Fremd's 3-goal rally comes up just short
Hosts respond to 4-0 deficit, but fall in 7-goal thriller to Barrington
By Mike Garofola
PALATINE -- Will the real Fremd soccer team please stand up?
Is it Team A: which features a high-octane offense that plays quick using width with speed on the ball; shows high energy, purpose and industry; is dangerous on set pieces; and sturdy in the back with voracious ball-winners?
Or ...
Is it Team B: which plays at times as listed above but only in 10-15 minutes sequences; concedes too much in its own end; and finds itself chasing the game far too often?
Fremd co-captains Dalton Rogers and Ben Cuthbert both believe the Vikings can be Team A. So does manager Steve Keller, but all three admit there's still a ways to go before their club can stand up and be the team they want to be.
Flash back to Tuesday night: Barrington's Nathan Patterson, Michael Blanke and Klaus Pallan give the Broncos a 3-0 lead in the first 20 minutes, and the visitors grew their lead to 4-0 lead with 27 minutes left in regulation.
Then Fremd's Team A arrived and brought its fans to their feet with a stunning finish. Unfortunately the earlier damages was too great and left the hosts on the wrong end of a 4-3 decision in the key early season Mid-Suburban League West Division match at Hildebrant Field on the Fremd campus.
It was a breathless contest, one that underlined preseason optimism from both sides and their respective managers and also showed just how good each club could be when playing at their best level.
"Barrington was so much better than we were early on, (but) in all due respect for Scott and his team, I really felt it was an even first half aside from the three goals we conceded," offered Keller.
Disaster nearly struck just after the referee whistled the match open for business when Fremd keeper Artur Cholewa turned aside a nasty strike from Gio Guarnero and then saw his save spill freely into the box.
An opportunistic Blanke swooped in and finished with ease - but obviously too easy in the eyes of the assistant referee on the far side who raised his flag to signal the Broncos junior offsides.
The Fremd defense was called upon to parry a dangerous ball out of the area moments later on a well-executed quick restart from Noah Sebens and Blanke, but it could do nothing in the 7th minute when Connor Delahunt buried his shot from near the edge.
Two minutes later Blanke dispossessed his mark near the midline before racing 40 yards up the flank to eventually get a corner.
From the flag, Blankes' low drive found its way off Cholewa and over the goal line.
The quick strikes awoke the Vikings attack and the trio of Jake Schoffstall, Kaelan Conway and Matt Austin forced a save from Brett Sprengel, who seconds later came off his line to send a dangerous ball from Angel Virgos off the pitch.
Sprengel would then make the first of a handful of terrific saves on the evening - this one with a fearless point-blank stop of Austin in the 17th minute.
With all the momentum doing a 180-degree turn in favor of the home side, it appeared the Vikings (2-4-0, 0-2-0), frustrated briefly by the aforementioned Sprengel, were ready to get themselves back into the game.
However, the Broncos extended their lead on a brilliant goal from Pallan when he met a perfectly aimed cross into the box.
Despite chasing three goals, Fremd showed no quit.
"That was one of the things I liked best about this team tonight," said Keller. "(They) didn't fold when they went down three goals and never stopped playing despite the intensity and pressure Barrington was putting on us.
"(Ryan) Cox had a great chance right at the end of the half, Matt Austin went wide also, and there were a couple of others opportunities we had. So who knows what happens if we finish one or two of them?"
Barrington's Patterson blocked Angel Virgos after a long throw, then sent a ball out of the box after Fremd's Austin and Josh Bennett had combined to produce a troublesome chance.
"Our energy dropped after we went up 3-0, then it picked up once again when it became 4-0, but we didn't manage our lead very well," said Patterson, who is an important part of a brand new backline for the reigning MSL champions and Class 3A state runnerup. "And we all played like the game was already won, which obviously it wasn't with the way Fremd came at us in the second half."
Fremd's closing rush was impressive.
"With this team it's all about playing with confidence. When we do, we can do some pretty special things," said the senior Cuthbert, who scored the Vikings third goal and managed things along the back with poise and composure after the break to earn Chicagoland Soccer's Man of the Match honor. "You saw how well we can play during the second half tonight.
"We've got to learn to keep it positive, and pull each other up when there's a mistake. But with so many new guys playing their first year with the varsity, that's going to take some time for them to learn, as well as the returning players as well."
With as many as a half dozen sophomores in the game at the same time, Keller was quick to credit a handful of young players as catalysts during the second half uprising that put a scare into Barrington (5-2-0, 2-0-0), which is ranked 11th in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25.
"Jake Schoffstall was big for us tonight in the role as a defensive midfielder," said Keller of the sophomore. "But he was more than that as he got forward, won a ton of 50-50s and just kept working until he couldn't go anymore."
The Vikings manager was quick to add the names of Russell Beaupre and Bennett to his super sophomore list, before adding senior Max Clark to the conversation for his all-action, high work rate and ferocious tackling as an outside back.
Barrington's final goal, after a lung-bursting long run and finish from Ethan Lew, seemingly ended the hopes of the Vikings for good.
However, up popped Beaupre who curled in his 24-yarder out of reach of the outstretched Sprengel to begin what would be a frantic and sometimes end-to-end thrill ride that kept everyone on the edge of their seats until this entertaining game came to a close.
With more urgency in each touch and run forward, the Vikings created two-consecutive corners, one from a clever run from Max Mayer and another by Jake Scesniak.
Scesniak whipped in a terrific inward swinging corner that Rogers blasted just under the woodwork to cut the visitors lead in half 12 minutes from time.
"I feel the same way Keller did. That first half was evenly played, but we didn't put our chances away, and Barrington did," began Rogers, who thumped his header into the back of the net from inside the six-yard box.
"We've got to learn to stay away from lapses in our game. Our lack of communication and inability to do the little things hurts us."
A leap from reserve keeper Cal Uhryniak denied Clark in the 69th minute but prompted Steib to bring most of the Broncos first 11 back on the pitch for the stretch run.
A minute later with Sprengel back on the line, Cuthbert ran onto a loose ball before unloading an unstoppable long-range missile into the upper right corner.
The Vikings, now on their front foot, went in search of the equalizer during the final 10 minutes. But except for some brave and crafty runs into the area from Mayer, Beaupre, Austin and Bennett, the most dangerous opportunity came when a long throw was pulled out of the air by an aggressive Sprengel.
"Fremd pushed us hard, especially in that first half, but we played with a lot of composure, especially when they put a lot of pressure on us," said Barrington manager Scott Steib. "To come away with three big points against our longtime rival and nemesis was something the lads should be proud of."
Entering this divisional match, Fremd held a career advantage of 38-15-4 over the Broncos, the best in the MSL against the red and black.
"It was an exciting night of soccer, and one that we stayed in right until the very end," began Keller.
"It was well officiated, and well played and hard fought, and we learned a few more things about our team tonight.
"Perhaps the biggest thing for me was to see how Barrington came in here knowing it would win, having that killer-instinct type of mentality, which is something we need.
"We played at a high level in the second half, but we need to play with that kind of confidence from the start of every game from here on out."
When it does, Fremd will be Team A .
Starting lineups
Barrington
GK- Brett Sprengel
D- Charlie Frank
D- Nathan Patterson
D- Connor Delahunt
D- Noah Sebens
M- Ethan Lew
M- Gio Guarnero
M- Colton Wever
M- Omkar Prabhavalkar
F- Michael Blanke
F- Klaus Pallan
Fremd
GK: Artur Cholewa
D- Cole Jackson
D- Dalton Rogers
D- Ben Cuthbert
D- Max Clark
M- Jake Schoffstall
M- Kaelan Conway
M- Matt Austin
M- Max Mayer
F- Angel Virgos
F- Russell Beaupre
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Ben Cuthbert, sr., D, Fremd
Officials: Dimitry Katsimiris (center)
Scoring summary
Barrington
Delahunt 7', Blanke 9', Pallan 20', E. Lew 53'
Fremd
Beaupre 54', Rogers 68', Cuthbert 70'
Hosts respond to 4-0 deficit, but fall in 7-goal thriller to Barrington
By Mike Garofola
PALATINE -- Will the real Fremd soccer team please stand up?
Is it Team A: which features a high-octane offense that plays quick using width with speed on the ball; shows high energy, purpose and industry; is dangerous on set pieces; and sturdy in the back with voracious ball-winners?
Or ...
Is it Team B: which plays at times as listed above but only in 10-15 minutes sequences; concedes too much in its own end; and finds itself chasing the game far too often?
Fremd co-captains Dalton Rogers and Ben Cuthbert both believe the Vikings can be Team A. So does manager Steve Keller, but all three admit there's still a ways to go before their club can stand up and be the team they want to be.
Flash back to Tuesday night: Barrington's Nathan Patterson, Michael Blanke and Klaus Pallan give the Broncos a 3-0 lead in the first 20 minutes, and the visitors grew their lead to 4-0 lead with 27 minutes left in regulation.
Then Fremd's Team A arrived and brought its fans to their feet with a stunning finish. Unfortunately the earlier damages was too great and left the hosts on the wrong end of a 4-3 decision in the key early season Mid-Suburban League West Division match at Hildebrant Field on the Fremd campus.
It was a breathless contest, one that underlined preseason optimism from both sides and their respective managers and also showed just how good each club could be when playing at their best level.
"Barrington was so much better than we were early on, (but) in all due respect for Scott and his team, I really felt it was an even first half aside from the three goals we conceded," offered Keller.
Disaster nearly struck just after the referee whistled the match open for business when Fremd keeper Artur Cholewa turned aside a nasty strike from Gio Guarnero and then saw his save spill freely into the box.
An opportunistic Blanke swooped in and finished with ease - but obviously too easy in the eyes of the assistant referee on the far side who raised his flag to signal the Broncos junior offsides.
The Fremd defense was called upon to parry a dangerous ball out of the area moments later on a well-executed quick restart from Noah Sebens and Blanke, but it could do nothing in the 7th minute when Connor Delahunt buried his shot from near the edge.
Two minutes later Blanke dispossessed his mark near the midline before racing 40 yards up the flank to eventually get a corner.
From the flag, Blankes' low drive found its way off Cholewa and over the goal line.
The quick strikes awoke the Vikings attack and the trio of Jake Schoffstall, Kaelan Conway and Matt Austin forced a save from Brett Sprengel, who seconds later came off his line to send a dangerous ball from Angel Virgos off the pitch.
Sprengel would then make the first of a handful of terrific saves on the evening - this one with a fearless point-blank stop of Austin in the 17th minute.
With all the momentum doing a 180-degree turn in favor of the home side, it appeared the Vikings (2-4-0, 0-2-0), frustrated briefly by the aforementioned Sprengel, were ready to get themselves back into the game.
However, the Broncos extended their lead on a brilliant goal from Pallan when he met a perfectly aimed cross into the box.
Despite chasing three goals, Fremd showed no quit.
"That was one of the things I liked best about this team tonight," said Keller. "(They) didn't fold when they went down three goals and never stopped playing despite the intensity and pressure Barrington was putting on us.
"(Ryan) Cox had a great chance right at the end of the half, Matt Austin went wide also, and there were a couple of others opportunities we had. So who knows what happens if we finish one or two of them?"
Barrington's Patterson blocked Angel Virgos after a long throw, then sent a ball out of the box after Fremd's Austin and Josh Bennett had combined to produce a troublesome chance.
"Our energy dropped after we went up 3-0, then it picked up once again when it became 4-0, but we didn't manage our lead very well," said Patterson, who is an important part of a brand new backline for the reigning MSL champions and Class 3A state runnerup. "And we all played like the game was already won, which obviously it wasn't with the way Fremd came at us in the second half."
Fremd's closing rush was impressive.
"With this team it's all about playing with confidence. When we do, we can do some pretty special things," said the senior Cuthbert, who scored the Vikings third goal and managed things along the back with poise and composure after the break to earn Chicagoland Soccer's Man of the Match honor. "You saw how well we can play during the second half tonight.
"We've got to learn to keep it positive, and pull each other up when there's a mistake. But with so many new guys playing their first year with the varsity, that's going to take some time for them to learn, as well as the returning players as well."
With as many as a half dozen sophomores in the game at the same time, Keller was quick to credit a handful of young players as catalysts during the second half uprising that put a scare into Barrington (5-2-0, 2-0-0), which is ranked 11th in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25.
"Jake Schoffstall was big for us tonight in the role as a defensive midfielder," said Keller of the sophomore. "But he was more than that as he got forward, won a ton of 50-50s and just kept working until he couldn't go anymore."
The Vikings manager was quick to add the names of Russell Beaupre and Bennett to his super sophomore list, before adding senior Max Clark to the conversation for his all-action, high work rate and ferocious tackling as an outside back.
Barrington's final goal, after a lung-bursting long run and finish from Ethan Lew, seemingly ended the hopes of the Vikings for good.
However, up popped Beaupre who curled in his 24-yarder out of reach of the outstretched Sprengel to begin what would be a frantic and sometimes end-to-end thrill ride that kept everyone on the edge of their seats until this entertaining game came to a close.
With more urgency in each touch and run forward, the Vikings created two-consecutive corners, one from a clever run from Max Mayer and another by Jake Scesniak.
Scesniak whipped in a terrific inward swinging corner that Rogers blasted just under the woodwork to cut the visitors lead in half 12 minutes from time.
"I feel the same way Keller did. That first half was evenly played, but we didn't put our chances away, and Barrington did," began Rogers, who thumped his header into the back of the net from inside the six-yard box.
"We've got to learn to stay away from lapses in our game. Our lack of communication and inability to do the little things hurts us."
A leap from reserve keeper Cal Uhryniak denied Clark in the 69th minute but prompted Steib to bring most of the Broncos first 11 back on the pitch for the stretch run.
A minute later with Sprengel back on the line, Cuthbert ran onto a loose ball before unloading an unstoppable long-range missile into the upper right corner.
The Vikings, now on their front foot, went in search of the equalizer during the final 10 minutes. But except for some brave and crafty runs into the area from Mayer, Beaupre, Austin and Bennett, the most dangerous opportunity came when a long throw was pulled out of the air by an aggressive Sprengel.
"Fremd pushed us hard, especially in that first half, but we played with a lot of composure, especially when they put a lot of pressure on us," said Barrington manager Scott Steib. "To come away with three big points against our longtime rival and nemesis was something the lads should be proud of."
Entering this divisional match, Fremd held a career advantage of 38-15-4 over the Broncos, the best in the MSL against the red and black.
"It was an exciting night of soccer, and one that we stayed in right until the very end," began Keller.
"It was well officiated, and well played and hard fought, and we learned a few more things about our team tonight.
"Perhaps the biggest thing for me was to see how Barrington came in here knowing it would win, having that killer-instinct type of mentality, which is something we need.
"We played at a high level in the second half, but we need to play with that kind of confidence from the start of every game from here on out."
When it does, Fremd will be Team A .
Starting lineups
Barrington
GK- Brett Sprengel
D- Charlie Frank
D- Nathan Patterson
D- Connor Delahunt
D- Noah Sebens
M- Ethan Lew
M- Gio Guarnero
M- Colton Wever
M- Omkar Prabhavalkar
F- Michael Blanke
F- Klaus Pallan
Fremd
GK: Artur Cholewa
D- Cole Jackson
D- Dalton Rogers
D- Ben Cuthbert
D- Max Clark
M- Jake Schoffstall
M- Kaelan Conway
M- Matt Austin
M- Max Mayer
F- Angel Virgos
F- Russell Beaupre
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Ben Cuthbert, sr., D, Fremd
Officials: Dimitry Katsimiris (center)
Scoring summary
Barrington
Delahunt 7', Blanke 9', Pallan 20', E. Lew 53'
Fremd
Beaupre 54', Rogers 68', Cuthbert 70'