Fremd gets tough, tops Hersey in OT
Vikings give Hersey 1st loss on Schoffstall's 81st-minute goal
By Gary Larsen
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS — What Fremd coach Steve Keller has been waiting for all season showed up in a big way at Hersey on Monday.
It wasn’t technical skill, or tactical smarts, although every coach wants as much of that as players can give him. It also wasn’t effort, because Fremd teams rarely lack in that quality.
It was grit.
"Finally," Keller said. “That's what I expect from us, and we really haven't done that all year.”
A whale of an MSL matchup had fans, players, and coaches applauding the quality of a game that went to overtime before Fremd’s Eli Schoffstall scored to give his side a 3-2 victory.
Even in defeat, Hersey coach Mike Rusniak appreciated the game he’d just witnessed.
"I'd always rather be a part of a game that is a seesaw affair, back and forth, with both teams playing up to the level of competition,” Rusniak said. ”It was a great game to be a part of.”
Is it quality goals you want? Monday’s game had them. Diving stops from both goalkeepers? No problem. Assists put on a dime? On nearly every goal.
And It was team-wide toughness that mainly carried Fremd (5-3-0, 5-3-0 in MSL play) to victory. For starters, Fremd fought back from 1-0 and 2-1 deficits to tie the game and force overtime against the previously unbeaten Huskies.
And that's where Fremd's toughness rose to new levels.
“I saw a lot of things that I liked from the guys,” Schoffstall said. “This just proves that we've got a lot of heart. We’re a young team but we can beat anyone.
"I think we were a seventh seed coming in here, and we proved we can beat anyone. It's just about who wants it more. We've just got to stick with teams, keep playing and scoring goals.”
An intensely competitive high school soccer game took shape from the start and didn’t disappoint for 80 minutes. Fremd keeper Joey Gillespie made a fine sliding stop on a point-blank Hersey shot just three minutes in, setting the tone for the night.
For the first 20 minutes, Hersey (7-1-0, 7-1-0) -- ranked 10th in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25 -- rode a strong wave of attacking soccer spearheaded by senior and 2019 Chicagoland Soccer All-Stater Ronan Wilcox. If there’s anything Wilcox doesn’t do on a soccer field, all it would take is for Rusniak to ask him to do it and it would likely get done.
"It's almost come to that point where I’ve run out of adjectives,” Rusniak said. “He's a player that can really play every single part of the game.”
From throw-ins with logic-defying lengths, to free and corner kicks, to using his skill and quickness to create in the final third, Wilcox showcased it all through the game’s opening 20 minutes.
At 17 minutes, Hersey keeper Reese Delahanty unleashed a long punt that found Wilcox’s feet past the midfield stripe. There was a defender on Wilcox’s hip, but not for long.
One burst ahead with the ball and Wilcox whistled a shot past Gillespie from 18 yards to provide a payoff for Hersey’s strong opening play.
"Ronan is really strong with the ball, and we just tried to contain him,” Schoffstall said. “We tried to stay on his back and not let him turn. He's got a lot of speed. He got through a couple times, but then our defense stepped up."
Schoffstall, whose two goals earned him Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honors, scored his first in a way that’s rarely seen during a soccer season.
At 30 minutes, Fremd midfielder Ryan Sapiente lined up a free kick from near the midfield stripe, and launched it on a long, high perfect arc to the goalmouth. Schoffstall was there to receive it. The junior elevated above the crowd and flicked it under the crossbar to tie the game.
Does anyone see many long-distance connections like that during the course of a season?
“No,” Keller said, “but if the timing is right and the ball is right, that's what can happen. And Eli can jump.”
Hersey was undeterred, and two minutes into the second half forward Patryk Bujak put the Huskies back in the lead. Wilcox served a ball in, Bujak finished it, and Fremd was chasing a one-goal deficit for the second time in the game.
Rusniak was pleased with the way his boys came out in the second half, bent on regaining the lead.
"It's something that we've always wanted to do,” he said. “I've got a group of kids that have been here for three years, and we've always wanted to come out and set the pace, and take the game to other teams. And then to have the same energy and intensity for the rest of the half.
"Everybody has their (injuries) at this point in the season. For them to respond and still come out and play the soccer they've been playing, with the same intensity, I'm proud of them.”
Hersey nearly created a chance that might have put them up 3-1 just four minutes later. Wilcox sent a ball ahead from midfield to Bujak, with only Fremd defender Brandon Wozniak to beat.
Wozniak came up big, winning the ball and destroying the play.
“Our defense with (Wozniak) in the back, he held down the fort for us and the other guys did what they needed to do,” Keller said. “We hopefully gained some confidence defensively today.”
Defenders Beck Smolak, Will Stewart and Joey Rodino helped Wozniak hold the line for Fremd.
The slugfest continued up and down the field to the 68th minute. Along the way, Gillespie tipped away a long Wilcox throw-in; Fremd forward Christian Tirado had a shot stuffed near the goal line by a Hersey defender; and Delahanty charged out to the 18 to smother a through-ball with Fremd’s Will Mayer bearing down on him.
Sapiente keyed the play that tied the game at 2-2, freeing up Mayer up the right side at 68 minutes. Mayer took a touch ahead into the box and unleashed a wicked shot that went in off the hands of a diving Delahanty.
Delahanty made a fine save at 72 minutes on a point-blank shot off the foot of Fremd forward Leo Akashi that preserved the tie and ultimately sent the game to overtime.
Fremd wasted no time in the 10-minute overtime period with Sapiente spearheading a third scoring play. The junior sent a corner kick in that found the carpet near the goalmouth, and Schoffstall saw his chance in a crowd just 54 seconds into overtime.
It was a game-winning shot devoid of artistry but with plenty of grit.
“I just hit it,” Schoffstall said. “I just hit it to the right and hoped it went in.”
Sapiente’s three-assist day wasn’t lost on his coach.
"He's obviously gifted technically, very skillful, and he can make those passes and find people,” Keller said. "He can put the ball where he wants to. We had played him at left back, and we moved him and Eli to the middle of the field to try to give us a presence. I think Ryan has six assists in the last two or three games, so he's a playmaker.
"I was happy with the work rate of our forwards today, Leo and Mayer especially, and Eli had a phenomenal game.”
The win moved Fremd into fourth place in the MSL table and first in the West Division with 15 points. Barrington (4-3-0), and Conant and Palatine at 4-4-0 each, now trail the Vikings. Hersey sits atop the league tied with East Division foe Buffalo Grove at 7-1-0 and 21 points. Rolling Meadows is in third with 18 points.
Hersey’s players were clearly disappointed with their first loss of the season, but perspective took precedence over any discouragement they felt.
“I think it showed us that we’re not invincible, but it's only one game. We're still at the top of the table,” Wilcox said. “No one is perfect. It would obviously be great to go undefeated but at the same time it's a good thing for the younger players to experience and learn how to move on from it. I want to see us respond now that we've picked up a loss. It will show our character as a team.”
Rusniak has been happy all season with the play of defenders Tommy Steger, Nathan Solarski, Charlie Shiffman and Chris See. The Hersey coach also applauded the bench minutes he got from players like Andrew Hamilton and Patrick Klem.
Rusniak also agreed with Wilcox’s perspective on Hersey’s first loss.
“A loss never feels good, but we knew at the beginning of the season there would be bumps on the road and how would we respond to that adversity?” Rusniak said. “But it's an extremely resilient group with a lot of mental fortitude, and they'll come out stronger from it. We’re already preparing for the next game. “
Starting lineups
Fremd
GK Joey Gillespie
D Beck Smolak
D Will Stewart
D Brandon Wozniak
D Joey Rodino
M Eli Schoffstall
M Ryan Sapiente
M Nick Austin
M Braden Roos
F Leo Akashi
F Christian Tirado
Hersey
GK Reese Delahanty
D Charlie Shiffman
D Tommy Steger
D Chris See
D Nathan Solarski
M Simon Hemenway
M Tasos Christacos
M Sam Schuffler
M Eric Work
F Ronan Wilcox
F Patryk Bujak
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Eli Schoffstall, jr., M, Fremd
Scoring summary
First half
Hersey — Wilcox (Delahanty) 17 minutes
Fremd — Schoffstall (Sapiente) 30 minutes
Second half
Hersey — Bujak (Wilcox) 42 minutes
Fremd — Mayer (Sapiente) 68 minutes
First overtime
Fremd — Schoffstall (Sapiente) 81 minutes
Vikings give Hersey 1st loss on Schoffstall's 81st-minute goal
By Gary Larsen
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS — What Fremd coach Steve Keller has been waiting for all season showed up in a big way at Hersey on Monday.
It wasn’t technical skill, or tactical smarts, although every coach wants as much of that as players can give him. It also wasn’t effort, because Fremd teams rarely lack in that quality.
It was grit.
"Finally," Keller said. “That's what I expect from us, and we really haven't done that all year.”
A whale of an MSL matchup had fans, players, and coaches applauding the quality of a game that went to overtime before Fremd’s Eli Schoffstall scored to give his side a 3-2 victory.
Even in defeat, Hersey coach Mike Rusniak appreciated the game he’d just witnessed.
"I'd always rather be a part of a game that is a seesaw affair, back and forth, with both teams playing up to the level of competition,” Rusniak said. ”It was a great game to be a part of.”
Is it quality goals you want? Monday’s game had them. Diving stops from both goalkeepers? No problem. Assists put on a dime? On nearly every goal.
And It was team-wide toughness that mainly carried Fremd (5-3-0, 5-3-0 in MSL play) to victory. For starters, Fremd fought back from 1-0 and 2-1 deficits to tie the game and force overtime against the previously unbeaten Huskies.
And that's where Fremd's toughness rose to new levels.
“I saw a lot of things that I liked from the guys,” Schoffstall said. “This just proves that we've got a lot of heart. We’re a young team but we can beat anyone.
"I think we were a seventh seed coming in here, and we proved we can beat anyone. It's just about who wants it more. We've just got to stick with teams, keep playing and scoring goals.”
An intensely competitive high school soccer game took shape from the start and didn’t disappoint for 80 minutes. Fremd keeper Joey Gillespie made a fine sliding stop on a point-blank Hersey shot just three minutes in, setting the tone for the night.
For the first 20 minutes, Hersey (7-1-0, 7-1-0) -- ranked 10th in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25 -- rode a strong wave of attacking soccer spearheaded by senior and 2019 Chicagoland Soccer All-Stater Ronan Wilcox. If there’s anything Wilcox doesn’t do on a soccer field, all it would take is for Rusniak to ask him to do it and it would likely get done.
"It's almost come to that point where I’ve run out of adjectives,” Rusniak said. “He's a player that can really play every single part of the game.”
From throw-ins with logic-defying lengths, to free and corner kicks, to using his skill and quickness to create in the final third, Wilcox showcased it all through the game’s opening 20 minutes.
At 17 minutes, Hersey keeper Reese Delahanty unleashed a long punt that found Wilcox’s feet past the midfield stripe. There was a defender on Wilcox’s hip, but not for long.
One burst ahead with the ball and Wilcox whistled a shot past Gillespie from 18 yards to provide a payoff for Hersey’s strong opening play.
"Ronan is really strong with the ball, and we just tried to contain him,” Schoffstall said. “We tried to stay on his back and not let him turn. He's got a lot of speed. He got through a couple times, but then our defense stepped up."
Schoffstall, whose two goals earned him Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honors, scored his first in a way that’s rarely seen during a soccer season.
At 30 minutes, Fremd midfielder Ryan Sapiente lined up a free kick from near the midfield stripe, and launched it on a long, high perfect arc to the goalmouth. Schoffstall was there to receive it. The junior elevated above the crowd and flicked it under the crossbar to tie the game.
Does anyone see many long-distance connections like that during the course of a season?
“No,” Keller said, “but if the timing is right and the ball is right, that's what can happen. And Eli can jump.”
Hersey was undeterred, and two minutes into the second half forward Patryk Bujak put the Huskies back in the lead. Wilcox served a ball in, Bujak finished it, and Fremd was chasing a one-goal deficit for the second time in the game.
Rusniak was pleased with the way his boys came out in the second half, bent on regaining the lead.
"It's something that we've always wanted to do,” he said. “I've got a group of kids that have been here for three years, and we've always wanted to come out and set the pace, and take the game to other teams. And then to have the same energy and intensity for the rest of the half.
"Everybody has their (injuries) at this point in the season. For them to respond and still come out and play the soccer they've been playing, with the same intensity, I'm proud of them.”
Hersey nearly created a chance that might have put them up 3-1 just four minutes later. Wilcox sent a ball ahead from midfield to Bujak, with only Fremd defender Brandon Wozniak to beat.
Wozniak came up big, winning the ball and destroying the play.
“Our defense with (Wozniak) in the back, he held down the fort for us and the other guys did what they needed to do,” Keller said. “We hopefully gained some confidence defensively today.”
Defenders Beck Smolak, Will Stewart and Joey Rodino helped Wozniak hold the line for Fremd.
The slugfest continued up and down the field to the 68th minute. Along the way, Gillespie tipped away a long Wilcox throw-in; Fremd forward Christian Tirado had a shot stuffed near the goal line by a Hersey defender; and Delahanty charged out to the 18 to smother a through-ball with Fremd’s Will Mayer bearing down on him.
Sapiente keyed the play that tied the game at 2-2, freeing up Mayer up the right side at 68 minutes. Mayer took a touch ahead into the box and unleashed a wicked shot that went in off the hands of a diving Delahanty.
Delahanty made a fine save at 72 minutes on a point-blank shot off the foot of Fremd forward Leo Akashi that preserved the tie and ultimately sent the game to overtime.
Fremd wasted no time in the 10-minute overtime period with Sapiente spearheading a third scoring play. The junior sent a corner kick in that found the carpet near the goalmouth, and Schoffstall saw his chance in a crowd just 54 seconds into overtime.
It was a game-winning shot devoid of artistry but with plenty of grit.
“I just hit it,” Schoffstall said. “I just hit it to the right and hoped it went in.”
Sapiente’s three-assist day wasn’t lost on his coach.
"He's obviously gifted technically, very skillful, and he can make those passes and find people,” Keller said. "He can put the ball where he wants to. We had played him at left back, and we moved him and Eli to the middle of the field to try to give us a presence. I think Ryan has six assists in the last two or three games, so he's a playmaker.
"I was happy with the work rate of our forwards today, Leo and Mayer especially, and Eli had a phenomenal game.”
The win moved Fremd into fourth place in the MSL table and first in the West Division with 15 points. Barrington (4-3-0), and Conant and Palatine at 4-4-0 each, now trail the Vikings. Hersey sits atop the league tied with East Division foe Buffalo Grove at 7-1-0 and 21 points. Rolling Meadows is in third with 18 points.
Hersey’s players were clearly disappointed with their first loss of the season, but perspective took precedence over any discouragement they felt.
“I think it showed us that we’re not invincible, but it's only one game. We're still at the top of the table,” Wilcox said. “No one is perfect. It would obviously be great to go undefeated but at the same time it's a good thing for the younger players to experience and learn how to move on from it. I want to see us respond now that we've picked up a loss. It will show our character as a team.”
Rusniak has been happy all season with the play of defenders Tommy Steger, Nathan Solarski, Charlie Shiffman and Chris See. The Hersey coach also applauded the bench minutes he got from players like Andrew Hamilton and Patrick Klem.
Rusniak also agreed with Wilcox’s perspective on Hersey’s first loss.
“A loss never feels good, but we knew at the beginning of the season there would be bumps on the road and how would we respond to that adversity?” Rusniak said. “But it's an extremely resilient group with a lot of mental fortitude, and they'll come out stronger from it. We’re already preparing for the next game. “
Starting lineups
Fremd
GK Joey Gillespie
D Beck Smolak
D Will Stewart
D Brandon Wozniak
D Joey Rodino
M Eli Schoffstall
M Ryan Sapiente
M Nick Austin
M Braden Roos
F Leo Akashi
F Christian Tirado
Hersey
GK Reese Delahanty
D Charlie Shiffman
D Tommy Steger
D Chris See
D Nathan Solarski
M Simon Hemenway
M Tasos Christacos
M Sam Schuffler
M Eric Work
F Ronan Wilcox
F Patryk Bujak
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Eli Schoffstall, jr., M, Fremd
Scoring summary
First half
Hersey — Wilcox (Delahanty) 17 minutes
Fremd — Schoffstall (Sapiente) 30 minutes
Second half
Hersey — Bujak (Wilcox) 42 minutes
Fremd — Mayer (Sapiente) 68 minutes
First overtime
Fremd — Schoffstall (Sapiente) 81 minutes