Deerfield can't catch Maine South
31st-minute goal dooms Warriors in 1-0 defeat
By Mike Garofola
PARK RIDGE -- Maine South got its 2021 soccer campaign underway with a 1-0 home win over Deerfield Thursday night in thanks to a Stefan Iricanin goal in the 31st minute at Wilson Stadium in Park Ridge.
"We knew tonight's game would be a challenging opener for us, particularly with the humidity being a factor, and knowing (Deerfield manager) Elliot (Hurtig) always having his guys well-organized defensively and ready to battle for 80 minutes," began Maine South manager Dan States, who earlier in the week saw his season-opener with Prospect cancelled due to extreme heat.
"Whenever we play Deerfield of late, we seem to find ourselves in a one-goal game or a draw. Tonight was no different. In the end, it came down to our captain (Iricanin) taking advantage of a missed defensive clearance to find the back of the net for us."
For the visiting Warriors (0-2-0), who now have dropped two-straight 1-0 affairs, it was a game in which they played well enough to win. Both Hurtig and one of his captains, David Jotkus, were quick to point that out.
"We did a lot of things well tonight, especially compared to our game on Monday at Hoffman Estates,” said Jotkus. “With so many new players on our roster this season, that's something we can build from going forward."
Jotkus is one of just six returning players from the shortened 2021 spring campaign which saw the Warriors finish 5-4-3 overall and 3-1-1 in the Central Suburban League North Division, which allowed the club to share the division title with Niles North.
"We played with so much more confidence in moving the ball through the midfield,” Hurtig said of the Thursday night effort. “When you saw us play with great energy, particularly in the second half, we are a tough team to match up against, which was something we didn't do enough of against Hoffman the other night."
Iricanin, whom States deployed as his lone forward in his 4-2-3-1 formation was clearly the most-lively player on the pitch in the first quarter hour, and thanks to his mates in the middle Nino Grimaldi, Michael Kondilis, Tatar El Metennani, David Skorupa, and Joey Smeriglio, the Hawks forward’s pace and angled and crafty runs kept the Warriors three-man backline alert and busy.
"Maine South always have big, fast players up-top, so we were aware of that,” said Hurtig. “I thought our three guys in the back -- Justin Blumenthal, Ethan Helfan and Noah Weil -- did a very impressive job tonight.
"We have a solid group of defenders on our roster, but that trio right now have all of the minutes in our first two games. They have shown an ability to defend well as a unit, read the game correctly and use their collective speed to keep things under control for us."
Hurtig and his staff also watched its new man between the sticks, Ryan Toback. The senior turned in a solid 80-minute performance to help him share Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honors with Iricanin.
"We lost a really good keeper to graduation (Josh Berman), but Ryan made a couple of big saves while also showing he is strong in the air and able to communicate for us in the back," said Jotkus.
Although the home side enjoyed most of the touches in the first 20 minutes, it was in the final third that saw the Hawks fail to be as sharp as they could have been in order to test Toback.
Skorupa, who was a key figure in the Hawks midfield last spring, and El Metennani recorded plenty of touches during the early stages, but credit the Warriors men in the middle along with its backline -- as a group they went into the ball with terrific desire and didn’t allow the Hawks much time on the ball.
"Deerfield, they were high pressing our guys, especially in the first half,” States said. “Many of our inexperienced players struggled with the speed of play in the first game of their varsity careers."
Maine South created a trio of corners. One forced Toback to save a well-struck header from El Metennani who went airborne to meet a Skorupa serve.
States brought on Stefan Zelenovic and sophomore Zach Malinsky at the quarter hour, and both instantly added some much need energy and pace to the Hawks attack.
"Zelenovic and Malinsky gave our attack just what we needed,” Iricanin said. “Both players did some great stuff to help us get my goal."
This Hawks trio created a corner by harassing the Warriors in their own end, but Toback easily collected the effort.
The game-winning goal came moments later after Maine South kept Deerfield bottled up in its own area. Malinsky's inward-swinging attempt found Iricanin.
The persistent Iricanin stayed in constant motion to collect a loose ball just inside the box and get free for a 1-v-1 with Toback.
With expert precision, and a cool, calm touch - Iricanin fired in his close range one-timer past the helpless keeper, who properly came off his line but couldn’t prevent the ball from nestling into the back of his net.
Maine South celebrated.
"It felt good to get our first of the season, especially since it helped us get our win at the end of the night," said Iricanin, who has set a goal of reaching, and passing the single-season record for goals scored in program history (18) as well as taking aim at being named all-state at the end of the season.
Deerfield gained some data to analyze.
"Again, we could have played with more confidence in the first half, but I was really pleased with the way we came out in the second half,” said Hurtig. “(One) of our keys to the game was to find feet and play simple. For the most part, that's exactly what we did in the second half, which saw some very good things happen for us."
Off the whistle the Warriors created a corner. That Addison Simon put in play. It caused all sorts of trouble for the home side and led to a couple of glorious chances for the visitors.
Doing well to keep the ball in their opponent’s area, the ball cycled to the left side where an opportunistic Ryder Coleman unloaded a wicked left-footed cracker that rattled off the post and spilled free near the six-yard box.
Peter Straus found the ball and sent an attempt towards an empty net, only to have it find Hawks keeper Christo Maheras, who deflected the offering over the bar.
"We didn't play well in the first half, but we created some great chances after the break," said Coleman of the Warriors assault on the Maine South net in the 51st minute. “Especially the one that I had, which somehow didn't end up in the back of the net, and Peter's.”
The home side was unable to stem the Warriors effort in its attack after the Coleman and Straus near-misses. Deerfield created a handful of corners and deep throws, and got a half-chance from Coleman that Maheras collected with ease.
It wasn't until Iricanin was brought back on at the hour when Maine South got back on its front foot.
"I feel like when I came back in and was put into the midfield, we finally settled down, held the ball more effectively, and more or less, took the game back for the last 15 minutes," said Iricanin.
Grimaldi had a go at Toback in the 72nd minute, followed by one from Straus on the turn from 18 yards.
Coleman shot at a Deerfield equalizer went just wide of the near post on a 76th-minute free kick. Maine South finished strong with a pair of quality chances in the closing moments from Iricanin and Zelenovic, whose point-blank attempt was bravely stopped by Toback.
"We certainly have some work to do as we enter the St. Charles East tournament this weekend, but the guys battled hard for 80 minutes, Maheras was solid for us, which gave us the foundation for our eventual success tonight," State said.
The Hawks opened tourney play in the St. Charles Invitaional on Saturday with a 3-2 win against Wheaton Academy, which is ranked ninth in the Chicagoland Soccer First 50 poll. The Hawks meet Plainfield Central, an 11-3 loser to St. Charles East, on Monday.
Deerfield looks ahead to better outcomes.
"Our overall effort was so much better than our first game of the year,” Coleman said. “I am feeling so much better about things, and I am looking forward to our next couple of games."
The Warriors will host Antioch on Tuesday, then Northridge Prep on September 4.
"Both Addison (Simon) and Cole Gawin impressed tonight,” Hurtig said of the varsity newcomers. “They both picked up their games for us, and continue to improve.
"The more experience and playing time they get at this level, the more they realize that they not only belong at this level but can excel at this level."
"Overall, it was a good night for us.
"We had our chances in the second half, and the guys gave a very good 40-minute effort during that time."
Starting lineups
Deerfield (3-5-2)
G- Ryan Toback
D- Noah Weil
D- Justin Blumenthal
D- Ethan Helfand
M- Peter Straus
M- Ryder Coleman
M- David Jotkus
M- Addison Simon
M- James Weiner
F- Cole Gawin
F- Luke Barhoumeh
Maine South (4-2-3-1)
G- Christo Maheras
D- Nick Pothast
D- Harry Fogel
D- Ryne Downing
D- Luca Canetta
M- Nino Grimaldi
M- Michael Kondilis
M- David Skorupa
M- Tatar El Metennani
M- Joey Smeriglio
F- Stefan Iricanin
Chicagoland Soccer Men of the Match:
Ryan Toback, sr.,GK, Deerfield;
Stefan Iricanin, sr., F/MF, Maine South
Referee: Alex Bargamlan
Scoring summary
First half
Maine South
Iricanin (Zelenovic, Malinsky) 31'
Second half
No scoring
31st-minute goal dooms Warriors in 1-0 defeat
By Mike Garofola
PARK RIDGE -- Maine South got its 2021 soccer campaign underway with a 1-0 home win over Deerfield Thursday night in thanks to a Stefan Iricanin goal in the 31st minute at Wilson Stadium in Park Ridge.
"We knew tonight's game would be a challenging opener for us, particularly with the humidity being a factor, and knowing (Deerfield manager) Elliot (Hurtig) always having his guys well-organized defensively and ready to battle for 80 minutes," began Maine South manager Dan States, who earlier in the week saw his season-opener with Prospect cancelled due to extreme heat.
"Whenever we play Deerfield of late, we seem to find ourselves in a one-goal game or a draw. Tonight was no different. In the end, it came down to our captain (Iricanin) taking advantage of a missed defensive clearance to find the back of the net for us."
For the visiting Warriors (0-2-0), who now have dropped two-straight 1-0 affairs, it was a game in which they played well enough to win. Both Hurtig and one of his captains, David Jotkus, were quick to point that out.
"We did a lot of things well tonight, especially compared to our game on Monday at Hoffman Estates,” said Jotkus. “With so many new players on our roster this season, that's something we can build from going forward."
Jotkus is one of just six returning players from the shortened 2021 spring campaign which saw the Warriors finish 5-4-3 overall and 3-1-1 in the Central Suburban League North Division, which allowed the club to share the division title with Niles North.
"We played with so much more confidence in moving the ball through the midfield,” Hurtig said of the Thursday night effort. “When you saw us play with great energy, particularly in the second half, we are a tough team to match up against, which was something we didn't do enough of against Hoffman the other night."
Iricanin, whom States deployed as his lone forward in his 4-2-3-1 formation was clearly the most-lively player on the pitch in the first quarter hour, and thanks to his mates in the middle Nino Grimaldi, Michael Kondilis, Tatar El Metennani, David Skorupa, and Joey Smeriglio, the Hawks forward’s pace and angled and crafty runs kept the Warriors three-man backline alert and busy.
"Maine South always have big, fast players up-top, so we were aware of that,” said Hurtig. “I thought our three guys in the back -- Justin Blumenthal, Ethan Helfan and Noah Weil -- did a very impressive job tonight.
"We have a solid group of defenders on our roster, but that trio right now have all of the minutes in our first two games. They have shown an ability to defend well as a unit, read the game correctly and use their collective speed to keep things under control for us."
Hurtig and his staff also watched its new man between the sticks, Ryan Toback. The senior turned in a solid 80-minute performance to help him share Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honors with Iricanin.
"We lost a really good keeper to graduation (Josh Berman), but Ryan made a couple of big saves while also showing he is strong in the air and able to communicate for us in the back," said Jotkus.
Although the home side enjoyed most of the touches in the first 20 minutes, it was in the final third that saw the Hawks fail to be as sharp as they could have been in order to test Toback.
Skorupa, who was a key figure in the Hawks midfield last spring, and El Metennani recorded plenty of touches during the early stages, but credit the Warriors men in the middle along with its backline -- as a group they went into the ball with terrific desire and didn’t allow the Hawks much time on the ball.
"Deerfield, they were high pressing our guys, especially in the first half,” States said. “Many of our inexperienced players struggled with the speed of play in the first game of their varsity careers."
Maine South created a trio of corners. One forced Toback to save a well-struck header from El Metennani who went airborne to meet a Skorupa serve.
States brought on Stefan Zelenovic and sophomore Zach Malinsky at the quarter hour, and both instantly added some much need energy and pace to the Hawks attack.
"Zelenovic and Malinsky gave our attack just what we needed,” Iricanin said. “Both players did some great stuff to help us get my goal."
This Hawks trio created a corner by harassing the Warriors in their own end, but Toback easily collected the effort.
The game-winning goal came moments later after Maine South kept Deerfield bottled up in its own area. Malinsky's inward-swinging attempt found Iricanin.
The persistent Iricanin stayed in constant motion to collect a loose ball just inside the box and get free for a 1-v-1 with Toback.
With expert precision, and a cool, calm touch - Iricanin fired in his close range one-timer past the helpless keeper, who properly came off his line but couldn’t prevent the ball from nestling into the back of his net.
Maine South celebrated.
"It felt good to get our first of the season, especially since it helped us get our win at the end of the night," said Iricanin, who has set a goal of reaching, and passing the single-season record for goals scored in program history (18) as well as taking aim at being named all-state at the end of the season.
Deerfield gained some data to analyze.
"Again, we could have played with more confidence in the first half, but I was really pleased with the way we came out in the second half,” said Hurtig. “(One) of our keys to the game was to find feet and play simple. For the most part, that's exactly what we did in the second half, which saw some very good things happen for us."
Off the whistle the Warriors created a corner. That Addison Simon put in play. It caused all sorts of trouble for the home side and led to a couple of glorious chances for the visitors.
Doing well to keep the ball in their opponent’s area, the ball cycled to the left side where an opportunistic Ryder Coleman unloaded a wicked left-footed cracker that rattled off the post and spilled free near the six-yard box.
Peter Straus found the ball and sent an attempt towards an empty net, only to have it find Hawks keeper Christo Maheras, who deflected the offering over the bar.
"We didn't play well in the first half, but we created some great chances after the break," said Coleman of the Warriors assault on the Maine South net in the 51st minute. “Especially the one that I had, which somehow didn't end up in the back of the net, and Peter's.”
The home side was unable to stem the Warriors effort in its attack after the Coleman and Straus near-misses. Deerfield created a handful of corners and deep throws, and got a half-chance from Coleman that Maheras collected with ease.
It wasn't until Iricanin was brought back on at the hour when Maine South got back on its front foot.
"I feel like when I came back in and was put into the midfield, we finally settled down, held the ball more effectively, and more or less, took the game back for the last 15 minutes," said Iricanin.
Grimaldi had a go at Toback in the 72nd minute, followed by one from Straus on the turn from 18 yards.
Coleman shot at a Deerfield equalizer went just wide of the near post on a 76th-minute free kick. Maine South finished strong with a pair of quality chances in the closing moments from Iricanin and Zelenovic, whose point-blank attempt was bravely stopped by Toback.
"We certainly have some work to do as we enter the St. Charles East tournament this weekend, but the guys battled hard for 80 minutes, Maheras was solid for us, which gave us the foundation for our eventual success tonight," State said.
The Hawks opened tourney play in the St. Charles Invitaional on Saturday with a 3-2 win against Wheaton Academy, which is ranked ninth in the Chicagoland Soccer First 50 poll. The Hawks meet Plainfield Central, an 11-3 loser to St. Charles East, on Monday.
Deerfield looks ahead to better outcomes.
"Our overall effort was so much better than our first game of the year,” Coleman said. “I am feeling so much better about things, and I am looking forward to our next couple of games."
The Warriors will host Antioch on Tuesday, then Northridge Prep on September 4.
"Both Addison (Simon) and Cole Gawin impressed tonight,” Hurtig said of the varsity newcomers. “They both picked up their games for us, and continue to improve.
"The more experience and playing time they get at this level, the more they realize that they not only belong at this level but can excel at this level."
"Overall, it was a good night for us.
"We had our chances in the second half, and the guys gave a very good 40-minute effort during that time."
Starting lineups
Deerfield (3-5-2)
G- Ryan Toback
D- Noah Weil
D- Justin Blumenthal
D- Ethan Helfand
M- Peter Straus
M- Ryder Coleman
M- David Jotkus
M- Addison Simon
M- James Weiner
F- Cole Gawin
F- Luke Barhoumeh
Maine South (4-2-3-1)
G- Christo Maheras
D- Nick Pothast
D- Harry Fogel
D- Ryne Downing
D- Luca Canetta
M- Nino Grimaldi
M- Michael Kondilis
M- David Skorupa
M- Tatar El Metennani
M- Joey Smeriglio
F- Stefan Iricanin
Chicagoland Soccer Men of the Match:
Ryan Toback, sr.,GK, Deerfield;
Stefan Iricanin, sr., F/MF, Maine South
Referee: Alex Bargamlan
Scoring summary
First half
Maine South
Iricanin (Zelenovic, Malinsky) 31'
Second half
No scoring