Fremd edges host Naperville North,
to cap huge weekend
Vikings top 2 nationally ranked teams in 21 hours
By Matt Le Cren
NAPERVILLE – “Well, that was worth the drive.”
That’s what one Fremd fan said as the crowd trickled out of Naperville North’s stadium Saturday.
She meant the drive from Palatine to Naperville. But she could have said the same about the Vikings’ trip to Peoria last weekend or their jaunt over the Wisconsin border to Milwaukee on Friday.
The Vikings Leo Akashi’s long-distance goal midway through the first half and a stellar defensive effort lifted Fremd, ranked 14th in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, to a 1-0 upset of no. 4 Naperville North.
It was the final leg of an odyssey that saw the Vikings play six games in nine-day stretch and beat big-name opponents in three different states. They won the final five, four of which were on the road.
“I’m very pleased,” Fremd coach Steve Keller said. “We were missing five guys from our team today, including two starters, so what they accomplished this weekend was phenomenal.
“Hopefully, they realize what they can do if they play the way they’re capable of.”
The Vikings traveled to Peoria for a two-day stay Sept. 10 and 11. After losing 2-0 to Missouri side Chaminade on Friday night, the Vikings (7-1-1) knocked off host Notre Dame (Peoria) 2-0 the next day. They shut out Mid-Suburban League foes Buffalo Grove 1-0 (Sept. 14) and Elk Grove 2-0 (Sept. 15) during the week and then traveled Friday to Milwaukee to face Marquette, ranked no. 1 in Wisconsin and no. 11 nationally.
Fremd won that game 2-1. The next morning they faced the Huskies, who ranked no. 23 in the country on the Prep Soccer internet site and rode a 10-game unbeaten streak.
Though the score was close, Fremd was clearly the better team against Naperville North, which was playing without senior striker Cam Radeke, who was visiting Wright State after committing to the school earlier in the week.
“They were great,” Naperville North coach Jim Konrad said. “They are by far the best team we’ve played this season.
“They were tough physically, impossible to break down, great in the air, have a couple kids who are clever with the ball that can make you pay.
“I thought the second half we did far better. In the first half they really took it to us.”
Indeed, the Huskies were fortunate to be down only 1-0 at halftime. Senior goalkeeper Patrick Horn made five of his six saves, including three spectacular ones, before intermission.
The first was a diving effort to stop Max Mayer’s header just one minute in.
His Fremd counterpart, Robbie Remian, answered with a great stop of his own two minutes later, diving to deny Huskies all-stater Alex Barger.
That was one of the few chances the Huskies had. Barger had the next one, a 15-yard shot that curled just wide of the left post with 9:30 remaining.
By then, the Vikings had done their damage. Senior forward Leo Akashi found himself in space and lofted a 35-yard shot over the head of Horn at the 20:50 mark. It was Akashi’s fourth goal of the season.
“I was so happy,” Akashi said. “I always think I can take a shot.”
He had a good shot at scoring a second goal when he got loose in the left side of the box, but Horn came out to smother the shot with 7:05 to go.
Six minutes earlier, Horn came up with two great saves in a span of 25 seconds. He leaped to grab Eli Schoffstall’s 30-yard drive, then thwarted Kenan Mesic on a breakaway.
Meanwhile, on the other end of the field the Fremd defenders did some thwarting of their own. Naperville North’s usually potent attack was handcuffed by defenders Caden Statz, Braden Roos and Beck Smolak, who helped hold the Huskies to a mere five shots, only three of which were on frame.
“I thought both Roos and Caden had phenomenal games and I thought Beck was solid in the center,” Keller said. “Any time you come here and get a win, it’s a feat. So, it was good.”
Statz has been impressed with his team’s improvement.
“These last two games … have really been a proving point for us,” Statz said. “I feel like the beginning of the year was sloppy with a lot of new guys joining the team. But this weekend it really clicked.
“We had changes on the backline, had some of our starters out, but our backline is really hungry for it. Everyone on the field is, too.”
Their effort made the Huskies starve. They didn’t get another good scoring opportunity until 1:10 was left in the second half, when Barger crossed through the crease to freshman Noah Radeke on the back post.
Radeke got a shot off from inside the six, but Remian was there to make the save.
“We were really just trying to keep it locked in, keeping it tight in the middle and talking to each other in the middle,” Statz said.
“We’ve got Beck Smolak in the back. We can always count on him to clear it out if it is over our heads. We’re not backing down to any balls that are in the air or on the ground.”
While Barger, who like Cam Radeke leads the Huskies with four goals and four assists, was his usual dangerous self, he didn’t have much help.
Naperville North’s midfield play was lackluster at times, and that left Barger often attacking alone against three or four defenders.
How much of that was due to Cam Radeke’s absence wasn’t clear, but it had an effect.
“It’s tough to tell,” Konrad said. “Obviously, Cam’s one of our best guys, so not having one of your best guys is going to make an impact.
“He’s such a problem for the opposing backline. He wins balls, he’s able to turn and go to goal and create chances for himself and others.
“He gives us that emotional leader through his actions. He works so hard and inspires others. Not having one of your best guys is going to make an impact.
“I’m not saying it would have changed the result but, obviously, we would have been better with him than without him.”
Even so, Fremd, which was missing some of its own pieces, was able to solve the puzzle.
“Looking at the big picture, they deserved to win the game,” Konrad said. “Yes, we might have stolen a tie, but at the end of the day they were the better team.”
The best part for Keller is he thinks the Vikings have yet to peak.
“We were a little shaky in the end with some chances we allowed,” Keller said. “Didn’t close down (Barger) as well as we should have.
“We’ll shore that up, but a win’s a win. We’ll take it.”
With the win, the Vikings fortunes in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25 are sure to rise. It is sure to build their confidence too.
“We always say rankings don’t mean anything much,” Statz said. “But I feel like this weekend has been a proving point.
“Naperville North was ranked fourth last week, Marquette is first in Wisconsin. Everything from now is going up.”
Starting lineups
Fremd
GK Robby Remian
D Braden Roos
D Beck Smolak
D Caden Statz
D Joey Rodino
M Max Mayer
M Demitri Vlahos
M Ryan Sapiente
F Christian Tirado
F Eli Schoffstall
F Leo Akashi
Naperville North
GK Patrick Horn
D Cole Ritzman
D Adam Zielke
D Ryan Konrad
D Alex Arredondo
M Tyson Amoo-Mensah
M Jacob Ryu
M Bryan Higgs
F Alex Barger
F Keegan Flaherty
F Noah Radeke
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Caden Statz, sr., MF, Fremd.
Scoring summary
First half
Fremd – Leo Akashi 20:50
Second half
No scoring
to cap huge weekend
Vikings top 2 nationally ranked teams in 21 hours
By Matt Le Cren
NAPERVILLE – “Well, that was worth the drive.”
That’s what one Fremd fan said as the crowd trickled out of Naperville North’s stadium Saturday.
She meant the drive from Palatine to Naperville. But she could have said the same about the Vikings’ trip to Peoria last weekend or their jaunt over the Wisconsin border to Milwaukee on Friday.
The Vikings Leo Akashi’s long-distance goal midway through the first half and a stellar defensive effort lifted Fremd, ranked 14th in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, to a 1-0 upset of no. 4 Naperville North.
It was the final leg of an odyssey that saw the Vikings play six games in nine-day stretch and beat big-name opponents in three different states. They won the final five, four of which were on the road.
“I’m very pleased,” Fremd coach Steve Keller said. “We were missing five guys from our team today, including two starters, so what they accomplished this weekend was phenomenal.
“Hopefully, they realize what they can do if they play the way they’re capable of.”
The Vikings traveled to Peoria for a two-day stay Sept. 10 and 11. After losing 2-0 to Missouri side Chaminade on Friday night, the Vikings (7-1-1) knocked off host Notre Dame (Peoria) 2-0 the next day. They shut out Mid-Suburban League foes Buffalo Grove 1-0 (Sept. 14) and Elk Grove 2-0 (Sept. 15) during the week and then traveled Friday to Milwaukee to face Marquette, ranked no. 1 in Wisconsin and no. 11 nationally.
Fremd won that game 2-1. The next morning they faced the Huskies, who ranked no. 23 in the country on the Prep Soccer internet site and rode a 10-game unbeaten streak.
Though the score was close, Fremd was clearly the better team against Naperville North, which was playing without senior striker Cam Radeke, who was visiting Wright State after committing to the school earlier in the week.
“They were great,” Naperville North coach Jim Konrad said. “They are by far the best team we’ve played this season.
“They were tough physically, impossible to break down, great in the air, have a couple kids who are clever with the ball that can make you pay.
“I thought the second half we did far better. In the first half they really took it to us.”
Indeed, the Huskies were fortunate to be down only 1-0 at halftime. Senior goalkeeper Patrick Horn made five of his six saves, including three spectacular ones, before intermission.
The first was a diving effort to stop Max Mayer’s header just one minute in.
His Fremd counterpart, Robbie Remian, answered with a great stop of his own two minutes later, diving to deny Huskies all-stater Alex Barger.
That was one of the few chances the Huskies had. Barger had the next one, a 15-yard shot that curled just wide of the left post with 9:30 remaining.
By then, the Vikings had done their damage. Senior forward Leo Akashi found himself in space and lofted a 35-yard shot over the head of Horn at the 20:50 mark. It was Akashi’s fourth goal of the season.
“I was so happy,” Akashi said. “I always think I can take a shot.”
He had a good shot at scoring a second goal when he got loose in the left side of the box, but Horn came out to smother the shot with 7:05 to go.
Six minutes earlier, Horn came up with two great saves in a span of 25 seconds. He leaped to grab Eli Schoffstall’s 30-yard drive, then thwarted Kenan Mesic on a breakaway.
Meanwhile, on the other end of the field the Fremd defenders did some thwarting of their own. Naperville North’s usually potent attack was handcuffed by defenders Caden Statz, Braden Roos and Beck Smolak, who helped hold the Huskies to a mere five shots, only three of which were on frame.
“I thought both Roos and Caden had phenomenal games and I thought Beck was solid in the center,” Keller said. “Any time you come here and get a win, it’s a feat. So, it was good.”
Statz has been impressed with his team’s improvement.
“These last two games … have really been a proving point for us,” Statz said. “I feel like the beginning of the year was sloppy with a lot of new guys joining the team. But this weekend it really clicked.
“We had changes on the backline, had some of our starters out, but our backline is really hungry for it. Everyone on the field is, too.”
Their effort made the Huskies starve. They didn’t get another good scoring opportunity until 1:10 was left in the second half, when Barger crossed through the crease to freshman Noah Radeke on the back post.
Radeke got a shot off from inside the six, but Remian was there to make the save.
“We were really just trying to keep it locked in, keeping it tight in the middle and talking to each other in the middle,” Statz said.
“We’ve got Beck Smolak in the back. We can always count on him to clear it out if it is over our heads. We’re not backing down to any balls that are in the air or on the ground.”
While Barger, who like Cam Radeke leads the Huskies with four goals and four assists, was his usual dangerous self, he didn’t have much help.
Naperville North’s midfield play was lackluster at times, and that left Barger often attacking alone against three or four defenders.
How much of that was due to Cam Radeke’s absence wasn’t clear, but it had an effect.
“It’s tough to tell,” Konrad said. “Obviously, Cam’s one of our best guys, so not having one of your best guys is going to make an impact.
“He’s such a problem for the opposing backline. He wins balls, he’s able to turn and go to goal and create chances for himself and others.
“He gives us that emotional leader through his actions. He works so hard and inspires others. Not having one of your best guys is going to make an impact.
“I’m not saying it would have changed the result but, obviously, we would have been better with him than without him.”
Even so, Fremd, which was missing some of its own pieces, was able to solve the puzzle.
“Looking at the big picture, they deserved to win the game,” Konrad said. “Yes, we might have stolen a tie, but at the end of the day they were the better team.”
The best part for Keller is he thinks the Vikings have yet to peak.
“We were a little shaky in the end with some chances we allowed,” Keller said. “Didn’t close down (Barger) as well as we should have.
“We’ll shore that up, but a win’s a win. We’ll take it.”
With the win, the Vikings fortunes in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25 are sure to rise. It is sure to build their confidence too.
“We always say rankings don’t mean anything much,” Statz said. “But I feel like this weekend has been a proving point.
“Naperville North was ranked fourth last week, Marquette is first in Wisconsin. Everything from now is going up.”
Starting lineups
Fremd
GK Robby Remian
D Braden Roos
D Beck Smolak
D Caden Statz
D Joey Rodino
M Max Mayer
M Demitri Vlahos
M Ryan Sapiente
F Christian Tirado
F Eli Schoffstall
F Leo Akashi
Naperville North
GK Patrick Horn
D Cole Ritzman
D Adam Zielke
D Ryan Konrad
D Alex Arredondo
M Tyson Amoo-Mensah
M Jacob Ryu
M Bryan Higgs
F Alex Barger
F Keegan Flaherty
F Noah Radeke
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Caden Statz, sr., MF, Fremd.
Scoring summary
First half
Fremd – Leo Akashi 20:50
Second half
No scoring