Fremd beats Benet for breakthrough win
Vikings open Best of the West tournament with 2-0 victory
By Steve Nemeth
NAPERVILLE -- Shortly after the horn sounded, one of the Fremd players noted the eerie silence that contrasted to a match where the Vikings and Benet were constantly knocking on each other’s door.
Of course being the late game of Tuesday’s Best of the West Tournament's opening night of Group 2 matches played at Naperville North, neither side had a large cheering section.
Fremd’s faithful did voice their approval during the 2-0 victory when the first half goals were recorded, but the end of the final 40 minutes was more like a collective exhale.
Both teams entered not only seeking their first win of the season but were also in quest of a first goal. After consecutive shutout losses, the Vikings (1-2-0) got the breakthrough.
“The biggest difference between those the previous two and tonight was simply us getting on the board,” Fremd coach Steve Keller admitted. “That calmed us down.”
For Benet, a second-straight goose egg meant their breakthrough remained on hold.
“Continuing to have faith in each other and what we’re doing is (always) the case at Benet, but yeah, not finishing (chances) does produce frustration,” Redwings coach Sean Wesley had to acknowledge.
Benet (0-2-0), the state’s Class AA third place finisher in 2016, was ranked no. 9 in the Chicagoland Soccer preseason poll and dipped to no. 20 this week.
And there’s virtually no rest even if the Redwings are weary. Benet is back on the same field Thursday (Aug. 31) at 7 p.m. to face Oswego, which battled Chicagoland Soccer no. 1 Naperville North before succumbing 1-0 in the Tuesday card opener.
Benet, which claimed the 2013 Best of the West crown and was the runner-up in 2014, completes group play Saturday at 10 a.m. against the tournament co-host and powerhouse Huskies, who are hoping for a third-consecutive tournament title and fourth overall.
However Fremd, the champion in the 2010 Best of the West, gets a shot at Naperville North at 7 p.m. Friday before its group finale against Oswego at noon Saturday.
In the opening minutes, the Vikings’ Matt Austin had a shot sail away, however, it announced his presence. The senior made plays from box to box to earn Chicagoland Soccer's Man of the Match status.
At 6:13, teammate Angel Virgos took a blast that Benet goalie Brian Gould dove to his left to tip wide. Just minutes after that, it was the Redwings threatening as a through-ball sent Tiernan Gallagher on a fastbreak with Fremd starting keeper Jack Taraszka racing out to make a body block on the ball.
“The first thing is to keep possession and your pace as you approach the box, and then you look at the goalie for a read,” Taraszka explained. “I saw him going right and low, so I was going for the near post, but he made a really good save.”
The Viking senior came through with notable stops on two more occasions to keep Benet from scoring. At the opposing end, Gould responded successfully. With 12 minutes gone, he rushed out to cover a ball before Virgos could get a touch; in the 20th minute, he stopped a laser from the right wing and then watched a rocket from Jake Scesniak sail progressively higher.
But his luck ran out with 8:07 left before intermission.
Virgos’ corner kick found Austin in position to redirect the ball. He did so enough that a Benet defender's attempt to clear led to a miskick that produced an own goal.
Hoping to add to its lead, Fremd got even more aggressive with an Austin long bomb needing a save with 3:46 on the clock. Thirty seconds later, Josh Bennett’s cross traveled parallel to the goal line but went begging for a Viking head or foot.
But with 49 ticks left in the first half, the Fremd duo of Virgos and Austin worked their magic again for a 2-0 lead.
“We’ve played a lot of soccer together and have good chemistry,” Virgos said. “There are times I try to have the passes lead him and other times when it’s just getting him the ball and letting him go to work.”
“The way (Angel) executes passes, I’m always looking for the ball,” Austin said. “Coach encourages us to go one-on-one with opponents and take any opportunities that present themselves. That’s basically what I was doing on both goals.”
Keller was quick to endorse Austin’s MOTM accolade.
“His work rate was even higher on defense, but the more involved he is in the game, the more he’s able to find the ball,” Keller added. “In both halves we created chances but didn’t always finish, so that’s one thing to work on.”
Virgos figured the victory was a confidence builder for the Vikings while Austin thought some increased leadership and familiarity will make the team better each time out.
After Artur Cholewa took over in goal in the second half for Fremd, the save count was higher overall. But in contrast the sophomore's initial stops were a tad easier than those made by Taraszka, but the ones in the last seven minutes were a little scarier.
“Defensively we gave up too many shots for my liking,” Keller said. “So I’d say we need to cut down on those porous moments.”
Shortly after halftime, 2016 Chicagoland Soccer all-state pick Franklin Rutkowski took a direct kick that soared just over the crossbar and fired another cannon volley from the right wing that curved outside of the far post. Redwings' senior Nick Trakszelis, a 2016 Chicagoland Soccer All-State Watch List pick, ricocheted a shot off the crossbar that Benet was convinced angled down inside the goal line . But the officials ruled play on and a putback attempt was snuffed.
With 22:29 to go, Nick Renfro -- who made the Watch List as a freshman – broke in free, only to see Cholewa race forward and knock the ball wide. The Redwings regained possession, switched to the opposite side for a cross to Renfro near the left post but his header just missed the opposite right post.
“No question there’s frustration at that moment, but you have to focus on getting another try and hopefully the next one goes in,” Renfro said. “It’s only our second game, and we’re still learning to react to each other. The more we practice together and hold the ball, I’m convinced the better we’ll be.”
“Being more calm and patient will pay off,” Gallagher added. “That and winning more 50-50 balls.”
Following the 1-0 shutout loss to new no. 19 Stagg, Wesley viewed the Tuesday result as another narrow loss.
“We gave up one bad goal, and that put us in a hole instead of it being a true 0-0 game,”
“We lost some guys with a lot of talent and were so deep (last season), that even some of the returnees didn’t get that much time last year,” Wesley said. “We still have all the pieces to the puzzle, but at this point we’re still not sure what it’ll look like completed.”
Starting lineups
Fremd
GK Jack Taraszka
D Max Clark
D Yoshi Otani
D Dalton Rogers
D Ben Cuthbert
M Ussell Beaupre
M Max Mayer
M Kaelan Conway
M Matt Austin
F Vania Martin
F Angel Virgos
Benet
GK Brian Gould
D Tom Miskin
D Kyle Kohlsaat
D Collin Dannheim
D John Mitra
M Nick Trakszelis
M Nick Renfro
M Arthur Pach
M Ryan Tomecek
F Jason Rowaiye
F Franklin Rutkowski
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Matt Austin, Sr. MF/F, Fremd
Game summary
Best of the West (Group 2 pool play)
Fremd 2, Benet 0
Fremd 2 0 -- 2 1-2-0
Benet 2 0 -- 0 0-2-0
Scoring
F – Own goal by Benet (Virgo corner advanced by Austin), 31:53 gone
F – Austin five-yard putback (Virgo assist), 39:11 gone
Shots
F 9 – 8 -- 17
B 7 – 5 -- 12
Shots on goal
F 5 – 6 -- 11
B 3 – 6 -- 9
Saves (goalie)
F 9 (Taraszka 3, Cholewa 6)
B 9 (Gould 8, defender 1)
Corner kicks
F 5 – 1 -- 6
B 2 – 1 -- 3
Offsides
F 0 – 1 -- 1
B 2 – 1 -- 3
Officials: Zach Richter (center), Mike Lichtfuss, Gene Mroz
Vikings open Best of the West tournament with 2-0 victory
By Steve Nemeth
NAPERVILLE -- Shortly after the horn sounded, one of the Fremd players noted the eerie silence that contrasted to a match where the Vikings and Benet were constantly knocking on each other’s door.
Of course being the late game of Tuesday’s Best of the West Tournament's opening night of Group 2 matches played at Naperville North, neither side had a large cheering section.
Fremd’s faithful did voice their approval during the 2-0 victory when the first half goals were recorded, but the end of the final 40 minutes was more like a collective exhale.
Both teams entered not only seeking their first win of the season but were also in quest of a first goal. After consecutive shutout losses, the Vikings (1-2-0) got the breakthrough.
“The biggest difference between those the previous two and tonight was simply us getting on the board,” Fremd coach Steve Keller admitted. “That calmed us down.”
For Benet, a second-straight goose egg meant their breakthrough remained on hold.
“Continuing to have faith in each other and what we’re doing is (always) the case at Benet, but yeah, not finishing (chances) does produce frustration,” Redwings coach Sean Wesley had to acknowledge.
Benet (0-2-0), the state’s Class AA third place finisher in 2016, was ranked no. 9 in the Chicagoland Soccer preseason poll and dipped to no. 20 this week.
And there’s virtually no rest even if the Redwings are weary. Benet is back on the same field Thursday (Aug. 31) at 7 p.m. to face Oswego, which battled Chicagoland Soccer no. 1 Naperville North before succumbing 1-0 in the Tuesday card opener.
Benet, which claimed the 2013 Best of the West crown and was the runner-up in 2014, completes group play Saturday at 10 a.m. against the tournament co-host and powerhouse Huskies, who are hoping for a third-consecutive tournament title and fourth overall.
However Fremd, the champion in the 2010 Best of the West, gets a shot at Naperville North at 7 p.m. Friday before its group finale against Oswego at noon Saturday.
In the opening minutes, the Vikings’ Matt Austin had a shot sail away, however, it announced his presence. The senior made plays from box to box to earn Chicagoland Soccer's Man of the Match status.
At 6:13, teammate Angel Virgos took a blast that Benet goalie Brian Gould dove to his left to tip wide. Just minutes after that, it was the Redwings threatening as a through-ball sent Tiernan Gallagher on a fastbreak with Fremd starting keeper Jack Taraszka racing out to make a body block on the ball.
“The first thing is to keep possession and your pace as you approach the box, and then you look at the goalie for a read,” Taraszka explained. “I saw him going right and low, so I was going for the near post, but he made a really good save.”
The Viking senior came through with notable stops on two more occasions to keep Benet from scoring. At the opposing end, Gould responded successfully. With 12 minutes gone, he rushed out to cover a ball before Virgos could get a touch; in the 20th minute, he stopped a laser from the right wing and then watched a rocket from Jake Scesniak sail progressively higher.
But his luck ran out with 8:07 left before intermission.
Virgos’ corner kick found Austin in position to redirect the ball. He did so enough that a Benet defender's attempt to clear led to a miskick that produced an own goal.
Hoping to add to its lead, Fremd got even more aggressive with an Austin long bomb needing a save with 3:46 on the clock. Thirty seconds later, Josh Bennett’s cross traveled parallel to the goal line but went begging for a Viking head or foot.
But with 49 ticks left in the first half, the Fremd duo of Virgos and Austin worked their magic again for a 2-0 lead.
“We’ve played a lot of soccer together and have good chemistry,” Virgos said. “There are times I try to have the passes lead him and other times when it’s just getting him the ball and letting him go to work.”
“The way (Angel) executes passes, I’m always looking for the ball,” Austin said. “Coach encourages us to go one-on-one with opponents and take any opportunities that present themselves. That’s basically what I was doing on both goals.”
Keller was quick to endorse Austin’s MOTM accolade.
“His work rate was even higher on defense, but the more involved he is in the game, the more he’s able to find the ball,” Keller added. “In both halves we created chances but didn’t always finish, so that’s one thing to work on.”
Virgos figured the victory was a confidence builder for the Vikings while Austin thought some increased leadership and familiarity will make the team better each time out.
After Artur Cholewa took over in goal in the second half for Fremd, the save count was higher overall. But in contrast the sophomore's initial stops were a tad easier than those made by Taraszka, but the ones in the last seven minutes were a little scarier.
“Defensively we gave up too many shots for my liking,” Keller said. “So I’d say we need to cut down on those porous moments.”
Shortly after halftime, 2016 Chicagoland Soccer all-state pick Franklin Rutkowski took a direct kick that soared just over the crossbar and fired another cannon volley from the right wing that curved outside of the far post. Redwings' senior Nick Trakszelis, a 2016 Chicagoland Soccer All-State Watch List pick, ricocheted a shot off the crossbar that Benet was convinced angled down inside the goal line . But the officials ruled play on and a putback attempt was snuffed.
With 22:29 to go, Nick Renfro -- who made the Watch List as a freshman – broke in free, only to see Cholewa race forward and knock the ball wide. The Redwings regained possession, switched to the opposite side for a cross to Renfro near the left post but his header just missed the opposite right post.
“No question there’s frustration at that moment, but you have to focus on getting another try and hopefully the next one goes in,” Renfro said. “It’s only our second game, and we’re still learning to react to each other. The more we practice together and hold the ball, I’m convinced the better we’ll be.”
“Being more calm and patient will pay off,” Gallagher added. “That and winning more 50-50 balls.”
Following the 1-0 shutout loss to new no. 19 Stagg, Wesley viewed the Tuesday result as another narrow loss.
“We gave up one bad goal, and that put us in a hole instead of it being a true 0-0 game,”
“We lost some guys with a lot of talent and were so deep (last season), that even some of the returnees didn’t get that much time last year,” Wesley said. “We still have all the pieces to the puzzle, but at this point we’re still not sure what it’ll look like completed.”
Starting lineups
Fremd
GK Jack Taraszka
D Max Clark
D Yoshi Otani
D Dalton Rogers
D Ben Cuthbert
M Ussell Beaupre
M Max Mayer
M Kaelan Conway
M Matt Austin
F Vania Martin
F Angel Virgos
Benet
GK Brian Gould
D Tom Miskin
D Kyle Kohlsaat
D Collin Dannheim
D John Mitra
M Nick Trakszelis
M Nick Renfro
M Arthur Pach
M Ryan Tomecek
F Jason Rowaiye
F Franklin Rutkowski
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Matt Austin, Sr. MF/F, Fremd
Game summary
Best of the West (Group 2 pool play)
Fremd 2, Benet 0
Fremd 2 0 -- 2 1-2-0
Benet 2 0 -- 0 0-2-0
Scoring
F – Own goal by Benet (Virgo corner advanced by Austin), 31:53 gone
F – Austin five-yard putback (Virgo assist), 39:11 gone
Shots
F 9 – 8 -- 17
B 7 – 5 -- 12
Shots on goal
F 5 – 6 -- 11
B 3 – 6 -- 9
Saves (goalie)
F 9 (Taraszka 3, Cholewa 6)
B 9 (Gould 8, defender 1)
Corner kicks
F 5 – 1 -- 6
B 2 – 1 -- 3
Offsides
F 0 – 1 -- 1
B 2 – 1 -- 3
Officials: Zach Richter (center), Mike Lichtfuss, Gene Mroz