Loyola continues corrections
against Brother Rice
Ramblers lead CCL Blue with 2-0-0 mark after 2-0 victory
By Rusty Silber
GLENVIEW -- Loyola is trying to find its footing in the Chicago Catholic League portion of its schedule. All season long, the Ramblers have struggled on offense. After back-to-back Blue Division wins, it seems like may be starting to figure things out.
Guillermo Echevarria-Robinson scored a pair of goals, and Olivier Szorc added a goal and an assist as the Ramblers did all their scoring in the second half of a 3-0 victory over Brother Rice on Saturday at the school’s Munz athletic campus.
"That's how we play and how we play possession, and we've worked constantly since day one," Loyola coach Dan Riskind said. "When the other team doesn't have the ball, they can't shoot, and we can possess."
The Ramblers have been trying to make adjustments as the season goes on at the direction of their first-year coach. It’s been a learning process.
"We've kind of moved around a couple of pieces that makes us fit better," Riskind said. "Then to be honest, it's about them finishing their chances. When we can do that, when we score two goals, we're tough to beat."
Loyola broke the season down into four parts. It started with two tournaments -- the Northside College Showcase at New Trier and the Streamwood Fall Classic – then continues with its Chicago Catholic League schedule and the state tournament.
"This is the first year, and I'm learning the team," Riskind said. “They've been learning with the coaches. We're just figuring out the substitution roles, and we're starting to pull it together."
Finding Ramblers to score goals is a work in progress, but the players are learning what it takes to make that happen.
Though the process has taken a lot longer than anyone expected.
"We made a change in our formation after a couple of games," Echevarria-Robinson said. “Actually, our offense comes from the backline, and it really gets the offense started.
“We have a way of connecting to the midfield. It really starts all the way in the back. We just have to find a way to get shots off."
To be fair, the Ramblers first half of the season schedule was no cake walk. They faced five teams that are or were ranked in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25 including New Trier, Grayslake Central and defending 2021 state champion York. Those games accounted for four of their losses.
Brother Rice (4-9-1, 2-2-0) and Loyola (4-5-3, 2-0-0) played an even first half. Neither team was able to break the other down.
But into the second half, the Ramblers found their way. It started when Echevarria-Robinson broke free and slotted a shot into the low-right corner from outside the top of the box. Szorc delivered the helper for the 51st-minute score.
"It really was a good link up on the right side," said Echevarria-Robinson, who has five goals this season. "It's something that we practice a lot. I just turn and see the goal. Sometimes, I just have to rip it hard and low. It's just an ordinary play that we like to do. I just had a good strike on it, and it went in."
The Ramblers had to work to put the game away. Szorc added the second goal in the 73rd minute of play. He chipped a ball from outside the box over the keeper and under the crossbar. Joseph Vehovsky was behind the assist.
"This offense when it gets going, we like to play one-two and like to combine with our strikers with the emphasis of playing through the middle," Szorc said. “We know that we can trust each other. Once we get going, we can do great things.”
Szorc liked how the combination worked and gave him a great opportunity to find the shot he was looking for toward the goal.
"I just saw the ball was not even bouncing, and I had to shoot it the first-time; the defender was coming at me," Szorc said. "I'm comfortable shooting with both feet from that range. Just sent a prayer, and I guess it went in."
Loyola added an insurance goal in the 77th minute, when the Ramblers were given a penalty kick after a handball call. Echevarria-Robinson converted the spot kick for the final advantage.
Brother Rice has played a solid schedule. The Crusaders started the year with losses to currently ranked no. 13 Stagg and no. 21 Sandburg. No. 12 Hinsdale Central has also been on their dance card.
The South Siders started the Chicago Catholic League Blue Division with wins against St. Ignatius and Fenwick, but saw their record evened with back-to-back defeats to St. Laurence and the Ramblers this week.
"It was the last 15 minutes that got to us," Brother Rice coach Matt Prunckle said. "We start just two seniors, and the rest are juniors, sophomores and a freshman goalkeeper.
“What we noticed in the St. Laurence game and this one was that we were physically outmatched. So, we have to be better at our soccer so we can compete. At times we weren't, and that wore us down a little bit over the course of 80 minutes."
The Crusaders were led Saturday by hardworking forwards Jimmy Gricus, a sophomore, and junior Cristian Morales
"We know that our struggles this year are that we've given up goals," Prunckle said. "We did make an adjustment to push numbers up. (Loyola) got a chance with a quality shot. When we do compete we're successful, but the last 15 minute we just were not."
Brother Rice continues to show improvement as Prunckle works to build the program up to its past glory.
"I think we're understanding our organization defensively," Prunckle said. "I think we need to make our transitions quicker. That's the part of the game that we seem to struggle.
“We do put ourselves in the right defensive spots, but we lose the ball and immediately we have to defend again. Technically, we just have to be better than the other teams."
Starting lineups
Brother Rice
GK-David Valencia
D-Bruce Harris
D-Julian Zambrano
D-Jovani Zuniga
MF-Javier Franco
MF-Mason Mroz
MF-Christian Potoczny
MF-Angelo Piech
MF-Mateo DelBosque
F-Cristian Morales
F-Jimmy Gricus
Loyola
GK-Jason Brunger
D-Andrew Newton
D-Clinton Birchard
D-Daniel Ryczek
MF-William Drehkoff
MF-Luke Ojala
MF-Joseph Vehovsky
MF-Townes Robertson
MF-Jack McBreartv
F-Guillermo Echevarria-Robinson
F-Olivier Szorc
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match:
Guillermo Echevarria-Robinson, sr., MF, Loyola
Scoring Summary
First Half
No scoring
Second half
Loyola: Guillermo Echevarria-Robinson
(Olivier Szorc), 51'
Loyola: Szorc (Joseph Vvehovsky) 73'
Loyola: Guillermo Echevarria-Robinson (pk) 77'
against Brother Rice
Ramblers lead CCL Blue with 2-0-0 mark after 2-0 victory
By Rusty Silber
GLENVIEW -- Loyola is trying to find its footing in the Chicago Catholic League portion of its schedule. All season long, the Ramblers have struggled on offense. After back-to-back Blue Division wins, it seems like may be starting to figure things out.
Guillermo Echevarria-Robinson scored a pair of goals, and Olivier Szorc added a goal and an assist as the Ramblers did all their scoring in the second half of a 3-0 victory over Brother Rice on Saturday at the school’s Munz athletic campus.
"That's how we play and how we play possession, and we've worked constantly since day one," Loyola coach Dan Riskind said. "When the other team doesn't have the ball, they can't shoot, and we can possess."
The Ramblers have been trying to make adjustments as the season goes on at the direction of their first-year coach. It’s been a learning process.
"We've kind of moved around a couple of pieces that makes us fit better," Riskind said. "Then to be honest, it's about them finishing their chances. When we can do that, when we score two goals, we're tough to beat."
Loyola broke the season down into four parts. It started with two tournaments -- the Northside College Showcase at New Trier and the Streamwood Fall Classic – then continues with its Chicago Catholic League schedule and the state tournament.
"This is the first year, and I'm learning the team," Riskind said. “They've been learning with the coaches. We're just figuring out the substitution roles, and we're starting to pull it together."
Finding Ramblers to score goals is a work in progress, but the players are learning what it takes to make that happen.
Though the process has taken a lot longer than anyone expected.
"We made a change in our formation after a couple of games," Echevarria-Robinson said. “Actually, our offense comes from the backline, and it really gets the offense started.
“We have a way of connecting to the midfield. It really starts all the way in the back. We just have to find a way to get shots off."
To be fair, the Ramblers first half of the season schedule was no cake walk. They faced five teams that are or were ranked in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25 including New Trier, Grayslake Central and defending 2021 state champion York. Those games accounted for four of their losses.
Brother Rice (4-9-1, 2-2-0) and Loyola (4-5-3, 2-0-0) played an even first half. Neither team was able to break the other down.
But into the second half, the Ramblers found their way. It started when Echevarria-Robinson broke free and slotted a shot into the low-right corner from outside the top of the box. Szorc delivered the helper for the 51st-minute score.
"It really was a good link up on the right side," said Echevarria-Robinson, who has five goals this season. "It's something that we practice a lot. I just turn and see the goal. Sometimes, I just have to rip it hard and low. It's just an ordinary play that we like to do. I just had a good strike on it, and it went in."
The Ramblers had to work to put the game away. Szorc added the second goal in the 73rd minute of play. He chipped a ball from outside the box over the keeper and under the crossbar. Joseph Vehovsky was behind the assist.
"This offense when it gets going, we like to play one-two and like to combine with our strikers with the emphasis of playing through the middle," Szorc said. “We know that we can trust each other. Once we get going, we can do great things.”
Szorc liked how the combination worked and gave him a great opportunity to find the shot he was looking for toward the goal.
"I just saw the ball was not even bouncing, and I had to shoot it the first-time; the defender was coming at me," Szorc said. "I'm comfortable shooting with both feet from that range. Just sent a prayer, and I guess it went in."
Loyola added an insurance goal in the 77th minute, when the Ramblers were given a penalty kick after a handball call. Echevarria-Robinson converted the spot kick for the final advantage.
Brother Rice has played a solid schedule. The Crusaders started the year with losses to currently ranked no. 13 Stagg and no. 21 Sandburg. No. 12 Hinsdale Central has also been on their dance card.
The South Siders started the Chicago Catholic League Blue Division with wins against St. Ignatius and Fenwick, but saw their record evened with back-to-back defeats to St. Laurence and the Ramblers this week.
"It was the last 15 minutes that got to us," Brother Rice coach Matt Prunckle said. "We start just two seniors, and the rest are juniors, sophomores and a freshman goalkeeper.
“What we noticed in the St. Laurence game and this one was that we were physically outmatched. So, we have to be better at our soccer so we can compete. At times we weren't, and that wore us down a little bit over the course of 80 minutes."
The Crusaders were led Saturday by hardworking forwards Jimmy Gricus, a sophomore, and junior Cristian Morales
"We know that our struggles this year are that we've given up goals," Prunckle said. "We did make an adjustment to push numbers up. (Loyola) got a chance with a quality shot. When we do compete we're successful, but the last 15 minute we just were not."
Brother Rice continues to show improvement as Prunckle works to build the program up to its past glory.
"I think we're understanding our organization defensively," Prunckle said. "I think we need to make our transitions quicker. That's the part of the game that we seem to struggle.
“We do put ourselves in the right defensive spots, but we lose the ball and immediately we have to defend again. Technically, we just have to be better than the other teams."
Starting lineups
Brother Rice
GK-David Valencia
D-Bruce Harris
D-Julian Zambrano
D-Jovani Zuniga
MF-Javier Franco
MF-Mason Mroz
MF-Christian Potoczny
MF-Angelo Piech
MF-Mateo DelBosque
F-Cristian Morales
F-Jimmy Gricus
Loyola
GK-Jason Brunger
D-Andrew Newton
D-Clinton Birchard
D-Daniel Ryczek
MF-William Drehkoff
MF-Luke Ojala
MF-Joseph Vehovsky
MF-Townes Robertson
MF-Jack McBreartv
F-Guillermo Echevarria-Robinson
F-Olivier Szorc
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match:
Guillermo Echevarria-Robinson, sr., MF, Loyola
Scoring Summary
First Half
No scoring
Second half
Loyola: Guillermo Echevarria-Robinson
(Olivier Szorc), 51'
Loyola: Szorc (Joseph Vvehovsky) 73'
Loyola: Guillermo Echevarria-Robinson (pk) 77'