Brother Rice's late answer
denies Marmion 3 points
Entire Chicago Catholic League division ends night with 1-1 ties
By Curt Herron
AURORA -- Another day, another frustrating set of circumstances in the three matches contested Tuesday in the rugged Chicago Catholic League Blue Division.
Things have been tight all season in one of the state's most-competitive leagues. Six of the seven teams were within three points of each other, and that parity was definitely on display on the latest conference match day. The Brother Rice at Marmion, Mount Carmel at Loyola and St. Ignatius at St. Laurence contests all ended 1-1.
The most bitter pill of the day was handed to Marmion (5-5-5, 1-1-2). After they ended over 70 minutes of angst against the Crusaders (4-9-2, 2-2-1) with a goal on a corner kick with 9:35 remaining, the Cadets hopes for a key league victory were dashed when Brother Rice deposited a long-range attempt into an open net with 4:57 left to lock the match.
Loyola (2-0-1) and Brother Rice (2-2-1) lead the league with seven points. The Ramblers have the advantage of three matches left, which begin with a trip to Marmion on Thursday. The last remaining match for Brother Rice takes place Oct. 6 at Mount Carmel (0-0-4).
Marmion and St. Ignatius are both 1-1-2 in the league with two matches remaining. Marmion finishes the league Oct. 4 at Mount Carmel. St. Laurence (1-0-3) has six points with two matches left. Fenwick (0-3-1) could still reach seven points if it beats the St. Laurence on Thursday and St. Ignatius on Oct. 4.
There were plenty of good scoring chances for both Brother Rice and Marmion, but as the match passed the hour mark, the sinking feeling began to settle in that this defensive struggle might conclude without any scoring.
However, Marmion broke the deadlock in the 71st minute when sophomore Gio Magana placed a corner kick into the box, and junior Alvaro Alanis got to the loose ball and put in a shot from in front to give the hosts the possibility of kicking off a key eight-day stretch of three-consecutive Blue Division matches with a victory.
But Brother Rice, which got off to a 2-0-0 start in the league before being blanked by St. Laurence and Loyola, was determined not to be shut out for the seventh time this season. The Crusaders avoided a third goalless performance in a row and fourth time in its last five matches, when they capitalized on their next good opportunity.
Sophomore Jimmy Gricus responded to seeing his shot attempt deflected by junior defender Mactzil Uriel Lopez and put in his repeat attempt from about 30 yards in the 76th minute.
The late score was a big boost for Brother Rice, which has played a tough schedule throughout the season. The Crusaders hope that all of the good competition that they've faced thus far pays off when they begin play in the Class AA tournament. They'll host a sectional that includes city schools and several from the South Suburbs.
"It was kind of an ugly one and a tough one playing on a natural pitch field after getting out of the South Side of Chicago to get up here at 4:30," Crusaders coach Matt Prunckle said. "But that's the way the games are going to go. The one on Saturday (Loyola) got away from us with about 15 minutes left, so I'm really glad that the boys responded well after giving up that goal with 10 minutes left.
“We talked about how important it was not to give up a second one. That gave us a situation where Jimmy was able to take advantage of a moment, and it counts.
"I'm really happy in terms of how organized we've been defensively. In the first half we gave up one-to-three chances that they probably thought that they should have capitalized on. Then we really locked down.
“Our big thing is going to be defending set pieces, which is something that we struggle with. It's the characteristic of a young team, but we have to limit the opportunities for the other team and then be able to defend them when the time comes.
"(Marmion coach) Gerado (Alvarez) and I were talking about how the Catholic League Blue is really prepping us for a tough playoff run. We have to submit our record tonight and seedings come out on Thursday. They'll look at our record, and they're not going to look at the quality of opponents. So, we have a tough road ahead of us, but hopefully we can compete for some hardware."
Marmion’s own tough schedule should prepare it well for the Class AA Glenbard South Sectional, which features schools from the west and southwest suburbs. Currently the Cadets seek consistency. Had they hung on for the victory, it would have marked the first time this season that they won two in a row. To their credit, they showed a good sign of how they're capable of performing during a 2-0-4 stretch from September 3-15 against quality competition.
"This year there's not really one team at the top of it, so I think it's up for grabs. This year is a little different than the past years," Cadets assistant coach Adrian Magana said of the league. "But it's good for the postseason, and I think the details are starting to come together that we've been working on.
"We're looking in each game to get better and work on things that we need to work on so toward the end, we put it all together. We're playing good soccer and play possession, but now we're looking to create more chances and to finish."
While both teams had many opportunities in the second half, the defenses kept them at bay until the final 10 minutes. The starters on defense for the Crusaders were junior Jovani Zuniga and sophomores Javier Franco and Julian Zambrano in front of freshman goalkeeper David Valencia. The Cadets went with seniors Matthew Powell and Ricardo Saucedo, junior Mactzil Uriel Lopez and sophomore Diego Tellez in front of sophomore Adam Ozsvath.
Some of the best chances for the hosts in the early part of the second half were turned in by seniors Harley Karner and Barry O'Neill as well as Magana. The visitors got good chances from sophomores Angelo Piech, Franco and Gricus.
Shortly before the late-scoring flurry, Brother Rice junior Bruce Harris had a shot cleared by a defender and sophomore Salvador Perez had a try halted by Ozsvath. Marmion’s Magana sent in a long free kick that was cleared.
But in the 71st minute, Magana was on the mark with another restart, this time on a corner kick. The ball was free briefly in the box before Alanis got to it and connected from close range to break the logjam.
"It was a good game," said Gia Magana, who is the nephew of the Cadets assistant coach. "We both had chances, but you just have to put them away. I thought that both sides played how they wanted to, for the most part. In all of these games, you have to give 100 percent to get the result, but it's tough.
"I think that we have the stuff to go far in the playoffs. We just all have to go 100 percent and put in all of the work. If we do that, I think we can go far as a team. I like how we are together and the chemistry that we have. We just make it fun to play together.
“It feels great (to play for his uncle), and we joke around a lot. He tells me, and I listen to him. "
In the last part of the final half, Brother Rice had few serious threats, but once it fell behind, its players seemed determined that they would not go another match without scoring a goal. They finally broke the drought in the 76th minute.
Gricus had a shot attempt disrupted by Uriel Lopez but the Crusaders sophomore went after the loose ball and launched a long shot that found the net. Both sides looked for another goal but a header by Magana went wide for Marmion, and a Brother Rice attempt from junior Cristian Morales was hauled in by Ozsvath.
"We know that in every game that we have to be ready for the challenge, because every game is a challenge," Gricus said. "And we have a tough schedule other than the Catholic League to make sure that we're prepared for the conference games. Hopefully after some good results, we can do something in the playoffs.
"It starts with the backline being on the same page and together, and then up the field. That helps a lot, because then you're just looking for the little moments to put the ball in the back of the net. We're going to grow even more as a group and hopefully get all of the keys together. I like our togetherness. When one of us is down, we're all down; but when one of us are up, then we're all up."
Some of the best Brother Rice scoring opportunities in the opening half were turned in by senior Mateo DelBosque and sophomores Piech and Gricus. Marmion got solid chances from O'Neill, Karner and Magana.
Marmion hopes to close out conference play on a high note when it hosts Loyola on Thursday and plays at Mount Carmel on Oct. 4.
Brother Rice plays at Hinsdale South on Saturday and hosts St. Rita on Oct. 4 before entertaining Mount Carmel in its final league match Oct. 6.
Starting lineups
Brother Rice
GK: David Valencia
CB: Julian Zambrano
LB: Jovani Zuniga
RB: Javier Franco
LMF: Jimmy Gricus
CMF: Bruce Harris
CMF: Angelo Piech
CMF: Christian Potoczny
RMF: Mason Mroz
F: Cristian Morales
F: Mateo DelBosque
Marmion
GK: Adam Ozsvath
D: Ricardo Saucedo
D: Mactzil Uriel Lopez
D: Matthew Powell
D: Diego Tellez
MF: Alvaro Alanis
MF: Barry O'Neill
MF: Gio Magana
MF: Mateo Ramirez
F: Harley Karner
F: Patrick Fitzgerald
Chicagoland Men of the Match:
Jimmy Gricus, so., MF, Brother Rice
Alvaro Alanis, jr., MF, Marmion
Scoring summary
First half
No scoring
Second half
Marmion: Alvaro Alanis (Gio Magana, CK), 71'
Brother Rice: Jimmy Gricus (unassisted), 76'
denies Marmion 3 points
Entire Chicago Catholic League division ends night with 1-1 ties
By Curt Herron
AURORA -- Another day, another frustrating set of circumstances in the three matches contested Tuesday in the rugged Chicago Catholic League Blue Division.
Things have been tight all season in one of the state's most-competitive leagues. Six of the seven teams were within three points of each other, and that parity was definitely on display on the latest conference match day. The Brother Rice at Marmion, Mount Carmel at Loyola and St. Ignatius at St. Laurence contests all ended 1-1.
The most bitter pill of the day was handed to Marmion (5-5-5, 1-1-2). After they ended over 70 minutes of angst against the Crusaders (4-9-2, 2-2-1) with a goal on a corner kick with 9:35 remaining, the Cadets hopes for a key league victory were dashed when Brother Rice deposited a long-range attempt into an open net with 4:57 left to lock the match.
Loyola (2-0-1) and Brother Rice (2-2-1) lead the league with seven points. The Ramblers have the advantage of three matches left, which begin with a trip to Marmion on Thursday. The last remaining match for Brother Rice takes place Oct. 6 at Mount Carmel (0-0-4).
Marmion and St. Ignatius are both 1-1-2 in the league with two matches remaining. Marmion finishes the league Oct. 4 at Mount Carmel. St. Laurence (1-0-3) has six points with two matches left. Fenwick (0-3-1) could still reach seven points if it beats the St. Laurence on Thursday and St. Ignatius on Oct. 4.
There were plenty of good scoring chances for both Brother Rice and Marmion, but as the match passed the hour mark, the sinking feeling began to settle in that this defensive struggle might conclude without any scoring.
However, Marmion broke the deadlock in the 71st minute when sophomore Gio Magana placed a corner kick into the box, and junior Alvaro Alanis got to the loose ball and put in a shot from in front to give the hosts the possibility of kicking off a key eight-day stretch of three-consecutive Blue Division matches with a victory.
But Brother Rice, which got off to a 2-0-0 start in the league before being blanked by St. Laurence and Loyola, was determined not to be shut out for the seventh time this season. The Crusaders avoided a third goalless performance in a row and fourth time in its last five matches, when they capitalized on their next good opportunity.
Sophomore Jimmy Gricus responded to seeing his shot attempt deflected by junior defender Mactzil Uriel Lopez and put in his repeat attempt from about 30 yards in the 76th minute.
The late score was a big boost for Brother Rice, which has played a tough schedule throughout the season. The Crusaders hope that all of the good competition that they've faced thus far pays off when they begin play in the Class AA tournament. They'll host a sectional that includes city schools and several from the South Suburbs.
"It was kind of an ugly one and a tough one playing on a natural pitch field after getting out of the South Side of Chicago to get up here at 4:30," Crusaders coach Matt Prunckle said. "But that's the way the games are going to go. The one on Saturday (Loyola) got away from us with about 15 minutes left, so I'm really glad that the boys responded well after giving up that goal with 10 minutes left.
“We talked about how important it was not to give up a second one. That gave us a situation where Jimmy was able to take advantage of a moment, and it counts.
"I'm really happy in terms of how organized we've been defensively. In the first half we gave up one-to-three chances that they probably thought that they should have capitalized on. Then we really locked down.
“Our big thing is going to be defending set pieces, which is something that we struggle with. It's the characteristic of a young team, but we have to limit the opportunities for the other team and then be able to defend them when the time comes.
"(Marmion coach) Gerado (Alvarez) and I were talking about how the Catholic League Blue is really prepping us for a tough playoff run. We have to submit our record tonight and seedings come out on Thursday. They'll look at our record, and they're not going to look at the quality of opponents. So, we have a tough road ahead of us, but hopefully we can compete for some hardware."
Marmion’s own tough schedule should prepare it well for the Class AA Glenbard South Sectional, which features schools from the west and southwest suburbs. Currently the Cadets seek consistency. Had they hung on for the victory, it would have marked the first time this season that they won two in a row. To their credit, they showed a good sign of how they're capable of performing during a 2-0-4 stretch from September 3-15 against quality competition.
"This year there's not really one team at the top of it, so I think it's up for grabs. This year is a little different than the past years," Cadets assistant coach Adrian Magana said of the league. "But it's good for the postseason, and I think the details are starting to come together that we've been working on.
"We're looking in each game to get better and work on things that we need to work on so toward the end, we put it all together. We're playing good soccer and play possession, but now we're looking to create more chances and to finish."
While both teams had many opportunities in the second half, the defenses kept them at bay until the final 10 minutes. The starters on defense for the Crusaders were junior Jovani Zuniga and sophomores Javier Franco and Julian Zambrano in front of freshman goalkeeper David Valencia. The Cadets went with seniors Matthew Powell and Ricardo Saucedo, junior Mactzil Uriel Lopez and sophomore Diego Tellez in front of sophomore Adam Ozsvath.
Some of the best chances for the hosts in the early part of the second half were turned in by seniors Harley Karner and Barry O'Neill as well as Magana. The visitors got good chances from sophomores Angelo Piech, Franco and Gricus.
Shortly before the late-scoring flurry, Brother Rice junior Bruce Harris had a shot cleared by a defender and sophomore Salvador Perez had a try halted by Ozsvath. Marmion’s Magana sent in a long free kick that was cleared.
But in the 71st minute, Magana was on the mark with another restart, this time on a corner kick. The ball was free briefly in the box before Alanis got to it and connected from close range to break the logjam.
"It was a good game," said Gia Magana, who is the nephew of the Cadets assistant coach. "We both had chances, but you just have to put them away. I thought that both sides played how they wanted to, for the most part. In all of these games, you have to give 100 percent to get the result, but it's tough.
"I think that we have the stuff to go far in the playoffs. We just all have to go 100 percent and put in all of the work. If we do that, I think we can go far as a team. I like how we are together and the chemistry that we have. We just make it fun to play together.
“It feels great (to play for his uncle), and we joke around a lot. He tells me, and I listen to him. "
In the last part of the final half, Brother Rice had few serious threats, but once it fell behind, its players seemed determined that they would not go another match without scoring a goal. They finally broke the drought in the 76th minute.
Gricus had a shot attempt disrupted by Uriel Lopez but the Crusaders sophomore went after the loose ball and launched a long shot that found the net. Both sides looked for another goal but a header by Magana went wide for Marmion, and a Brother Rice attempt from junior Cristian Morales was hauled in by Ozsvath.
"We know that in every game that we have to be ready for the challenge, because every game is a challenge," Gricus said. "And we have a tough schedule other than the Catholic League to make sure that we're prepared for the conference games. Hopefully after some good results, we can do something in the playoffs.
"It starts with the backline being on the same page and together, and then up the field. That helps a lot, because then you're just looking for the little moments to put the ball in the back of the net. We're going to grow even more as a group and hopefully get all of the keys together. I like our togetherness. When one of us is down, we're all down; but when one of us are up, then we're all up."
Some of the best Brother Rice scoring opportunities in the opening half were turned in by senior Mateo DelBosque and sophomores Piech and Gricus. Marmion got solid chances from O'Neill, Karner and Magana.
Marmion hopes to close out conference play on a high note when it hosts Loyola on Thursday and plays at Mount Carmel on Oct. 4.
Brother Rice plays at Hinsdale South on Saturday and hosts St. Rita on Oct. 4 before entertaining Mount Carmel in its final league match Oct. 6.
Starting lineups
Brother Rice
GK: David Valencia
CB: Julian Zambrano
LB: Jovani Zuniga
RB: Javier Franco
LMF: Jimmy Gricus
CMF: Bruce Harris
CMF: Angelo Piech
CMF: Christian Potoczny
RMF: Mason Mroz
F: Cristian Morales
F: Mateo DelBosque
Marmion
GK: Adam Ozsvath
D: Ricardo Saucedo
D: Mactzil Uriel Lopez
D: Matthew Powell
D: Diego Tellez
MF: Alvaro Alanis
MF: Barry O'Neill
MF: Gio Magana
MF: Mateo Ramirez
F: Harley Karner
F: Patrick Fitzgerald
Chicagoland Men of the Match:
Jimmy Gricus, so., MF, Brother Rice
Alvaro Alanis, jr., MF, Marmion
Scoring summary
First half
No scoring
Second half
Marmion: Alvaro Alanis (Gio Magana, CK), 71'
Brother Rice: Jimmy Gricus (unassisted), 76'