Saint Ignatius' McManus
celebrates against old friends
Two-goal game powers 3-1 win over U. of C. Lab School
By Dave Owen
CHICAGO -- Except for the weather, Ethan McManus had a very happy class reunion on Tuesday.
McManus’ two goals powered Saint Ignatius (10-6-4) to a rain-soaked 3-1 win over the University of Chicago Laboratory School. The performance was the latest big day in McManus’ 13-goal season, but this one was extra special.
“It was especially fun because I went to that school (University Lab) for grade school, so those were all my grade school buddies,” McManus said. “It was fun to play against them and get two goals.”
McManus comes off the bench to add offensive punch. He wasted no time doing that Tuesday.
With 10:09 left in the half and the Wolfpack up 1-0, a Chauncey Flowers throw-in bounced toward McManus in the center of the box about 12 yards out. He controlled the high bounce, turned and nicely lined a shot inside the right post.
“I had just come in off the bench and was in for about three seconds,” McManus said. “There was a throw-in that came right to me. I turned a little bit and shot it over the goalie.”
McManus’ second goal was even bigger, as University had drawn within 2-1 with 6:46 left in the half on Max Rochester’s low 20-yarder inside the right post off a throw-in.
On a University goal kick just 1:07 before halftime, McManus pounced on a deflection off a Maroons player, dribbled in and skipped a low, perfectly placed 30-yard shot just inside the left post for a 3-1 lead.
“I don’t have many long shot goals, but that was definitely a good one,” McManus said. “(The goal kick) hit one of their players, and I stole the ball. I knew the ground was wet, and I just took the shot.”
The great end to the first half was a bookend to the Wolfpack’s early strike.
After turning away a Maroons corner kick threat four minutes in, Saint Ignatius grabbed a 1-0 lead 33:09 before halftime.
A great run up the left sideline by Taylor Reifert (who with fellow senior Max Smith also attended grade school at University Lab) ignited the chance. Flowers’ eventual cross toward the net initially deflected off a defender, but Ian Waller was there to power home the rebound and give the Wolfpack the lead for good at 1-0.
“It was slippery, and we had to adjust at first,” Wolfpack junior Alex Collins said. “It was kind of shaky at the beginning, but we used the skipping of the ball to our advantage. I felt the offense played very good today.”
Flowers explained, “The ball was moving very fast this game, so it was imperative that we kept our shape. But I think we got wide well and we held the middle a lot better than we normally do. We had a lot of good runs as well, so it was a fun game.”
The Wolfpack held Senior Day ceremonies at halftime, and the heavy rains that impacted the match mercifully held off during the break.
Second-half play began with a lineup that featured senior starters Reifert, Kevin Dingens, Randy Martinez and Woo Sung Jung, along with fellow seniors Nick Sanchez-Plesha (in for starter Bryant Hales at goalkeeper), Anthony DeMeo, Max Smith, Joe Brikha, Jake Schafer and Marco Garibay.
Mike Troyke (sidelined with mono) was honored at halftime but was unable to play.
“All the seniors started the second half except Mike Troyke, who’s been sick and didn’t play, and a lot of them got time in the first half,” Wolfpack coach Ryan Kearns said. “The seniors played well. It looked like they were having a lot of fun and enjoying their time together.”
The senior lineup was tested often by the Maroons, starting with a corner kick four minutes into the half on which junior Alex Collins blocked one point-blank chance and Collins and Reifert combined to deny a second quality threat.
As the rain intensified, the Maroons’ pressure also was steady. Sanchez-Plesha made
a nice catch of a slippery 40-yard direct kick with 27:30 left, and Collins’ block and Jung’s clear denied another direct kick chance.
Dingens used great speed to hustle back and deny a potential chance with 21:20 to go. DeMeo’s nice sliding play right of the goal prevented a later Maroons threat. Then Reifert’s interception and clear of a corner kick with 2:40 to go denied the final chance.
“We went with a flat four in the back and just isolated their best players and made sure they didn’t turn at the ball,” Collins said.
One of the Wolfpack's best offensive chances of the half came from senior Brikha, who burst up the middle with 6:30 left but sent a 20-yard shot just over the net.
While winning for the seventh time in the last nine games, the Wolfpack was too much on their heels for Kearns’ liking.
“It was sloppy soccer at times,” Kearns said of the weather, “but we still have to play through that because if we see that (weather) in a regional, we can’t use that as an excuse. I thought we turned the ball over a lot, which is expected in these conditions, but we still have to limit it.
“We had a rough start to the second half, just slow, and we couldn’t get any possession. I was glad we had the lead but I thought we were going to lose it. If it wasn’t for a couple of saves by the keeper and the defense, we could have.
“We have to move faster with possession in the middle of the field, and our central mids have to move the ball faster. If they can move it a second faster, we’ll be really effective pushing the ball forward. But once they slow down, it’s tough.”
Even an injury to sophomore Patrick Breslin hasn’t slowed the Wolfpack in the win column. Of this year’s squad, only Reifert and Dingens saw extensive playing time during last year’s run to second place in Class 2A. But the rebuilt Saint Ignatius squad has excelled since mid-September.
“As an underclassman, I just look up to all the people who came before us like Jonathan Viera and all the seniors who graduated last year,” Flowers said. “We’re just trying to carry on the tradition.”
The 2014 Wolfpack now carries its own winning feeling into the postseason, albeit in a tough Class 3A Hinsdale Central regional (starting Oct. 22 against Whitney Young).
“I think this is a good win,” McManus said. “It’ll motivate us for the future, and if we get a good win over Marist (in Thursday’s season finale) we’ll be good going in against Whitney Young.”
Flowers sees several keys to continuing the success.
“I think holding the middle better, making sure our runs are on time and that we’re just all in the same mind-set,” he said.
Starting lineups
University of Chicago Lab School
GK- Nigel Van Ha
D- Henry Utset
D- William Surmeier
D- Nicholas Audrain
D- Maxwell Brown
M- Michael Glick
M- Max Rochester
M- Michael Horio
M- Christopher Healy
F- Alexander Foster
F- Gabriel Guevara
Saint Ignatius
GK- Bryant Hales
D- Kevin Dingens
D- Chauncey Flowers
D- Alex Collins
D- Conner Hatzopoulos
M- Randy Martinez
M- Taylor Reifert
M- Max Taylor
M- Ian Waller
F- Diego Vazquez
F-Lucas Kotlowitz
Man of the Match: Ethan McManus, Saint Ignatius
Officials: Bill Stamper, John Washo, Francisco Rojas
celebrates against old friends
Two-goal game powers 3-1 win over U. of C. Lab School
By Dave Owen
CHICAGO -- Except for the weather, Ethan McManus had a very happy class reunion on Tuesday.
McManus’ two goals powered Saint Ignatius (10-6-4) to a rain-soaked 3-1 win over the University of Chicago Laboratory School. The performance was the latest big day in McManus’ 13-goal season, but this one was extra special.
“It was especially fun because I went to that school (University Lab) for grade school, so those were all my grade school buddies,” McManus said. “It was fun to play against them and get two goals.”
McManus comes off the bench to add offensive punch. He wasted no time doing that Tuesday.
With 10:09 left in the half and the Wolfpack up 1-0, a Chauncey Flowers throw-in bounced toward McManus in the center of the box about 12 yards out. He controlled the high bounce, turned and nicely lined a shot inside the right post.
“I had just come in off the bench and was in for about three seconds,” McManus said. “There was a throw-in that came right to me. I turned a little bit and shot it over the goalie.”
McManus’ second goal was even bigger, as University had drawn within 2-1 with 6:46 left in the half on Max Rochester’s low 20-yarder inside the right post off a throw-in.
On a University goal kick just 1:07 before halftime, McManus pounced on a deflection off a Maroons player, dribbled in and skipped a low, perfectly placed 30-yard shot just inside the left post for a 3-1 lead.
“I don’t have many long shot goals, but that was definitely a good one,” McManus said. “(The goal kick) hit one of their players, and I stole the ball. I knew the ground was wet, and I just took the shot.”
The great end to the first half was a bookend to the Wolfpack’s early strike.
After turning away a Maroons corner kick threat four minutes in, Saint Ignatius grabbed a 1-0 lead 33:09 before halftime.
A great run up the left sideline by Taylor Reifert (who with fellow senior Max Smith also attended grade school at University Lab) ignited the chance. Flowers’ eventual cross toward the net initially deflected off a defender, but Ian Waller was there to power home the rebound and give the Wolfpack the lead for good at 1-0.
“It was slippery, and we had to adjust at first,” Wolfpack junior Alex Collins said. “It was kind of shaky at the beginning, but we used the skipping of the ball to our advantage. I felt the offense played very good today.”
Flowers explained, “The ball was moving very fast this game, so it was imperative that we kept our shape. But I think we got wide well and we held the middle a lot better than we normally do. We had a lot of good runs as well, so it was a fun game.”
The Wolfpack held Senior Day ceremonies at halftime, and the heavy rains that impacted the match mercifully held off during the break.
Second-half play began with a lineup that featured senior starters Reifert, Kevin Dingens, Randy Martinez and Woo Sung Jung, along with fellow seniors Nick Sanchez-Plesha (in for starter Bryant Hales at goalkeeper), Anthony DeMeo, Max Smith, Joe Brikha, Jake Schafer and Marco Garibay.
Mike Troyke (sidelined with mono) was honored at halftime but was unable to play.
“All the seniors started the second half except Mike Troyke, who’s been sick and didn’t play, and a lot of them got time in the first half,” Wolfpack coach Ryan Kearns said. “The seniors played well. It looked like they were having a lot of fun and enjoying their time together.”
The senior lineup was tested often by the Maroons, starting with a corner kick four minutes into the half on which junior Alex Collins blocked one point-blank chance and Collins and Reifert combined to deny a second quality threat.
As the rain intensified, the Maroons’ pressure also was steady. Sanchez-Plesha made
a nice catch of a slippery 40-yard direct kick with 27:30 left, and Collins’ block and Jung’s clear denied another direct kick chance.
Dingens used great speed to hustle back and deny a potential chance with 21:20 to go. DeMeo’s nice sliding play right of the goal prevented a later Maroons threat. Then Reifert’s interception and clear of a corner kick with 2:40 to go denied the final chance.
“We went with a flat four in the back and just isolated their best players and made sure they didn’t turn at the ball,” Collins said.
One of the Wolfpack's best offensive chances of the half came from senior Brikha, who burst up the middle with 6:30 left but sent a 20-yard shot just over the net.
While winning for the seventh time in the last nine games, the Wolfpack was too much on their heels for Kearns’ liking.
“It was sloppy soccer at times,” Kearns said of the weather, “but we still have to play through that because if we see that (weather) in a regional, we can’t use that as an excuse. I thought we turned the ball over a lot, which is expected in these conditions, but we still have to limit it.
“We had a rough start to the second half, just slow, and we couldn’t get any possession. I was glad we had the lead but I thought we were going to lose it. If it wasn’t for a couple of saves by the keeper and the defense, we could have.
“We have to move faster with possession in the middle of the field, and our central mids have to move the ball faster. If they can move it a second faster, we’ll be really effective pushing the ball forward. But once they slow down, it’s tough.”
Even an injury to sophomore Patrick Breslin hasn’t slowed the Wolfpack in the win column. Of this year’s squad, only Reifert and Dingens saw extensive playing time during last year’s run to second place in Class 2A. But the rebuilt Saint Ignatius squad has excelled since mid-September.
“As an underclassman, I just look up to all the people who came before us like Jonathan Viera and all the seniors who graduated last year,” Flowers said. “We’re just trying to carry on the tradition.”
The 2014 Wolfpack now carries its own winning feeling into the postseason, albeit in a tough Class 3A Hinsdale Central regional (starting Oct. 22 against Whitney Young).
“I think this is a good win,” McManus said. “It’ll motivate us for the future, and if we get a good win over Marist (in Thursday’s season finale) we’ll be good going in against Whitney Young.”
Flowers sees several keys to continuing the success.
“I think holding the middle better, making sure our runs are on time and that we’re just all in the same mind-set,” he said.
Starting lineups
University of Chicago Lab School
GK- Nigel Van Ha
D- Henry Utset
D- William Surmeier
D- Nicholas Audrain
D- Maxwell Brown
M- Michael Glick
M- Max Rochester
M- Michael Horio
M- Christopher Healy
F- Alexander Foster
F- Gabriel Guevara
Saint Ignatius
GK- Bryant Hales
D- Kevin Dingens
D- Chauncey Flowers
D- Alex Collins
D- Conner Hatzopoulos
M- Randy Martinez
M- Taylor Reifert
M- Max Taylor
M- Ian Waller
F- Diego Vazquez
F-Lucas Kotlowitz
Man of the Match: Ethan McManus, Saint Ignatius
Officials: Bill Stamper, John Washo, Francisco Rojas