Fremd takes down Warren for sectional title
Eli Schoffstall, Bennett braces send Vikings to supersectionals
By Mike Garofola
GLENVIEW -- Warren arrived at Jack Davis Stadium on Friday night hoping to make soccer history. Yet in the end the Blue Devils left having been consigned to it, much to the disappointment of their magnificent supporters who gave their heroes intense vocal backing throughout the night.
Mid-Suburban League champion Fremd, and its thoroughbreds got off to a quick second half start, scored twice after the break and galloped to the finish line to win the Libertyville Sectional and moved to within a step of the Class 3A state finals. The game was moved to Glenbrook South due to field conditions at Libertyville.
The Vikings 4-1 victory sends Steve Keller’s club into the supersectional at Barrington against St. Patrick, which used a late Joshua Torres strike to defeat Evanston 2-1 in the earlier game to win the Glenbrook South Sectional and set the stage for Tuesday's 6:30 kickoff.
"That was a very good opponent we had to beat tonight, and one that completely outplayed us in that first half," said a relieved Keller, who sat through two hours of wind, cold and a mix of rain and snow before watching his lads lift the school’s 11th sectional plaque and first since 2014, when the club went on to claim a third place state trophy.
"For whatever reason, our MO this season has been slow starts. You saw one of those tonight, only Warren had a lot to do with the way we opened.”
Warren manager Jason Ahonen concurred.
"Even after we conceded their first goal (in the 22nd minute), I felt like we dominated the first 38 minutes before that goal just before just before the break set us back a bit.
"No one goal or call makes a difference in a game, but we felt we were bamboozled on that second one.
"My guys saw someone from Fremd was on the ground (and assumed an injury). Instead, we felt, and especially when I watched the film, all it was was one of their players trying to create a disturbance by laying on the ground near the end line.
"The guys thought the referee would blow his whistle to stop play. Instead the ball was in the back of the net.
"You’re going to give up goals. It's part of the game, but that one did not sit well with us. That sequence made it go from 1-0 at the half to a two-goal disadvantage at a key part of the game."
Confusion, bewilderment and anger could all be seen on the faces of the Blue Devils after the Vikings second goal.
Frustration followed five minutes into the second period when Josh Bennett drove a dagger into the hearts of Warren with the first of his two goals.
Long before the fateful 45th minute goal from Bennett, the Blue Devils (17-4-3) came out in this contest and attacked the Vikings 4-3-3 formation with plenty of pace, vigor and intent.
Given the stage, its IHSSCA all-state midfielder Max Floriani, along with mates Sebastian Rodriguez, Luke Schoenbrum, Josh Segura and Ishaan Shah ran the show.
This quintet of Blue Devils were full of fluid movement, repeatedly keeping the ball with themselves and their mates. They rarely allowed the Vikings the opportunity to possess and resigned them to chase and defend.
"Warren did a great job of playing quick, switching the point of attack, and making us look like we didn't belong here for most of the first half," said Keller.
"We came out so slow and tentative,” Fremd sophomore Eli Schoffstall said. “I really feel as if may have underestimated them, because they were way better of a team than us in that first half."
However, despite racking up nearly twice as many completed passes, and owning, at the very least, 75% of the possession, the Blue Devils were unable to put anything of danger on frame and Vikings keeper Joey Gillespie.
Gillespie came on for injured starter Artur Cholewa early into the first extra session of Tuesday's epic victory in pens over Libertyville and turned in a solid performance to help the cause.
On Friday, the junior looked confident each time he had his hands on the ball in and around his box. He hung onto every effort and attempt sent his way on the slippery and treacherous turf.
Eli Schoffstall, the younger brother of all-state center back, Jake Schoffstall, bagged his 14th of the year when he chipped Warren keeper Nicholas Diana with a sublime touch. Diana ventured far off his line in an attempt to foil the midfielder,who was off and running in on a 1-v.-1 confrontation.
"When I had the ball under control and was heading toward goal, I looked up and saw their keeper off his line, took a touch, and sent it up and over him," recounted Schoffstall, who is second in scoring for the Vikings behind his older brother.
"Eli's goal only seemed to slow Warren for a minute, because they were back in control after that," said Bennett, who joined Eli Schoffstall up-top when his manager went to a 4-4-2 formation earlier in the half to combat the offensive onslaught from the Blue Devils.
Bennett breathed some life into his club with a mazy run to earn a corner after Schoffstall's 22nd minute goal. Later he impressed as the star of the Vikings second half show to earn Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honors.
Shah took a corner for Warren in the 25th minute, but Gillespie pulled it out of the air. Then Floriani and Shah set up Segura for a half chance minutes later.
Russell Beaupre, Fremd’s terrific central midfielder and playmaker produced his most touches of his first half and used them to create a free kick at the edge at 33 minutes.
Just afterwards, Warren’s Clayton Mobile, who gave his club wonderful work off the bench during the Blue Devils 4-2 win over Buffalo Grove in its sectional semifinal, was at it again. This time he sent a lovely ball to the back post for Brandon Medina, who came this close to latching onto the effort.
Beaupre and Eli Schoffstall would combine to give Fremd deep throws, which Beaupre excels at.
His toss allowed Nick Austin to have a go which was blocked on the way in. It created the corner that Beaupre sent into the mix that was eventually redirected into the back of the net by Eli Schoffstall. During the break Ahonen and referee, Rafal Zielinski and his assistants had a discussion.
"We were chasing two goals the other night against Buffalo Grove, so I was in complete confidence (we) could comeback tonight and put one in to turn around the momentum," recounted Ahonen.
"But that third goal by no. 16 (Bennett) was of high quality, and it was the real turning point of this game."
"(Keller) told us the first goal of the second half would be the biggest. Fortunately for us - Bennett came through with a big one," said Jake Schoffstall.
The Bennett blast proved more beneficial than just adding another to the scoreline. It also helped Keller and his staff navigate a precarious situation.
Bennett's brilliant short-range finish was followed by bookings to Beaupre, John Kating and Jake Schoffstall for a variety of offenses. During the next 10 minutes after the Vikings third goal, Keller took the trio off field for the rest of the game.
The Vikings excellent depth was never so apparent when Keller brought on three from his bench to take over for this threesome, while moving other around in order to have the right players in place to withstand the final 25 minutes of pressure.
There would not be much, however. The Blue Devils tried with all their might to puncture the Vikings backline without success.
"We were back to playing the way we can in the second half," Bennett.said. “It made it difficult for Warren to get anything going because of our high work rate in the midfield, which we didn't have in the first half, and our ability to continue to attack and create, which forced them to defend."
The score grew to 4-0 at 72 minutes when Bennett stepped into a rebound off a free kick. Warren’s Mobile denied a Vikings clean-sheet five minutes from time.
"When it became apparent we could not overcome that three-goal deficit, it was important for us to make sure to give all of our seniors, who have made the commitment to the program and their teammates, into this game," said Ahonen.
"We're so very proud of those men, and to everyone on this team for what they have accomplished this season. Many of them were on our 2018 team that worked so hard to get us (just) to being a .500 club at seasons end.
"We appreciate the support from our fans tonight.
And right now, I am very proud of this group, many of which will be back next season for what we hope to be an even more successful 2020 season."
For Fremd, the time is here and now as it prepares for one of, if not, the best technically gifted club in the state in St. Patrick.
The Shamrocks have two brilliant players in senior Jonathan Rodriguez and junior scoring sensation Joshua Torres, who bagged consecutive game-winners against Maine South last Tuesday and then Evanston in the game just prior to this one.
"We'll have our hands full for sure, but at this time of the year you expect to be playing the best," begins Keller.
"This is a special group of players who play for each other, not themselves, and that's one of the many reasons we're still in at this point."
"We'll have some time on Monday to go over a few things, clean some stuff up, and get ourselves ready for what we expect to be our biggest challenge of the year."
Starting lineups
Warren (4-4-2)
G- Nicholas Diana
D- Cory Melchor
D- Alex Senko
D- Nolan Ehlers
D- Edward Luna
M- Noe Martinez
M- Max Floriani
M- Sebastian Rodriguez
M- Josh Segura
F- Ishaan Shah
F- Luke Schoenbrunn
Fremd (4-3-3)
G- Joey Gillespie
D- Kaelan Conway
D- Jake Schoffstall
D- Cole Jackson
D- Andrew Clark
M- John Kating
M- Russell Beaupre
M- C.J. Williams
F- Nick Austin
F- Josh Bennett
F- Eli Schoffstall
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Josh Bennett, sr., F, Fremd
Referee: Rafal Zielinski
Scoring summary
First half
Fremd: E. Schoffstall (U/A) 22'
Fremd: E. Schoffstall (Beaupre) 38'
Second half
Fremd: Bennett (Beaupre, Kating) 45'
Fremd: Bennett (U/A) 71'
Warren: Mobile (U/A) 75'
Eli Schoffstall, Bennett braces send Vikings to supersectionals
By Mike Garofola
GLENVIEW -- Warren arrived at Jack Davis Stadium on Friday night hoping to make soccer history. Yet in the end the Blue Devils left having been consigned to it, much to the disappointment of their magnificent supporters who gave their heroes intense vocal backing throughout the night.
Mid-Suburban League champion Fremd, and its thoroughbreds got off to a quick second half start, scored twice after the break and galloped to the finish line to win the Libertyville Sectional and moved to within a step of the Class 3A state finals. The game was moved to Glenbrook South due to field conditions at Libertyville.
The Vikings 4-1 victory sends Steve Keller’s club into the supersectional at Barrington against St. Patrick, which used a late Joshua Torres strike to defeat Evanston 2-1 in the earlier game to win the Glenbrook South Sectional and set the stage for Tuesday's 6:30 kickoff.
"That was a very good opponent we had to beat tonight, and one that completely outplayed us in that first half," said a relieved Keller, who sat through two hours of wind, cold and a mix of rain and snow before watching his lads lift the school’s 11th sectional plaque and first since 2014, when the club went on to claim a third place state trophy.
"For whatever reason, our MO this season has been slow starts. You saw one of those tonight, only Warren had a lot to do with the way we opened.”
Warren manager Jason Ahonen concurred.
"Even after we conceded their first goal (in the 22nd minute), I felt like we dominated the first 38 minutes before that goal just before just before the break set us back a bit.
"No one goal or call makes a difference in a game, but we felt we were bamboozled on that second one.
"My guys saw someone from Fremd was on the ground (and assumed an injury). Instead, we felt, and especially when I watched the film, all it was was one of their players trying to create a disturbance by laying on the ground near the end line.
"The guys thought the referee would blow his whistle to stop play. Instead the ball was in the back of the net.
"You’re going to give up goals. It's part of the game, but that one did not sit well with us. That sequence made it go from 1-0 at the half to a two-goal disadvantage at a key part of the game."
Confusion, bewilderment and anger could all be seen on the faces of the Blue Devils after the Vikings second goal.
Frustration followed five minutes into the second period when Josh Bennett drove a dagger into the hearts of Warren with the first of his two goals.
Long before the fateful 45th minute goal from Bennett, the Blue Devils (17-4-3) came out in this contest and attacked the Vikings 4-3-3 formation with plenty of pace, vigor and intent.
Given the stage, its IHSSCA all-state midfielder Max Floriani, along with mates Sebastian Rodriguez, Luke Schoenbrum, Josh Segura and Ishaan Shah ran the show.
This quintet of Blue Devils were full of fluid movement, repeatedly keeping the ball with themselves and their mates. They rarely allowed the Vikings the opportunity to possess and resigned them to chase and defend.
"Warren did a great job of playing quick, switching the point of attack, and making us look like we didn't belong here for most of the first half," said Keller.
"We came out so slow and tentative,” Fremd sophomore Eli Schoffstall said. “I really feel as if may have underestimated them, because they were way better of a team than us in that first half."
However, despite racking up nearly twice as many completed passes, and owning, at the very least, 75% of the possession, the Blue Devils were unable to put anything of danger on frame and Vikings keeper Joey Gillespie.
Gillespie came on for injured starter Artur Cholewa early into the first extra session of Tuesday's epic victory in pens over Libertyville and turned in a solid performance to help the cause.
On Friday, the junior looked confident each time he had his hands on the ball in and around his box. He hung onto every effort and attempt sent his way on the slippery and treacherous turf.
Eli Schoffstall, the younger brother of all-state center back, Jake Schoffstall, bagged his 14th of the year when he chipped Warren keeper Nicholas Diana with a sublime touch. Diana ventured far off his line in an attempt to foil the midfielder,who was off and running in on a 1-v.-1 confrontation.
"When I had the ball under control and was heading toward goal, I looked up and saw their keeper off his line, took a touch, and sent it up and over him," recounted Schoffstall, who is second in scoring for the Vikings behind his older brother.
"Eli's goal only seemed to slow Warren for a minute, because they were back in control after that," said Bennett, who joined Eli Schoffstall up-top when his manager went to a 4-4-2 formation earlier in the half to combat the offensive onslaught from the Blue Devils.
Bennett breathed some life into his club with a mazy run to earn a corner after Schoffstall's 22nd minute goal. Later he impressed as the star of the Vikings second half show to earn Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honors.
Shah took a corner for Warren in the 25th minute, but Gillespie pulled it out of the air. Then Floriani and Shah set up Segura for a half chance minutes later.
Russell Beaupre, Fremd’s terrific central midfielder and playmaker produced his most touches of his first half and used them to create a free kick at the edge at 33 minutes.
Just afterwards, Warren’s Clayton Mobile, who gave his club wonderful work off the bench during the Blue Devils 4-2 win over Buffalo Grove in its sectional semifinal, was at it again. This time he sent a lovely ball to the back post for Brandon Medina, who came this close to latching onto the effort.
Beaupre and Eli Schoffstall would combine to give Fremd deep throws, which Beaupre excels at.
His toss allowed Nick Austin to have a go which was blocked on the way in. It created the corner that Beaupre sent into the mix that was eventually redirected into the back of the net by Eli Schoffstall. During the break Ahonen and referee, Rafal Zielinski and his assistants had a discussion.
"We were chasing two goals the other night against Buffalo Grove, so I was in complete confidence (we) could comeback tonight and put one in to turn around the momentum," recounted Ahonen.
"But that third goal by no. 16 (Bennett) was of high quality, and it was the real turning point of this game."
"(Keller) told us the first goal of the second half would be the biggest. Fortunately for us - Bennett came through with a big one," said Jake Schoffstall.
The Bennett blast proved more beneficial than just adding another to the scoreline. It also helped Keller and his staff navigate a precarious situation.
Bennett's brilliant short-range finish was followed by bookings to Beaupre, John Kating and Jake Schoffstall for a variety of offenses. During the next 10 minutes after the Vikings third goal, Keller took the trio off field for the rest of the game.
The Vikings excellent depth was never so apparent when Keller brought on three from his bench to take over for this threesome, while moving other around in order to have the right players in place to withstand the final 25 minutes of pressure.
There would not be much, however. The Blue Devils tried with all their might to puncture the Vikings backline without success.
"We were back to playing the way we can in the second half," Bennett.said. “It made it difficult for Warren to get anything going because of our high work rate in the midfield, which we didn't have in the first half, and our ability to continue to attack and create, which forced them to defend."
The score grew to 4-0 at 72 minutes when Bennett stepped into a rebound off a free kick. Warren’s Mobile denied a Vikings clean-sheet five minutes from time.
"When it became apparent we could not overcome that three-goal deficit, it was important for us to make sure to give all of our seniors, who have made the commitment to the program and their teammates, into this game," said Ahonen.
"We're so very proud of those men, and to everyone on this team for what they have accomplished this season. Many of them were on our 2018 team that worked so hard to get us (just) to being a .500 club at seasons end.
"We appreciate the support from our fans tonight.
And right now, I am very proud of this group, many of which will be back next season for what we hope to be an even more successful 2020 season."
For Fremd, the time is here and now as it prepares for one of, if not, the best technically gifted club in the state in St. Patrick.
The Shamrocks have two brilliant players in senior Jonathan Rodriguez and junior scoring sensation Joshua Torres, who bagged consecutive game-winners against Maine South last Tuesday and then Evanston in the game just prior to this one.
"We'll have our hands full for sure, but at this time of the year you expect to be playing the best," begins Keller.
"This is a special group of players who play for each other, not themselves, and that's one of the many reasons we're still in at this point."
"We'll have some time on Monday to go over a few things, clean some stuff up, and get ourselves ready for what we expect to be our biggest challenge of the year."
Starting lineups
Warren (4-4-2)
G- Nicholas Diana
D- Cory Melchor
D- Alex Senko
D- Nolan Ehlers
D- Edward Luna
M- Noe Martinez
M- Max Floriani
M- Sebastian Rodriguez
M- Josh Segura
F- Ishaan Shah
F- Luke Schoenbrunn
Fremd (4-3-3)
G- Joey Gillespie
D- Kaelan Conway
D- Jake Schoffstall
D- Cole Jackson
D- Andrew Clark
M- John Kating
M- Russell Beaupre
M- C.J. Williams
F- Nick Austin
F- Josh Bennett
F- Eli Schoffstall
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Josh Bennett, sr., F, Fremd
Referee: Rafal Zielinski
Scoring summary
First half
Fremd: E. Schoffstall (U/A) 22'
Fremd: E. Schoffstall (Beaupre) 38'
Second half
Fremd: Bennett (Beaupre, Kating) 45'
Fremd: Bennett (U/A) 71'
Warren: Mobile (U/A) 75'