Ryan sparks Downers Grove North to
2nd half comeback over Jones
DGN's players make sure outgoing Schmitt keeps coaching
By Bobby Narang
BERWYN – Even with a late start, Downers Grove North wasn’t in a hurry to exit Morton Stadium on Tuesday night.
The Trojans had the misfortune of a long delay before their Class 3A playoff opener against Chicago Public League member Jones.
When fellow CPL member Curie arrived significantly late for the first regional semifinal against host Morton, Downers Grove North’s start time was pushed back to just past 8 p.m.
The seventh-seeded Trojans made the long night worthwhile with three second half goals to deliver a spirited 3-1 triumph over their 10-seeded foes. The Trojans (6-13-1) advance to play second-seeded Morton on Friday at 6 p.m. in the regional championship game. Morton defeated 15th-seed Curie 2-0 in the opener.
Despite the long wait in the cold, the Trojans reveled in the comeback victory over the Eagles. They stayed well after the everyone in the 6,850-square-foot stadium had exited. The Trojans, who stationed themselves in the far corner away from the scoreboard, preferred to enjoy the playoff victory after a tough regular-season.
Junior midfielder Ben Llewellyn said the game-plan was simple: Win the game for coach. Downers Grove North coach Mike Schmitt plans on stepping down at the end of the season, thus making Tuesday’s playoff victory even sweeter, Llewellyn said.
“This win was really important to us because this is our coach’s last season, and we want to make a run,” Llewellyn said. “It’s important for the seniors, and we also want to get some playoff experience. We kept our heads up, played like a team and talked and kept our energy up and did what the coaches told us.
“We want to play our game against Morton. We have to practice hard and see what happens. It’s really important for us to go as far as we can for our coach in his last year.”
The Trojans advanced by getting goals from three different players in the final 37:19 to ground the Eagles (11-7-1). Riley Botha, Jack Ryan and Holden Peckenpaugh all scored goals for the Trojans; Ryan, Botha and Max Prince tallied assists. Downers Grove North’s goalies Adi Zaveri and Will Barnett both played stellar in the net to hold the Eagles to only one goal.
Jones played a strong first half, dominated the possession and nearly tacked on a few extra goals. The Eagles had to settle for Ricardo Fonseca’s tally in the 11th minute and a 1-0 halftime lead.
Jones coach Paul Zubb struggled to find the words to describe his team’s defeat after playing so well in the first 40 minutes. In a rare twist, the Eagles still have one game left in their season. They play Curie in the Chicago Public League supplemental championship game, Zubb said.
“I don’t have a good explanation,” Zubb said. “The first half we controlled the game and possession. We weren’t getting the ball out wide effectively in the second half, and that was a big difference.
“But at least we are still playing. The guys have come together. I’m very proud of the guys. This was probably one of the better games we’ve played. Overall, I’m proud of the team. We still have a lot to play for.”
As his Trojans sat down on the turf following Tuesday’s victory, Schmitt said he was impressed how his players responded following a difficult start. The Trojans nearly scored a goal just 68 seconds into the game but saw the shot deflect off the post.
“Our game-plan kind of fell apart pretty quick with that first goal,” Schmitt said. “It was kind of a battle. We were little unlucky also to hit the post right away, and we conceded a number of early chances. They got through us quite a few times.
“We were forced to make some adjustments at halftime, came out with a higher press and forced some turnovers. We got after it in the first 10 minutes of the second half and were able to score some goals.
“It’s been a year. It’s really good to get a win like this, especially getting some goals on the scoreboard. We’ve had a really inconsistent season, started off playing really well but then fell off in the middle.
“Our record doesn’t have a lot to show for it, but we’re a quality team. We’re trying to fight through some adversity and get some consistency. We showed some fight tonight.”
Schmitt said his players overcame a lot of adversity to set themselves up for a big showdown against Morton.
The Mustangs have a history of beating the Trojans in the playoffs. Downers Grove North suffered a 4-0 defeat to Morton in a regional championship game last season. In 2019, the Mustangs beat the Trojans 3-0 in a regional title game. Downers Grove North seeks its first regional title since 2017. That season they dropped a 3-2 defeat on Morton in a sectional semifinal.
“There were a lot of outside factors for this game. With the game being delayed an hour for us to start, it can take a mental toll,” Schmitt said. “The longer you wait, you get overexcited when you finally get out on the field.
“That may have happened in the first half, but we battled through some of those non-factor soccer things. I’m really impressed with the guys. I’m really proud of the guys. They really wanted it.
“This is my last season here. The season we’ve had, we really wanted to make a playoff push. Tonight was a great test for that, and Morton is going to be an even greater test.”
Botha kickstarted the Trojans’ second half resurgence with a rebound goal in the 43rd minute. The junior forward blasted a close shot that deflected back to him off Jones goalie Isaac Simon. Botha nailed his second chance to tie the game at 1-1.
Botha, who has five goals and six assists this season, said he was happy to score a goal and tally an assist after an up-and-down regular-season.
“My first one I tried to put in the far post and misplaced it a bit. It came back to me, and I knew I had to hit it hard,” Botha said.
“It feels great to contribute in a positive way. I had a rough start to the season personally, so I’m glad I can hit my stride at the end. I was out of form a bit, not playing well. I’m back to playing like I always do.”
Less than four minutes later, Ryan supplied the game-winner off an assist from Botha. After getting the pass, Ryan took a quick second to set himself up for a good shot with no defenders between him and the goal. He drilled home a shot from 18 yards for the 2-1 edge.
Jones had very few attempts in the second half. The Eagles relied on a pair of free kicks in a two-minute span that Downers Grove North goalie Will Barnett easily saved in the 50th and 52nd minutes.
Downers Grove North, however, kept on the attack and came close several times, including Ryan’s shot off the crossbar in the 55th minute.
Barnett’s hustle stopped a potential Jones shot in the 70th minute and helped set up an insurance goal from Peckenpaugh. The junior forward scored the third goal for the Trojans, dribbling on the right side and smacking in a long shot for a 3-1 advantage.
Peckenpaugh said he saw an opening in the Jones’ backline on his goal.
“I saw that their left back was higher, so we had the throw-in and saw an opportunity and took it,” he said. “The next thing I knew, the ball was at my feet. I got through the rest of the defenders and slotted it where I wanted it to go.”
Peckenpaugh said the Trojans have played a difficult schedule and are ready for the challenge of pulling off the upset over Morton (19-2-0). The Mustangs, ranked no. 4 in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, have won 10-straight games.
“We needed this,” he said. “With the record that we have, it’s nice to have a moment going into a tough team like Morton. This was definitely a good moment. We have to be disciplined, especially on defense.
“We’ve played teams like York and Lyons. We can put up a fight with them if we stay defensively disciplined and hold them down and chip away.”
Starting lineups
Jones
GK: Isaac Simon
D: Stefan Dabic
D: Andrew Meints
D: Christopher Rocha
D: Dario Nardini
MF: Robert Griffith
MF: Kofi Bugyei
MF: Ricardo Fonseca
MF: Brenden Dons
F: Hector Jimenez
F: Paxton Hengesbach
Downers Grove North
GK: Adi Zaveri
D: Holden Peckenpaugh
D: Bradley Szydlowski
D: Tomislav Petkovski
D: Aldo Velazquez
MF: Jackson Irby
MF: Quin O’Reilly
MF: Jack Ryan
MF: Will Beaty
MF: Ben Llewellyn
F: Ryan Wilson
Chicagoland Soccer Men of the Match:
Jack Ryan, sr., MF, Downers Grove North;
Riley Botha, jr., F, Downers Grove North
Scoring summary
First half
Jones: Fonseca (Perez), 11’
Second half
Downers Grove North: Botha (Ryan), 43’
Downers Grove North: Ryan (Botha), 47’
Downers Grove North: Peckenpaugh (Prince), 73’
2nd half comeback over Jones
DGN's players make sure outgoing Schmitt keeps coaching
By Bobby Narang
BERWYN – Even with a late start, Downers Grove North wasn’t in a hurry to exit Morton Stadium on Tuesday night.
The Trojans had the misfortune of a long delay before their Class 3A playoff opener against Chicago Public League member Jones.
When fellow CPL member Curie arrived significantly late for the first regional semifinal against host Morton, Downers Grove North’s start time was pushed back to just past 8 p.m.
The seventh-seeded Trojans made the long night worthwhile with three second half goals to deliver a spirited 3-1 triumph over their 10-seeded foes. The Trojans (6-13-1) advance to play second-seeded Morton on Friday at 6 p.m. in the regional championship game. Morton defeated 15th-seed Curie 2-0 in the opener.
Despite the long wait in the cold, the Trojans reveled in the comeback victory over the Eagles. They stayed well after the everyone in the 6,850-square-foot stadium had exited. The Trojans, who stationed themselves in the far corner away from the scoreboard, preferred to enjoy the playoff victory after a tough regular-season.
Junior midfielder Ben Llewellyn said the game-plan was simple: Win the game for coach. Downers Grove North coach Mike Schmitt plans on stepping down at the end of the season, thus making Tuesday’s playoff victory even sweeter, Llewellyn said.
“This win was really important to us because this is our coach’s last season, and we want to make a run,” Llewellyn said. “It’s important for the seniors, and we also want to get some playoff experience. We kept our heads up, played like a team and talked and kept our energy up and did what the coaches told us.
“We want to play our game against Morton. We have to practice hard and see what happens. It’s really important for us to go as far as we can for our coach in his last year.”
The Trojans advanced by getting goals from three different players in the final 37:19 to ground the Eagles (11-7-1). Riley Botha, Jack Ryan and Holden Peckenpaugh all scored goals for the Trojans; Ryan, Botha and Max Prince tallied assists. Downers Grove North’s goalies Adi Zaveri and Will Barnett both played stellar in the net to hold the Eagles to only one goal.
Jones played a strong first half, dominated the possession and nearly tacked on a few extra goals. The Eagles had to settle for Ricardo Fonseca’s tally in the 11th minute and a 1-0 halftime lead.
Jones coach Paul Zubb struggled to find the words to describe his team’s defeat after playing so well in the first 40 minutes. In a rare twist, the Eagles still have one game left in their season. They play Curie in the Chicago Public League supplemental championship game, Zubb said.
“I don’t have a good explanation,” Zubb said. “The first half we controlled the game and possession. We weren’t getting the ball out wide effectively in the second half, and that was a big difference.
“But at least we are still playing. The guys have come together. I’m very proud of the guys. This was probably one of the better games we’ve played. Overall, I’m proud of the team. We still have a lot to play for.”
As his Trojans sat down on the turf following Tuesday’s victory, Schmitt said he was impressed how his players responded following a difficult start. The Trojans nearly scored a goal just 68 seconds into the game but saw the shot deflect off the post.
“Our game-plan kind of fell apart pretty quick with that first goal,” Schmitt said. “It was kind of a battle. We were little unlucky also to hit the post right away, and we conceded a number of early chances. They got through us quite a few times.
“We were forced to make some adjustments at halftime, came out with a higher press and forced some turnovers. We got after it in the first 10 minutes of the second half and were able to score some goals.
“It’s been a year. It’s really good to get a win like this, especially getting some goals on the scoreboard. We’ve had a really inconsistent season, started off playing really well but then fell off in the middle.
“Our record doesn’t have a lot to show for it, but we’re a quality team. We’re trying to fight through some adversity and get some consistency. We showed some fight tonight.”
Schmitt said his players overcame a lot of adversity to set themselves up for a big showdown against Morton.
The Mustangs have a history of beating the Trojans in the playoffs. Downers Grove North suffered a 4-0 defeat to Morton in a regional championship game last season. In 2019, the Mustangs beat the Trojans 3-0 in a regional title game. Downers Grove North seeks its first regional title since 2017. That season they dropped a 3-2 defeat on Morton in a sectional semifinal.
“There were a lot of outside factors for this game. With the game being delayed an hour for us to start, it can take a mental toll,” Schmitt said. “The longer you wait, you get overexcited when you finally get out on the field.
“That may have happened in the first half, but we battled through some of those non-factor soccer things. I’m really impressed with the guys. I’m really proud of the guys. They really wanted it.
“This is my last season here. The season we’ve had, we really wanted to make a playoff push. Tonight was a great test for that, and Morton is going to be an even greater test.”
Botha kickstarted the Trojans’ second half resurgence with a rebound goal in the 43rd minute. The junior forward blasted a close shot that deflected back to him off Jones goalie Isaac Simon. Botha nailed his second chance to tie the game at 1-1.
Botha, who has five goals and six assists this season, said he was happy to score a goal and tally an assist after an up-and-down regular-season.
“My first one I tried to put in the far post and misplaced it a bit. It came back to me, and I knew I had to hit it hard,” Botha said.
“It feels great to contribute in a positive way. I had a rough start to the season personally, so I’m glad I can hit my stride at the end. I was out of form a bit, not playing well. I’m back to playing like I always do.”
Less than four minutes later, Ryan supplied the game-winner off an assist from Botha. After getting the pass, Ryan took a quick second to set himself up for a good shot with no defenders between him and the goal. He drilled home a shot from 18 yards for the 2-1 edge.
Jones had very few attempts in the second half. The Eagles relied on a pair of free kicks in a two-minute span that Downers Grove North goalie Will Barnett easily saved in the 50th and 52nd minutes.
Downers Grove North, however, kept on the attack and came close several times, including Ryan’s shot off the crossbar in the 55th minute.
Barnett’s hustle stopped a potential Jones shot in the 70th minute and helped set up an insurance goal from Peckenpaugh. The junior forward scored the third goal for the Trojans, dribbling on the right side and smacking in a long shot for a 3-1 advantage.
Peckenpaugh said he saw an opening in the Jones’ backline on his goal.
“I saw that their left back was higher, so we had the throw-in and saw an opportunity and took it,” he said. “The next thing I knew, the ball was at my feet. I got through the rest of the defenders and slotted it where I wanted it to go.”
Peckenpaugh said the Trojans have played a difficult schedule and are ready for the challenge of pulling off the upset over Morton (19-2-0). The Mustangs, ranked no. 4 in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, have won 10-straight games.
“We needed this,” he said. “With the record that we have, it’s nice to have a moment going into a tough team like Morton. This was definitely a good moment. We have to be disciplined, especially on defense.
“We’ve played teams like York and Lyons. We can put up a fight with them if we stay defensively disciplined and hold them down and chip away.”
Starting lineups
Jones
GK: Isaac Simon
D: Stefan Dabic
D: Andrew Meints
D: Christopher Rocha
D: Dario Nardini
MF: Robert Griffith
MF: Kofi Bugyei
MF: Ricardo Fonseca
MF: Brenden Dons
F: Hector Jimenez
F: Paxton Hengesbach
Downers Grove North
GK: Adi Zaveri
D: Holden Peckenpaugh
D: Bradley Szydlowski
D: Tomislav Petkovski
D: Aldo Velazquez
MF: Jackson Irby
MF: Quin O’Reilly
MF: Jack Ryan
MF: Will Beaty
MF: Ben Llewellyn
F: Ryan Wilson
Chicagoland Soccer Men of the Match:
Jack Ryan, sr., MF, Downers Grove North;
Riley Botha, jr., F, Downers Grove North
Scoring summary
First half
Jones: Fonseca (Perez), 11’
Second half
Downers Grove North: Botha (Ryan), 43’
Downers Grove North: Ryan (Botha), 47’
Downers Grove North: Peckenpaugh (Prince), 73’