Kallikadan’s great save
preserves tie for Naperville Central
Second half keeper holds off Hinsdale Central
By Matt Le Cren
NAPERVILLE – Joe Kallikadan hasn’t been called upon to make many big saves for Naperville Central this season, certainly not with a game on the line.
That changed Saturday and the junior was up to the task, making a diving stop on a shot by Hinsdale Central’s Bryan Loebig with 8:30 remaining in the second half.
It was the save of the game as it allowed the host Redhawks to preserve a 1-1 tie with Hinsdale Central at Memorial Stadium.
The play began with a throw-in from the left wing that bounced into the box. Loebig broke for the ball and fired from about 10 yards out. Kallikadan lunged to his right to stop it and then smothered the ball as it got behind him.
“We were marking up for that throw, and we had our outside back on their forward,” Kallikadan said. “He stepped up because their player stepped up too, but it just went over him and the forward got right around him.
“[Loebig] took a shot and it was just a quick reaction save. I went down and I got it, then it rolled out so I got up as fast as I could and jumped on the ball.”
Naperville Central coach Troy Adams said: “That was a big save. That’s the game, so big save.”
Kallikadan, who was named Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match, and senior Adam Daas have been splitting time between the pipes the last two weeks for the Redhawks (7-1-3). Daas started this one and made two saves in the first half before Kallikadan checked in at intermission.
“We’ve got two goalies that are both doing a good job and in some ways you’d like to have two,” Adams said. “I know nobody likes splitting time, but I think you have somebody to lean on but you also have someone that’s competing with you. It’s always better when you have someone who is trying to hold you accountable for how you play on the field.”
The arrangement makes it tough on whoever plays the second half -- they have to come into the game cold. But Kallikadan doesn’t mind the arrangement.
“It gets difficult knowing that you’re not as warm as you were at the beginning of the game, but you’ve just got to be ready,” he said. “Being a goalie you know it’s always going to be either a quick shot or a tough shot, so you just have to be ready.
“[Daas and I] switch off. It helps us push each other during practice knowing that we don’t have a set starting spot, trying to make ourselves better.”
For two high-caliber teams, this match accomplished its’ task of making each of them better. Hinsdale Central (6-2-2) and Naperville Central are two of the premier programs in the Chicago area and it was no surprise they played to a draw.
“We’ve had good games against strong teams on what I would argue is one of the toughest schedules you’re going to find,” Hinsdale Central coach Mike Wiggins said. “Today is no different. We take today’s [opponent] as an Elite Eight, Final Four type of team.
“To me this game serves exactly the purpose that we hoped for in a nonconference game and that is playing one of the best-coached teams in the area with strong players.”
Both teams have strong players and the two strongest cancelled each other out. Emory-bound defender Evan Floersch had the prime assignment of marking Naperville Central star striker Jordi Heeneman and the senior came through for the Red Devils, holding the explosive Heeneman without a shot and twice taking the ball away from him after long runs.
“Jordi is a very high level player but our guys were equal to it,” Wiggins said. “Evan demonstrated why he is clearly, without question, one of the best defenders in the state. He is a high-level player.
“Emory is going to get a very strong player. A program like Emory doesn’t go after anybody but a player like Evan. He demonstrated today in a couple of 1 v. 1 situations with Jordi why he’s as strong a player as he is.”
Floersch, who literally left every ounce of energy, as well as his lunch, on the field, spread the credit around.
“I thought collectively as a team defensively we played very well,” said Floersch, who vomited at the end of the game but felt fine afterward. “[Heeneman] is a great player. It’s a privilege to play against him but defensively we were prepared.
“I didn’t do anything special. Coach says sit there and delay him, keep your feet moving, keep him in front of you, and it worked out today.”
But it didn’t prevent the Redhawks from taking the lead. Despite mustering just two shots in the first half and five for the game, Naperville Central struck first when senior Sean Flading scored on a strong header off a cross from Neal Hasan with 6:59 left in the first half.
Flading, a two-year starting defender, was making his debut in the midfield as Adams shook up his lineup after two-straight lethargic offensive performances.
“He’s traditionally a back, but our midfield needs to learn that you have to work and he will work,” Adams said. “This is the best game he’s played. He plays with his heart. We need more players that play with their heart.
“If you could have 11 Seans on your team you’re not going to lose a game because that kid just works and works.”
To hear Flading tell it, the position switch took a lot of hard work on his part and that of his teammates.
“It was a new role for me,” Flading said. “It took a lot of help from the rest of the team to tell me what I needed to do because I’m not very comfortable in there. It was the other outside mids and defensive mids directing me. They did a lot of good work on that goal.”
Though Naperville Central failed to get anything else past the Red Devils’ defense despite a late flurry in the final minute, Flading said he saw improvement from the Redhawks, who are winless (0-1-2) in their last three starts.
“I think we did a lot better this game than our last two or three results,” Flading said. “We did a lot better work today just getting up and down the field and doing what coach said. As a team we just played well together, and that’s something that we haven’t really done these last few games.”
Wiggins was equally pleased with his squad’s effort. Both coaches agreed that the Red Devils had the better of the play in the first half before the second half became more back-and-forth.
Hinsdale Central regrouped quickly after Flading’s goal and got the equalizer with 3:15 to go before the break. Jack Baderman sent a 19-yard free kick from just outside the right side of the box screaming toward the back post where Michael Usher headed it home.
“To be down 1-0, there wasn’t a level of concern because we were still having success keeping it, getting into the attack and creating chances,” Wiggins said. “I think our system worked.”
Starting lineups
Hinsdale Central
GK Wes Bergevin
D Nicholas Silva
D William McGowen
D Evan Floersch
M Justin Yi
M Sebastian Skiba
M Jim Walker
M Jack Baderman
M Jeremy Yi
F Bryan Loebig
F Jake Semba
Naperville Central
GK Adam Daas
D Derek Kerbs
D Griffin Geisler
D Sean Flading
M Noah Hey
M Nick Coon
M Jordi McCormack
M Christopher Schwaiger
F Ethan Mohr
F Jordi Heeneman
F Riley Guttosch
Man of the Match: Joe Kallikadan, Naperville Central.
preserves tie for Naperville Central
Second half keeper holds off Hinsdale Central
By Matt Le Cren
NAPERVILLE – Joe Kallikadan hasn’t been called upon to make many big saves for Naperville Central this season, certainly not with a game on the line.
That changed Saturday and the junior was up to the task, making a diving stop on a shot by Hinsdale Central’s Bryan Loebig with 8:30 remaining in the second half.
It was the save of the game as it allowed the host Redhawks to preserve a 1-1 tie with Hinsdale Central at Memorial Stadium.
The play began with a throw-in from the left wing that bounced into the box. Loebig broke for the ball and fired from about 10 yards out. Kallikadan lunged to his right to stop it and then smothered the ball as it got behind him.
“We were marking up for that throw, and we had our outside back on their forward,” Kallikadan said. “He stepped up because their player stepped up too, but it just went over him and the forward got right around him.
“[Loebig] took a shot and it was just a quick reaction save. I went down and I got it, then it rolled out so I got up as fast as I could and jumped on the ball.”
Naperville Central coach Troy Adams said: “That was a big save. That’s the game, so big save.”
Kallikadan, who was named Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match, and senior Adam Daas have been splitting time between the pipes the last two weeks for the Redhawks (7-1-3). Daas started this one and made two saves in the first half before Kallikadan checked in at intermission.
“We’ve got two goalies that are both doing a good job and in some ways you’d like to have two,” Adams said. “I know nobody likes splitting time, but I think you have somebody to lean on but you also have someone that’s competing with you. It’s always better when you have someone who is trying to hold you accountable for how you play on the field.”
The arrangement makes it tough on whoever plays the second half -- they have to come into the game cold. But Kallikadan doesn’t mind the arrangement.
“It gets difficult knowing that you’re not as warm as you were at the beginning of the game, but you’ve just got to be ready,” he said. “Being a goalie you know it’s always going to be either a quick shot or a tough shot, so you just have to be ready.
“[Daas and I] switch off. It helps us push each other during practice knowing that we don’t have a set starting spot, trying to make ourselves better.”
For two high-caliber teams, this match accomplished its’ task of making each of them better. Hinsdale Central (6-2-2) and Naperville Central are two of the premier programs in the Chicago area and it was no surprise they played to a draw.
“We’ve had good games against strong teams on what I would argue is one of the toughest schedules you’re going to find,” Hinsdale Central coach Mike Wiggins said. “Today is no different. We take today’s [opponent] as an Elite Eight, Final Four type of team.
“To me this game serves exactly the purpose that we hoped for in a nonconference game and that is playing one of the best-coached teams in the area with strong players.”
Both teams have strong players and the two strongest cancelled each other out. Emory-bound defender Evan Floersch had the prime assignment of marking Naperville Central star striker Jordi Heeneman and the senior came through for the Red Devils, holding the explosive Heeneman without a shot and twice taking the ball away from him after long runs.
“Jordi is a very high level player but our guys were equal to it,” Wiggins said. “Evan demonstrated why he is clearly, without question, one of the best defenders in the state. He is a high-level player.
“Emory is going to get a very strong player. A program like Emory doesn’t go after anybody but a player like Evan. He demonstrated today in a couple of 1 v. 1 situations with Jordi why he’s as strong a player as he is.”
Floersch, who literally left every ounce of energy, as well as his lunch, on the field, spread the credit around.
“I thought collectively as a team defensively we played very well,” said Floersch, who vomited at the end of the game but felt fine afterward. “[Heeneman] is a great player. It’s a privilege to play against him but defensively we were prepared.
“I didn’t do anything special. Coach says sit there and delay him, keep your feet moving, keep him in front of you, and it worked out today.”
But it didn’t prevent the Redhawks from taking the lead. Despite mustering just two shots in the first half and five for the game, Naperville Central struck first when senior Sean Flading scored on a strong header off a cross from Neal Hasan with 6:59 left in the first half.
Flading, a two-year starting defender, was making his debut in the midfield as Adams shook up his lineup after two-straight lethargic offensive performances.
“He’s traditionally a back, but our midfield needs to learn that you have to work and he will work,” Adams said. “This is the best game he’s played. He plays with his heart. We need more players that play with their heart.
“If you could have 11 Seans on your team you’re not going to lose a game because that kid just works and works.”
To hear Flading tell it, the position switch took a lot of hard work on his part and that of his teammates.
“It was a new role for me,” Flading said. “It took a lot of help from the rest of the team to tell me what I needed to do because I’m not very comfortable in there. It was the other outside mids and defensive mids directing me. They did a lot of good work on that goal.”
Though Naperville Central failed to get anything else past the Red Devils’ defense despite a late flurry in the final minute, Flading said he saw improvement from the Redhawks, who are winless (0-1-2) in their last three starts.
“I think we did a lot better this game than our last two or three results,” Flading said. “We did a lot better work today just getting up and down the field and doing what coach said. As a team we just played well together, and that’s something that we haven’t really done these last few games.”
Wiggins was equally pleased with his squad’s effort. Both coaches agreed that the Red Devils had the better of the play in the first half before the second half became more back-and-forth.
Hinsdale Central regrouped quickly after Flading’s goal and got the equalizer with 3:15 to go before the break. Jack Baderman sent a 19-yard free kick from just outside the right side of the box screaming toward the back post where Michael Usher headed it home.
“To be down 1-0, there wasn’t a level of concern because we were still having success keeping it, getting into the attack and creating chances,” Wiggins said. “I think our system worked.”
Starting lineups
Hinsdale Central
GK Wes Bergevin
D Nicholas Silva
D William McGowen
D Evan Floersch
M Justin Yi
M Sebastian Skiba
M Jim Walker
M Jack Baderman
M Jeremy Yi
F Bryan Loebig
F Jake Semba
Naperville Central
GK Adam Daas
D Derek Kerbs
D Griffin Geisler
D Sean Flading
M Noah Hey
M Nick Coon
M Jordi McCormack
M Christopher Schwaiger
F Ethan Mohr
F Jordi Heeneman
F Riley Guttosch
Man of the Match: Joe Kallikadan, Naperville Central.