New Trier's Felitto airs it out vs. GBN
Senior's header goals, assist, deliver CSL championship
By Patrick Z. McGavin
NORTHFIELD -- Will Felitto is the kind of breathtaking athlete who could excel pretty much anywhere. He can dunk a basketball, clear a high jump bar or rip off a long jump. He personifies a certain grace under pressure, enjoying the moment and relishing the chance to make his imprint on a game.
He also remembered the September 9 Glenbrook North game when a Spartans goal in the 42nd minute put New Trier at the wrong end of a 1-0 decision. The sting of that loss kicked in, illustrating the necessity of learning from past mistakes and showing improvement.
“What we took away from playing them the first game was starting the half strong,” Felitto said. “They came up with a goal about two minutes in the start of the second half when we played them the first time. We saw what that scoring threat did to us. They could control the game better knowing they were up, drop guys back, play more defensive and we were not able to get as many good looks.
“We learned from that.”
Felitto played one of the most impressive performances on the year in scoring two goals and adding a crucial assist as the Trevians, ranked no. 4 in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, avenged the defeat with the sharp and commanding 3-1 victory over no. 3 Glenbrook North in the Central Suburban League championship game Wednesday night.
The Trevians (15-3-0) snapped the Spartans’ nine-game winning streak.
Felitto set the tone with two spectacular athletic plays. In the fifth minute New Trier defender Jeffrey Urban drove the ball from the left wing and served a ball from about 22 yards that Felitto elevated for and connected on for the header for the stunning early New Trier goal.
“It was great to get an early goal because we know what these guys are capable of doing,” Felitto said. “They have some great players who are very good in the run of play. They have some very quick players. I think by getting an early goal we were better able to control the game.”
Playing in its first conference title since defeating Highland Park in the 2014 championship game, New Trier was energized and hyped. The Felitto goal only accelerated their drive and fury. New Trier played with a controlled, feverish passion. They seemingly got to every loose ball.
“We circled this one (on the calendar),” Felitto said. “We wanted to get to the conference final, because we wanted another shot at Glenbrook North.”
New Trier edged Fremd 1-0 on Monday night in Palatine. New Trier coach Matt Ravenscraft sensed the urgency and intensity the team generated for the title game.
“We could just feel it yesterday in training,” Ravenscraft said. “After Fremd, we were a little beat up. We had a late trip, I did not know what to expect. It was so much fun to see them come in so hungry and focused. That continued all the way through, even in the hallways during school today. I felt like collectively we could not wait until game time.”
Glenbrook North (13-3-1) entered the game playing as well as any team in the state. The Spartans outscored the opposition 43-2 with seven shutouts since the September game with the Trevians.
Glenbrook North handled the early goal well, mounting a strong attack and putting the Trevians on their heels. Midfielder Sahil Modi blasted a ball from about 14 yards that New Trier keeper Sam Warden made a strong play on.
“Right after they got the early goal, we kind of shook it off a little bit,” midfielder Max Marquez said. “We saw how much time there was to play. Today I think we showed some emotion on the field. A lot of us put it all out on the field. A lot of it was simple mistakes that we could easily fix.”
New Trier midfielder JoJo Farina preserved the New Trier lead with a superb clearance by heading a ball over the crossbar as several Glenbrook North players sought to put the ball away in the 35th minute. The Trevians came into the game by posting three-consecutive shutouts, and six in their last seven games.
New Trier’s defenders, like Urban, Riles Walsh and Alex Boudos, were very effective in closing and denying the Spartans their preferred mode of attack, pushing the ball up the middle with Modi and midfielder Robbie Fraser and slotting the ball wide.
Still, Glenbrook North found a way to answer.
Marquez broke through in the 53rd minute with his electric speed and dynamic drive. He got around a defender, broke down the line and finished inside the back post from about 11 yards for the Spartans.
“Getting a goal like that, especially at this level, against New Trier, meant a lot, because I had never scored against New Trier in my career,” Marquez said. “With the goal I felt like after that we had our heads up. We played pretty well after that.”
Unfortunately for Glenbrook North, the momentum swing was only temporary.
Felitto again changed the dynamics of the game with his spectacular athleticism and presence inside the box. New Trier withstood the Spartans’ pressure and countered down the right sideline to generate its first corner kick of the game in the 59th minute. Midfielder Logan Weaver, the team’s specialist, served up a perfect ball that Felitto caught at its apex and finished near post.
“The second goal was big, too. We were tied at that point, getting later and later in the second half with time running down,” Felitto said. “It was a great corner kick. That is exactly where you want the ball. Credit Logan on that one. Right on the money.”
The rapport between Weaver and Felitto is a special one. Weaver knows where to go, and he has the confidence Felitto is going to get there.
“I love taking corners with this team because all I have to do is get it somewhere close and somebody makes me look good,” Weaver said. “They work hard, especially Will Felitto. I just put the ball up, and he puts the ball in the back of the net. The first game we played against them we were not really playing the way we know we can. We have our identity. Tonight the hard work set the tone, and we settled in and started connecting passes.
“That’s the way we can play; that’s when we are at our best.”
Weaver and Felitto punctuated the impressive performance moments later. Weaver delivered the cross that Felitto elevated and smashed a header. The ball smashed off the near post and junior forward Sean Gooze hammered home the second ball in the 63rd minute.
“Logan is so dangerous,” Ravenscraft said. “Will is going to attack all night. I can’t imagine trying to guard Will. He is such a gifted soccer player. Tonight he just had his X factor, where he raised his game level. I think that just might be his best performance ever. I also felt like these two specific teams showed great soccer on display. Both teams showed why we are in the rankings, in MaxPreps and Chicagoland Soccer.
“It was quality.”
Glenbrook North coach Paul Vignocchi acknowledged the Spartans did not match the Trevians’ intensity or effort.
“Both teams know each other so well,” he said. “We know that Felitto is a type of player they are going to target on re-starts and driven balls into the box. It comes down to us winning those balls and having the desire to challenge every single ball that is in the air. That was the difference in the game. Knowing how they play and knowing what they do, we have to be better at defending those. We weren’t today. All the credit goes to them.
“They wanted it more than we did, and that was the difference.”
Glenbrook North and New Trier are the top two seeds in the Class 3A sectional hosted by New Trier.
“Hopefully our goal is to play them again, because that is their goal too,” Vignocchi said. “There were a lot of positives I could take out of this game from our guys and things we have to sort out. I think the bottom line is, having a loss going into the playoffs is a wake-up call. We had won nine games in a row. This is a nice wake-up call for our guys going into the playoffs and getting themselves in the right frame of mind and go as far as we possibly can.”
Starting lineups
Glenbrook North
GK: Daniel Spencer
D: Sam Heydt
D: Ben Gordon
D: Mason Rose
D: Evan Goldberg
MF: Brandon Mankoff
MF: George Luke
MF: Matt Metzger
MF: Robbie Fraser
MF: Sahil Modi
F: Deng Deng Kur
New Trier
GK: Sam Warden
D: Alex Boudos
D: Andrew Kuhn
D: Riles Walsh
D: Jeffrey Urban
MF: JoJo Farina
MF: Logan Weaver
MF: Matteo Blair
F: Ryan Krueger
F: Alex Donnelly-Maine
F: Will Felitto
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Will Felitto, F, sr., New Trier
Scoring summary
First half
New Trier—Will Felitto (Jeffrey Urban), fifth minute
Second half
Glenbrook North—Max Marquez, 53rd minute
New Trier—Felitto (Logan Weaver), 59th minute
New Trier—Sean Gooze (Felitto), 63rd minute
Senior's header goals, assist, deliver CSL championship
By Patrick Z. McGavin
NORTHFIELD -- Will Felitto is the kind of breathtaking athlete who could excel pretty much anywhere. He can dunk a basketball, clear a high jump bar or rip off a long jump. He personifies a certain grace under pressure, enjoying the moment and relishing the chance to make his imprint on a game.
He also remembered the September 9 Glenbrook North game when a Spartans goal in the 42nd minute put New Trier at the wrong end of a 1-0 decision. The sting of that loss kicked in, illustrating the necessity of learning from past mistakes and showing improvement.
“What we took away from playing them the first game was starting the half strong,” Felitto said. “They came up with a goal about two minutes in the start of the second half when we played them the first time. We saw what that scoring threat did to us. They could control the game better knowing they were up, drop guys back, play more defensive and we were not able to get as many good looks.
“We learned from that.”
Felitto played one of the most impressive performances on the year in scoring two goals and adding a crucial assist as the Trevians, ranked no. 4 in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, avenged the defeat with the sharp and commanding 3-1 victory over no. 3 Glenbrook North in the Central Suburban League championship game Wednesday night.
The Trevians (15-3-0) snapped the Spartans’ nine-game winning streak.
Felitto set the tone with two spectacular athletic plays. In the fifth minute New Trier defender Jeffrey Urban drove the ball from the left wing and served a ball from about 22 yards that Felitto elevated for and connected on for the header for the stunning early New Trier goal.
“It was great to get an early goal because we know what these guys are capable of doing,” Felitto said. “They have some great players who are very good in the run of play. They have some very quick players. I think by getting an early goal we were better able to control the game.”
Playing in its first conference title since defeating Highland Park in the 2014 championship game, New Trier was energized and hyped. The Felitto goal only accelerated their drive and fury. New Trier played with a controlled, feverish passion. They seemingly got to every loose ball.
“We circled this one (on the calendar),” Felitto said. “We wanted to get to the conference final, because we wanted another shot at Glenbrook North.”
New Trier edged Fremd 1-0 on Monday night in Palatine. New Trier coach Matt Ravenscraft sensed the urgency and intensity the team generated for the title game.
“We could just feel it yesterday in training,” Ravenscraft said. “After Fremd, we were a little beat up. We had a late trip, I did not know what to expect. It was so much fun to see them come in so hungry and focused. That continued all the way through, even in the hallways during school today. I felt like collectively we could not wait until game time.”
Glenbrook North (13-3-1) entered the game playing as well as any team in the state. The Spartans outscored the opposition 43-2 with seven shutouts since the September game with the Trevians.
Glenbrook North handled the early goal well, mounting a strong attack and putting the Trevians on their heels. Midfielder Sahil Modi blasted a ball from about 14 yards that New Trier keeper Sam Warden made a strong play on.
“Right after they got the early goal, we kind of shook it off a little bit,” midfielder Max Marquez said. “We saw how much time there was to play. Today I think we showed some emotion on the field. A lot of us put it all out on the field. A lot of it was simple mistakes that we could easily fix.”
New Trier midfielder JoJo Farina preserved the New Trier lead with a superb clearance by heading a ball over the crossbar as several Glenbrook North players sought to put the ball away in the 35th minute. The Trevians came into the game by posting three-consecutive shutouts, and six in their last seven games.
New Trier’s defenders, like Urban, Riles Walsh and Alex Boudos, were very effective in closing and denying the Spartans their preferred mode of attack, pushing the ball up the middle with Modi and midfielder Robbie Fraser and slotting the ball wide.
Still, Glenbrook North found a way to answer.
Marquez broke through in the 53rd minute with his electric speed and dynamic drive. He got around a defender, broke down the line and finished inside the back post from about 11 yards for the Spartans.
“Getting a goal like that, especially at this level, against New Trier, meant a lot, because I had never scored against New Trier in my career,” Marquez said. “With the goal I felt like after that we had our heads up. We played pretty well after that.”
Unfortunately for Glenbrook North, the momentum swing was only temporary.
Felitto again changed the dynamics of the game with his spectacular athleticism and presence inside the box. New Trier withstood the Spartans’ pressure and countered down the right sideline to generate its first corner kick of the game in the 59th minute. Midfielder Logan Weaver, the team’s specialist, served up a perfect ball that Felitto caught at its apex and finished near post.
“The second goal was big, too. We were tied at that point, getting later and later in the second half with time running down,” Felitto said. “It was a great corner kick. That is exactly where you want the ball. Credit Logan on that one. Right on the money.”
The rapport between Weaver and Felitto is a special one. Weaver knows where to go, and he has the confidence Felitto is going to get there.
“I love taking corners with this team because all I have to do is get it somewhere close and somebody makes me look good,” Weaver said. “They work hard, especially Will Felitto. I just put the ball up, and he puts the ball in the back of the net. The first game we played against them we were not really playing the way we know we can. We have our identity. Tonight the hard work set the tone, and we settled in and started connecting passes.
“That’s the way we can play; that’s when we are at our best.”
Weaver and Felitto punctuated the impressive performance moments later. Weaver delivered the cross that Felitto elevated and smashed a header. The ball smashed off the near post and junior forward Sean Gooze hammered home the second ball in the 63rd minute.
“Logan is so dangerous,” Ravenscraft said. “Will is going to attack all night. I can’t imagine trying to guard Will. He is such a gifted soccer player. Tonight he just had his X factor, where he raised his game level. I think that just might be his best performance ever. I also felt like these two specific teams showed great soccer on display. Both teams showed why we are in the rankings, in MaxPreps and Chicagoland Soccer.
“It was quality.”
Glenbrook North coach Paul Vignocchi acknowledged the Spartans did not match the Trevians’ intensity or effort.
“Both teams know each other so well,” he said. “We know that Felitto is a type of player they are going to target on re-starts and driven balls into the box. It comes down to us winning those balls and having the desire to challenge every single ball that is in the air. That was the difference in the game. Knowing how they play and knowing what they do, we have to be better at defending those. We weren’t today. All the credit goes to them.
“They wanted it more than we did, and that was the difference.”
Glenbrook North and New Trier are the top two seeds in the Class 3A sectional hosted by New Trier.
“Hopefully our goal is to play them again, because that is their goal too,” Vignocchi said. “There were a lot of positives I could take out of this game from our guys and things we have to sort out. I think the bottom line is, having a loss going into the playoffs is a wake-up call. We had won nine games in a row. This is a nice wake-up call for our guys going into the playoffs and getting themselves in the right frame of mind and go as far as we possibly can.”
Starting lineups
Glenbrook North
GK: Daniel Spencer
D: Sam Heydt
D: Ben Gordon
D: Mason Rose
D: Evan Goldberg
MF: Brandon Mankoff
MF: George Luke
MF: Matt Metzger
MF: Robbie Fraser
MF: Sahil Modi
F: Deng Deng Kur
New Trier
GK: Sam Warden
D: Alex Boudos
D: Andrew Kuhn
D: Riles Walsh
D: Jeffrey Urban
MF: JoJo Farina
MF: Logan Weaver
MF: Matteo Blair
F: Ryan Krueger
F: Alex Donnelly-Maine
F: Will Felitto
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Will Felitto, F, sr., New Trier
Scoring summary
First half
New Trier—Will Felitto (Jeffrey Urban), fifth minute
Second half
Glenbrook North—Max Marquez, 53rd minute
New Trier—Felitto (Logan Weaver), 59th minute
New Trier—Sean Gooze (Felitto), 63rd minute