it over the top, and I just ran past the defenders,” Kindler said. “I meant to put it bottom left and wound up putting it top right, but it worked.
“I’d been playing left mid before, and then some of our forwards got hurt so I got put up there (at forward). And it worked.”
Kindler’s scoring punch has been a welcome sight for the Huskies, who have scored 13 times in the last four contests.
“I think he has a goal a game the last few games,” Wright said. “He’s doing what we need him to do.
“It’s good that we’re starting to get a good rhythm moving the ball around in the final third of the season and creating a lot of good opportunities for ourselves. Hopefully we can keep on capitalizing and have a few more dominoes fall our way.”
Up 1-0, the Huskies kept up the heat as Zach El Metennani sent a 23-yard shot just wide of the post with 30:50 left. Andrew Barkidija had a shot deflected just wide four minutes later, then Joe Gullo's 12-yard shot off a Barkidija pass was saved at the left post.
A diving catch at the post by Fenwick goalkeeper Pat Daly denied Matt Schiffner’s 22-yard shot off a Pendleton cross on the next big OPRF chance with 13:10 to play. But the Huskies would finish the night in style.
After a Fenwick foul, Graham Nagle-Deamer’s 45-yard direct kick from the sideline connected with Fluharty, who found Gill breaking in on the right side for an 18-yard shot that caromed off a defender in front and just inside the left post for a 2-0 lead with 8:18 to go.
“Every set piece, I’m the designated one to go up, and usually a designated target,” Gill said. “On that particular set piece, the ball popped out to the 18. I just got wide and got the ball. It was actually supposed to be a cross to the far post for Evan Kindler. The defender got an unlucky touch on it, but I’ll take it.”
Fluharty then finished the night with an extra-effort goal, winning a loose ball, splitting two defenders on the dribble and lining a 6-yard shot into the net with 7:10 to go.
“The ball popped out, and it was good for my teammates to make runs around me to give me the space in the middle that I need to finish it from 6 yards out,” Fluharty said. “It was a good play by me, but it was my teammates giving me space down the middle too.
“We played really well, and the score line reflected it. I’m really happy with me and my team’s performance.”
Goalkeeper Will Dunne wrapped up his shutout with 1:05 left, making a diving cover of Pat Coffey’s attempted dribble into the box.
“Our defense in the first half was a little bit shaky, but in the second half we definitely got organized,” Gill said. “Our stopper ‘Q’ (Quentin) Drane was really organizing everyone well, and we kept possession of the ball, nothing stupid. We got the ball up to midfield, and the midfield and forwards did the rest. And Will Dunne did a great job in goal.”
Battling injuries all year, Fenwick also produced plenty of positives Thursday.
“I thought we played really well,” Friars coach Robert Watson said. “It was 0-0 for almost 50 minutes, and one goal just cracked it open. And we had our young reserve players on by the end. For me it’s a one-nil game.
“We’ve had six or seven guys out with injuries. We’re just hoping to get everyone fit and ready for the state tournament.
“My kids compete with class,” Watson said. “I wouldn’t trade them for the world.”
OPRF continued to build a world of confidence with its fourth win in a row.
“We’re coming together as a team,” Fluharty said. “We’ve played good opponents, but we’ve started to pick up our finishing, which we had been lacking on. We’re on a hot streak right now and we hope to ride it out.”
The offensive surge has been very evident.
“It’s definitely our combination play between our midfielders and forwards,” Gill said. “In practice we’ve been working on that and working on finishing a lot.
“Our defense has done a good job of holding strong and being really consistent every game and giving our midfielders and forwards a chance to ping the ball around. And they’re making really good runs off each other. We’re creating lots of chances and starting to finish those chances.”
Heading into a big match Tuesday at Hinsdale Central, Wright likes the Huskies’ rising level of play.
“What’s big for us is three goals from the run of play,” he said. “We just haven’t had kids take space and rip a shot. That’s what we need to do.
“We’ve been struggling all year to get quality finishes, and we got some in this game. It was great to see that.”
Starting lineups
Fenwick
G: Max Herrera
D: Charlie Rhomberg
D: Jack Hendricks
D: Michael Beaudin
D: Matt Benko
M: Joe Scanlon
M: Pat Jacobs
M: Jonathan Kagan
M: Brendan Hartman
F: Jay Militello
F: Tom Runnells
Oak Park and River Forest
G: Will Dunne
D: Mavin Gill
D: Kirk Svensson
D: Quentin Drane
D: Graham Nagle-Deamer
M: Harry Engoren
M: Noah Fluharty
M: Joe Gullo
M: Quinn Neuman
F: Evan Kindler
F: Purvis Funches
Man of the Match: Noah Fluharty, OPRF