GK Baio saves day for Loyola
2 PK stops lead to win over Fenwick
By Rusty Silber
GLENVIEW -- Frank Baio had eyes like a hawk in goal for Loyola on Tuesday against Fenwick. His big penalty kick saves drove the Ramblers to a 4-3 shootout win over Fenwick in a Chicago Catholic League match Tuesday night at the Ramblers' Munz Campus.
The sophomore net-minder earned honors as Chicagoland Soccer's Man of the Match by making two impressive stops during the penalty kicks and a total of eight saves for the match.
It was the first time Baio worked a shootout this season, which came after the teams played 80 minutes of regulation and two five-minute overtime periods of scoreless soccer.
"It's really nerve wracking especially that first one," Baio said. "When your looking at the shooter. Your looking for signs and something that gives it away and where they're looking. Some look really hard in one direction and there are some that look the other way. I just look at their eyes. It's not the hips because you can change your position. It really helps seeing where you can anticipate where to go."
After the first two rounds, each team was able to find the back of the net. But on the third kick from the Friar, Baio made the correct read and pushed the attempt off to his right.
"I'm really not sure what happened on that one," Baio added. "But, I knew the past two ones went to my right. So, I figured it would probably not go there. I was just able to guess the right way.
After the Ramblers' Andrew Hoepfner converted the third kick. Baio made another diving stop in the fourth round again making the sprawling save.
Friars' goalkeeper Jacob Anquette was up for the challenge and made a diving stop of his own in the bottom half of the round. That left a 3-2 advantage in favor of the Ramblers.
Fenwick's Tommy Reardon evened the kicks at 3-3 on the last scheduled shot for Fenwick. Until, Collin Leider scored on the final kick for the 4-3 difference and Ramblers victory that ended a two-game losing streak.
"Making the PK saves were about equal to what I made during the game," Baio said. "Because my teammates worked for me all game long. In the penalty kicks I have to be there for them."
The Loyola backline Christian Jimenez, Jonas Madison, Daniel Montaquila and Luke Phillips gave Baio support throughout the match.
Baio also made four outstanding stops in the second half from point-blank range. On one, he threw arm up in the air to prevent a goal while out of position. All of the goal-saving opportunities stops frustrated Fenwick (9-8-0, 4-3-0).
"It was a conference win, and we'll definitely take it," Loyola Academy coach Baer Fisher said. "Getting wins against the big five in the Catholic League is very important. I thought this was a fair result. (Fenwick) was organized and worked hard, but I thought we created more chances. I thought it was a well-deserved victory. I thought our defense came up big in this one, and we've been consistent with our defending."
The Ramblers (11-5-0, 4-3-0) just started practicing penalty kicks over the last couple of days. That was a case of great timing for Tuesday, and, the Ramblers hope, for the postseason.
"Yes, we need to get ready for the playoffs," Fisher said. "It's a good test for the playoffs. We didn't expect this here in this game. It was more with the thought with the postseason."
Loyola got to see one of its top players back on the field briefly. David Gripman, who has been sidelined with an MCL sprain over the last month, came into the match in the final couple minutes of the second overtime and got a shot on the frame in the final seconds.
"Getting (Gripman) back is huge for us," Fisher said. "He was All-State last year and is a team player. He adds a lot for us."
Fenwick's Mariano Mollo worked hard in the midfield and really had strong thoughts that the Friars had a shot to take this game.
"I thought we played well and created a lot of chances," Mollo said. "We just didn't capitalize on them. I thought we played better in the second half, but it was tough playing into the wind. I thought we were the better team; we just couldn't finish getting the goals."
The Friars had their chances. It was just a matter of getting the job done.
"I thought it was an evenly matched game," Fenwick coach Robert Watson said. "I thought we had the better chances, but we were unable to finish. If we could've been able to finish one or two of the opportunities in front of their net, then obviously, it would've been over.
"I think we're playing some pretty good soccer and getting just unlucky. But you have to finish your chances when you get them. That's the way this sport is. We just keep our heads up and keep going."
Starting lineups
Fenwick
GK-Jacob Arquette
D-Teagan White
D-Joe Sedlacek
D-Kyle Arquette
MF-Mariano Mollo
MF-Daniel Ballarin
MF-Dennis McCann
MF-Rommy Reardon
F-Omar McKinnon
F-Mike Carceo
F-Sean Mitchell
Loyola Academy
GK-Frank Baio
D-Jonas Madison
D-Luke Phillips
D-Daniel Montaquila
D-Christian Jimenez
MF-Tommy Zipprich
MF-Michael Sullivan
MF-Nick Lew
MF-Brady Reichert
MF-Collin Leider
F-Andrew Hoepfner
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Frank Baio, so., GK, Loyola
Scoring summary
Shootout
Fenwick: Sawasciuk, Patston, Reardon
Loyola: Gripman, Zipprich, Hoepfner, Leider
2 PK stops lead to win over Fenwick
By Rusty Silber
GLENVIEW -- Frank Baio had eyes like a hawk in goal for Loyola on Tuesday against Fenwick. His big penalty kick saves drove the Ramblers to a 4-3 shootout win over Fenwick in a Chicago Catholic League match Tuesday night at the Ramblers' Munz Campus.
The sophomore net-minder earned honors as Chicagoland Soccer's Man of the Match by making two impressive stops during the penalty kicks and a total of eight saves for the match.
It was the first time Baio worked a shootout this season, which came after the teams played 80 minutes of regulation and two five-minute overtime periods of scoreless soccer.
"It's really nerve wracking especially that first one," Baio said. "When your looking at the shooter. Your looking for signs and something that gives it away and where they're looking. Some look really hard in one direction and there are some that look the other way. I just look at their eyes. It's not the hips because you can change your position. It really helps seeing where you can anticipate where to go."
After the first two rounds, each team was able to find the back of the net. But on the third kick from the Friar, Baio made the correct read and pushed the attempt off to his right.
"I'm really not sure what happened on that one," Baio added. "But, I knew the past two ones went to my right. So, I figured it would probably not go there. I was just able to guess the right way.
After the Ramblers' Andrew Hoepfner converted the third kick. Baio made another diving stop in the fourth round again making the sprawling save.
Friars' goalkeeper Jacob Anquette was up for the challenge and made a diving stop of his own in the bottom half of the round. That left a 3-2 advantage in favor of the Ramblers.
Fenwick's Tommy Reardon evened the kicks at 3-3 on the last scheduled shot for Fenwick. Until, Collin Leider scored on the final kick for the 4-3 difference and Ramblers victory that ended a two-game losing streak.
"Making the PK saves were about equal to what I made during the game," Baio said. "Because my teammates worked for me all game long. In the penalty kicks I have to be there for them."
The Loyola backline Christian Jimenez, Jonas Madison, Daniel Montaquila and Luke Phillips gave Baio support throughout the match.
Baio also made four outstanding stops in the second half from point-blank range. On one, he threw arm up in the air to prevent a goal while out of position. All of the goal-saving opportunities stops frustrated Fenwick (9-8-0, 4-3-0).
"It was a conference win, and we'll definitely take it," Loyola Academy coach Baer Fisher said. "Getting wins against the big five in the Catholic League is very important. I thought this was a fair result. (Fenwick) was organized and worked hard, but I thought we created more chances. I thought it was a well-deserved victory. I thought our defense came up big in this one, and we've been consistent with our defending."
The Ramblers (11-5-0, 4-3-0) just started practicing penalty kicks over the last couple of days. That was a case of great timing for Tuesday, and, the Ramblers hope, for the postseason.
"Yes, we need to get ready for the playoffs," Fisher said. "It's a good test for the playoffs. We didn't expect this here in this game. It was more with the thought with the postseason."
Loyola got to see one of its top players back on the field briefly. David Gripman, who has been sidelined with an MCL sprain over the last month, came into the match in the final couple minutes of the second overtime and got a shot on the frame in the final seconds.
"Getting (Gripman) back is huge for us," Fisher said. "He was All-State last year and is a team player. He adds a lot for us."
Fenwick's Mariano Mollo worked hard in the midfield and really had strong thoughts that the Friars had a shot to take this game.
"I thought we played well and created a lot of chances," Mollo said. "We just didn't capitalize on them. I thought we played better in the second half, but it was tough playing into the wind. I thought we were the better team; we just couldn't finish getting the goals."
The Friars had their chances. It was just a matter of getting the job done.
"I thought it was an evenly matched game," Fenwick coach Robert Watson said. "I thought we had the better chances, but we were unable to finish. If we could've been able to finish one or two of the opportunities in front of their net, then obviously, it would've been over.
"I think we're playing some pretty good soccer and getting just unlucky. But you have to finish your chances when you get them. That's the way this sport is. We just keep our heads up and keep going."
Starting lineups
Fenwick
GK-Jacob Arquette
D-Teagan White
D-Joe Sedlacek
D-Kyle Arquette
MF-Mariano Mollo
MF-Daniel Ballarin
MF-Dennis McCann
MF-Rommy Reardon
F-Omar McKinnon
F-Mike Carceo
F-Sean Mitchell
Loyola Academy
GK-Frank Baio
D-Jonas Madison
D-Luke Phillips
D-Daniel Montaquila
D-Christian Jimenez
MF-Tommy Zipprich
MF-Michael Sullivan
MF-Nick Lew
MF-Brady Reichert
MF-Collin Leider
F-Andrew Hoepfner
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Frank Baio, so., GK, Loyola
Scoring summary
Shootout
Fenwick: Sawasciuk, Patston, Reardon
Loyola: Gripman, Zipprich, Hoepfner, Leider