West Chicago sloshes
to upset win at Benet Academy
Late goal from jv call-up Perez
rains on host's Senior Day, unbeaten streak
By Matt Le Cren
LISLE – The weather didn’t spoil Benet Academy’s Senior Day.
But West Chicago did.
Senior Manny Perez scored with 1:48 remaining as the visiting Wildcats rallied to upset Benet Academy 2-1 Monday, snapping the Redwings’ 11-game unbeaten streak.
The goal was Perez’s first on the varsity level. He was playing just his second game since being called up from the JV squad.
“It’s great to have different guys step up, and that’s his first goal for us,” West Chicago coach Jose Villa said. “It’s the kind of thing that we talk about, that anybody can step in here and make something happen.
“It’s a team effort, but I’m happy for him and I know the guys are too because it’s his second game at the varsity level. Being able to finish an opportunity like that to win the game is great.”
The goal – and the victory – was not a fluke. The Wildcats (8-8-2) were better on the ball and outshot the Redwings 17-11.
The decisive play began when Edgar Pani sent a free kick from the left wing in to the middle of the Benet penalty area. The ball was cleared but went to Perez just outside the box. Perez drove a 20-yard shot through the rain into the lower right corner of the net to snap a 1-1 tie.
“I’m just like I’m going to take the shot and see what happens,” Perez said. “Yeah, [I’m] kind of [surprised it went in].”
Perez, the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match, shouldn’t have been surprised given the way he and his teammates had been playing. West Chicago was the more aggressive team and had narrowly missed several earlier scoring chances.
One they didn’t miss came with 5:16 left in the first half when Perez sent a pass to senior Oswaldo Estrada, who cut into the middle and then scored on a 19-yard shot to tie the game 1-1.
Omar Kashow had given Benet (13-3-2) the early lead when he scored off an assist from Andrew Heaton at the 34:14 mark of the first half.
It appeared the Redwings would roll from that point on despite a driving rain and terrible field conditions that saw passes come to a standstill in puddles. But the Wildcats had other ideas.
“We knew they were going to be hard so we tried to take our advantages with the water,” Estrada said. “It was really muddy. We tried to take advantage of that.
“It was really hard. You tried to move the ball quick, but it just stays there. It could have gone both ways, but it went our way.”
While parents and coaches may have feared the conditions would cause injuries, the players took it as a challenge.
“It’s fun,” Estrada said. “I love it.”
Of course, when you have the ball skills of Estrada, it’s easy to play in the mud.
“Oswaldo is that kind of player that’s very special in the fact that he’s so skillful and so quick,” Villa said. “There’s guys that are skillful or quick, but he has the combination of the two.
“He can move the ball and keep the ball and just keep guys guessing as to what he’s going to do. He’ll change things up and is able to create so many things for us.”
Estrada caused trouble for Benet Academy even before he scored the tying goal. The first sign of it came when he took a ball to the left end line and sent a cross to the near post to Misael Duran, whose sliding one-timer barely missed going in.
Then in the second half, Estrada ripped a shot from distance that missed inches high and wide with 13:05 to go. Seven minutes later, Estrada’s 24-yard free kick got past the Redwings’ wall and was headed for the lower left corner of the next before Benet Academy goalie Nick Senak lunged to his right to knock it away.
Rather that frustrate the Wildcats, the near-misses merely fueled their fire.
“We thought that we would eventually score a goal because we had the possession of the ball, and we took more shots than them,” Estrada said. “But they’re a good team.”
Indeed, the Redwings didn’t give the game away. They constantly looked for striker Kyle Kenagy and found him often enough.
Kenagy took six shots, including an open 12-yarder in front that Ricardo Porcayo made a diving stop on to preserve the win.
“Kyle is an impressive player and one we knew about, the kind of player that is special,” Villa said. “He makes stuff happen, and he can change the game in only one move and one play.
“It was nice to have just Hajhar Agha marking him, and I thought he did a great job of man-marking him and keeping him from, at least for the most part, being not as dangerous as he can be.”
Benet Academy had two near misses early in the second half. Heaton sent a 35-yard free kick rolling just wide of the left post and 12 minutes later a shot from Kashow narrowly missed the same post.
But Porcayo was up to the task regarding everything on frame in the second half. The freshman made five-of-his-seven saves after intermission.
“He is (composed),” Villa said. “He is definitely a leader. Sometimes you don’t get that much from a freshman playing at the varsity level, but he talks to his guys in the back and gets them going and makes sure they’re doing what they’re supposed to be doing. It’s awesome to have him there.”
With wins over Morton and Benet Academy, who have combined for only two other losses, the Wildcats are feeling good with the playoffs just a week away.
West Chicago is the No. 8 seed at the Class 3A Bartlett Sectional. The Wildcats face No. 9 Conant in the semifinals of the St. Charles East Regional on Oct. 21 and with a win would likely face top-seeded St. Charles East.
West Chicago did not play Conant in the regular season and lost 4-2 to St. Charles East (16-2-2) in league play. That regional will be played on grass, so Monday’s boggy affair was good practice for the Wildcats.
“We’re excited about being able to play on grass here at Benet Academy against a good quality team and be able to get the win,” Villa said. “Playing at the St. Charles East Regional we know we’re going to be playing on grass and playing against quality teams.
“We’re not looking past Conant. I know they’re going to be strong and aggressive and it’s going to tough. It’s a great time to be peaking for that game.”
The Wildcats won a play-in game last year before losing in the regional semifinals. They are hoping to better that showing this time.
“I think we’re doing pretty good,” Estrada said. “We’re getting each other up. We give each other confidence.”
Starting lineups
West Chicago
GK Ricardo Porcayo
D Sean Sweeney
D Antonio Velazquez
D Jesus Fernandez
D Josh Guercio
M Oswaldo Estrada
M Misael Druan
M Hajhar Agha
M Robert Bejarano
F Angel Santana
F Pancho Correa
Benet
GK Nick Senak
D Dustin Uher
D Harrison Burke
D Jared Kovach
M Andrew Heaton
M Brendan McDonnell
M Trenton Wray
F Omar Kashow
F Kyle Kenagy
F Johan Widmann
F Patrick Cleary
Man of the Match: Manny Perez, West Chicago.
to upset win at Benet Academy
Late goal from jv call-up Perez
rains on host's Senior Day, unbeaten streak
By Matt Le Cren
LISLE – The weather didn’t spoil Benet Academy’s Senior Day.
But West Chicago did.
Senior Manny Perez scored with 1:48 remaining as the visiting Wildcats rallied to upset Benet Academy 2-1 Monday, snapping the Redwings’ 11-game unbeaten streak.
The goal was Perez’s first on the varsity level. He was playing just his second game since being called up from the JV squad.
“It’s great to have different guys step up, and that’s his first goal for us,” West Chicago coach Jose Villa said. “It’s the kind of thing that we talk about, that anybody can step in here and make something happen.
“It’s a team effort, but I’m happy for him and I know the guys are too because it’s his second game at the varsity level. Being able to finish an opportunity like that to win the game is great.”
The goal – and the victory – was not a fluke. The Wildcats (8-8-2) were better on the ball and outshot the Redwings 17-11.
The decisive play began when Edgar Pani sent a free kick from the left wing in to the middle of the Benet penalty area. The ball was cleared but went to Perez just outside the box. Perez drove a 20-yard shot through the rain into the lower right corner of the net to snap a 1-1 tie.
“I’m just like I’m going to take the shot and see what happens,” Perez said. “Yeah, [I’m] kind of [surprised it went in].”
Perez, the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match, shouldn’t have been surprised given the way he and his teammates had been playing. West Chicago was the more aggressive team and had narrowly missed several earlier scoring chances.
One they didn’t miss came with 5:16 left in the first half when Perez sent a pass to senior Oswaldo Estrada, who cut into the middle and then scored on a 19-yard shot to tie the game 1-1.
Omar Kashow had given Benet (13-3-2) the early lead when he scored off an assist from Andrew Heaton at the 34:14 mark of the first half.
It appeared the Redwings would roll from that point on despite a driving rain and terrible field conditions that saw passes come to a standstill in puddles. But the Wildcats had other ideas.
“We knew they were going to be hard so we tried to take our advantages with the water,” Estrada said. “It was really muddy. We tried to take advantage of that.
“It was really hard. You tried to move the ball quick, but it just stays there. It could have gone both ways, but it went our way.”
While parents and coaches may have feared the conditions would cause injuries, the players took it as a challenge.
“It’s fun,” Estrada said. “I love it.”
Of course, when you have the ball skills of Estrada, it’s easy to play in the mud.
“Oswaldo is that kind of player that’s very special in the fact that he’s so skillful and so quick,” Villa said. “There’s guys that are skillful or quick, but he has the combination of the two.
“He can move the ball and keep the ball and just keep guys guessing as to what he’s going to do. He’ll change things up and is able to create so many things for us.”
Estrada caused trouble for Benet Academy even before he scored the tying goal. The first sign of it came when he took a ball to the left end line and sent a cross to the near post to Misael Duran, whose sliding one-timer barely missed going in.
Then in the second half, Estrada ripped a shot from distance that missed inches high and wide with 13:05 to go. Seven minutes later, Estrada’s 24-yard free kick got past the Redwings’ wall and was headed for the lower left corner of the next before Benet Academy goalie Nick Senak lunged to his right to knock it away.
Rather that frustrate the Wildcats, the near-misses merely fueled their fire.
“We thought that we would eventually score a goal because we had the possession of the ball, and we took more shots than them,” Estrada said. “But they’re a good team.”
Indeed, the Redwings didn’t give the game away. They constantly looked for striker Kyle Kenagy and found him often enough.
Kenagy took six shots, including an open 12-yarder in front that Ricardo Porcayo made a diving stop on to preserve the win.
“Kyle is an impressive player and one we knew about, the kind of player that is special,” Villa said. “He makes stuff happen, and he can change the game in only one move and one play.
“It was nice to have just Hajhar Agha marking him, and I thought he did a great job of man-marking him and keeping him from, at least for the most part, being not as dangerous as he can be.”
Benet Academy had two near misses early in the second half. Heaton sent a 35-yard free kick rolling just wide of the left post and 12 minutes later a shot from Kashow narrowly missed the same post.
But Porcayo was up to the task regarding everything on frame in the second half. The freshman made five-of-his-seven saves after intermission.
“He is (composed),” Villa said. “He is definitely a leader. Sometimes you don’t get that much from a freshman playing at the varsity level, but he talks to his guys in the back and gets them going and makes sure they’re doing what they’re supposed to be doing. It’s awesome to have him there.”
With wins over Morton and Benet Academy, who have combined for only two other losses, the Wildcats are feeling good with the playoffs just a week away.
West Chicago is the No. 8 seed at the Class 3A Bartlett Sectional. The Wildcats face No. 9 Conant in the semifinals of the St. Charles East Regional on Oct. 21 and with a win would likely face top-seeded St. Charles East.
West Chicago did not play Conant in the regular season and lost 4-2 to St. Charles East (16-2-2) in league play. That regional will be played on grass, so Monday’s boggy affair was good practice for the Wildcats.
“We’re excited about being able to play on grass here at Benet Academy against a good quality team and be able to get the win,” Villa said. “Playing at the St. Charles East Regional we know we’re going to be playing on grass and playing against quality teams.
“We’re not looking past Conant. I know they’re going to be strong and aggressive and it’s going to tough. It’s a great time to be peaking for that game.”
The Wildcats won a play-in game last year before losing in the regional semifinals. They are hoping to better that showing this time.
“I think we’re doing pretty good,” Estrada said. “We’re getting each other up. We give each other confidence.”
Starting lineups
West Chicago
GK Ricardo Porcayo
D Sean Sweeney
D Antonio Velazquez
D Jesus Fernandez
D Josh Guercio
M Oswaldo Estrada
M Misael Druan
M Hajhar Agha
M Robert Bejarano
F Angel Santana
F Pancho Correa
Benet
GK Nick Senak
D Dustin Uher
D Harrison Burke
D Jared Kovach
M Andrew Heaton
M Brendan McDonnell
M Trenton Wray
F Omar Kashow
F Kyle Kenagy
F Johan Widmann
F Patrick Cleary
Man of the Match: Manny Perez, West Chicago.