GBN, New Trier play to emotional 3-3 tie
Teams combine for 4 goals in final 30 minutes in N'side Showcase
By Patrick Z. McGavin
NORTHFIELD -- Soccer is sometimes extreme and certainly contradictory. The game is technical, but the accompanying emotions are raw, messy and often unmediated.
Those qualities come into sharp focus every time Glenbrook North and New Trier clash.
The final 30 minutes of the most recent iteration of their rivalry contained enough drama, incident and storylines to fill a week’s worth of games.
Each side played off a bravura example of one-upmanship.
It was a game of passion and coolness fused together, creating a sensational atmosphere and some high-level soccer. Last year the teams split as the Spartans captured the regular season match and the Trevians answered by knocking out Glenbrook North in the Central Suburban League championship game.
In an intense and wildly improbable back-and-forth affair between Chicagoland Soccer-ranked teams, no. 20 Glenbrook North scored two goals four minutes apart only to watch the 19th-ranked Trevians secured the 3-3 draw on a 79th minute Andrew Kuhn header in Pool A of the Northside College Showcase on Thursday night.
New Trier (1-1-2) was playing for the right to reach the championship against second-ranked Libertyville on Saturday. Knowing Waukegan had defeated no. 24 Loyola 3-2 earlier in the day, the Trevians needed a victory.
Now, defending tournament champion Libertyville will conference rival and 18th-ranked Waukegan in the title game. The Trevians move to the third place game against no. 15 Lyons. Loyola and no. 8 Buffalo Grove play in the fifth place game.
Glenbrook North plays Grayslake Central for seventh place.
The first half was linear and crisp as both teams showed tremendous energy and drive. New Trier star senior midfielder Logan Weaver scored in the 14th minute in staking the Trevians to a 1-0 lead. Glenbrook North senior defender Ben Gordon converted a penalty kick in the 37th minute.
It was the second half that turned almost anarchic and explosively unpredictable.
Glenbrook North (1-2-2) played with just nine field players after keeper Nick Washelesky was issued a red card in the 50th minute after a physical skirmish with New Trier junior forward Alex Powell.
After a service into the box was deflected and played off the jumbled players assembled inside, Powell collected the ball and drilled a shot from about eight yards out inside the left post for a 2-1 Trevians’ lead.
Washelesky appeared to take issue with what he considered excessive celebration by the Trevians, and he confronted Powell. The physical contact between the two led to his ejection.
“I almost felt like personally, for our attack, when we went down a man it almost gave us a boost because we knew we had to strike early and we knew we had to get a goal,” junior forward Joey Martens said. “I just felt the energy rise, and everybody was pushing, everybody was trying to get a goal.
“I could not be prouder of the boys today. We put our heart and soul into the game.”
The Spartans played with greater urgency and precision. In the 53rd minute, Martens pushed the ball down the left wing and left a ball that originally seemed intended for forward George Luke.
Sophomore Gabe Nayman instead hammered the shot home for the 2-2 draw.
“I saw the ball roll and George just missed it and suddenly the ball was right at my feet, and I put it in,” Nayman said. “I was mind-blown by how quickly everything changed. I am the sophomore on the team. This is all new to me.”
The goals marked the Spartans’ first scoring since a 5-0 victory over Taft in the second game of the year. Glenbrook North has played much of the year without some crucial offensive personnel, and the team has used the tournament to establish a more consistent offensive rhythm.
Lightning quick and explosive midfielder Max Marquez has been out since the second half of the Waukegan game last Saturday. Glenbrook North welcomed back two significant returners, Luke and 6-foot-5 junior midfielder David Schueler.
“I sprained my ankle during our early training, so I missed the first four games of the season,” Schueler said. His size and skill level brings a new dimension to the Spartans’ attack.
In the 57th minute Schueler recorded a goal as good as it gets: a monster 35-yard blast that tore past the inside of the near post for to produce a stunning 3-2 Spartans lead.
“I was just feeding off of my teammates, and there was a lot of great energy out there,” Schueler said. “It was not that hard to get right back into it.
“I was looking for a pass and nothing was opening. I saw the goal, so I went for it.”
As usual, New Trier had brought out the best in the Spartans.
“My main takeaway is when the game went the other direction and Glenbrook North got the momentum -- and all credit to them for going down a man and getting two past us -- we had to settle and drag ourselves back into the game playing our style of soccer,” New Trier coach Matt Ravenscraft said.
“One [goal] was a phenomenal hit from deep, and you just applaud it. The other one, I was not as pleased with, because I thought our shape was poor, and our focus was poor. We had just scored. I was most proud of the fact that we got the tie playing our way.”
New Trier also had to adjust on the fly. Senior midfielder David Kugler was out from complications of a concussion. Starting defender James Paden suffered a broken rib against Waukegan and missed the game.
Weaver’s all-around brilliance settled the Trevians and allowed their attack to flourish. Coming off its best game of the year, the 3-1 pool play win over Waukegan, New Trier looked to continue its improved play. Some young players thrown into the mix, like sophomore forward Jake Krueger and junior forward Aiden Crowder, brought youth and high energy.
“We’ve shown we can play at a very high level,” Ravenscraft said. “I think our consistency needs to improve. That is something we are going to work on in training. We like to showcase our technical play. It’s a matter of managing key moments, when we concede a goal or when we score a goal.”
New Trier maintained its composure after the Spartans took the lead. Weaver created some dangerous opportunities. As the clock worked down, the Trevians finally broke through. Working the ball from the right wing, junior defender Daniel Gunther lofted a ball that 6-foot-4 Kuhn got the crucial first touch on.
“I was really fortunate,” Kuhn said. “Daniel Gunther played a great ball. I thought we generated a lot of chances once Glenbrook North scored their third goal. We remained calm and continued to move the ball side to side. We did not want to rush things. We knew we had a lot of time.”
Schueler and Kuhn shared the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match distinction for the play.
Draws are peculiar affairs in soccer. Sometimes it leaves neither team happy. This time a different sense of growth or revelation existed on both sides.
“We definitely made a step forward,” Martens said. “Personally, I think this game gives us a lot of confidence to go forward knowing we can battle with the very best, even when we’re down a man.”
New Trier was also emboldened.
“I thought Andrew Kuhn was excellent in organizing in the back,” Ravenscraft said. “He’s very dangerous on set pieces, and it finally came. It was a good performance all-around. Guys who haven’t played a whole lot this year got big minutes because of the injuries.
“They came in and did a nice job.”
Starting lineups
Glenbrook North
GK: Nick Washelesky
D: Patrick O’Brien
D: Ben Gordon
D: Nate Aronson
MF: David Schueler
MF: Gabe Nayman
MF: Nico Adducci
MF: Jan Bogdan
MF: Sam Sullivan
F: Joey Martens
F: George Luke
New Trier
GK: James McGranahan
D: Daniel Gunther
D: Andrew Kuhn
D: Charles Hoholik
D: Jeffrey Urban
MF: Dominic de Boer
MF: Logan Weaver
MF: Sean Gooze
F: Colin Corney
F: Jake Krueger
F: Aidan Crowder
Chicagoland Soccer Men of the Match: David Schueler, jr., MF, Glenbrook North
Andrew Kuhn, sr., D, New Trier
Scoring summary
First half
New Trier—Logan Weaver (unassisted), 14th minute
Glenbrook North—Ben Gordon (penalty kick), 37th minute
Second half
New Trier—Alex Powell (unassisted), 50th minute
Glenbrook North—Gabe Nayman (Joey Martens), 53rd minute
Glenbrook North—David Schueler (unassisted), 57th minute
New Trier—Andrew Kuhn (Daniel Gunther), 79th minute
Teams combine for 4 goals in final 30 minutes in N'side Showcase
By Patrick Z. McGavin
NORTHFIELD -- Soccer is sometimes extreme and certainly contradictory. The game is technical, but the accompanying emotions are raw, messy and often unmediated.
Those qualities come into sharp focus every time Glenbrook North and New Trier clash.
The final 30 minutes of the most recent iteration of their rivalry contained enough drama, incident and storylines to fill a week’s worth of games.
Each side played off a bravura example of one-upmanship.
It was a game of passion and coolness fused together, creating a sensational atmosphere and some high-level soccer. Last year the teams split as the Spartans captured the regular season match and the Trevians answered by knocking out Glenbrook North in the Central Suburban League championship game.
In an intense and wildly improbable back-and-forth affair between Chicagoland Soccer-ranked teams, no. 20 Glenbrook North scored two goals four minutes apart only to watch the 19th-ranked Trevians secured the 3-3 draw on a 79th minute Andrew Kuhn header in Pool A of the Northside College Showcase on Thursday night.
New Trier (1-1-2) was playing for the right to reach the championship against second-ranked Libertyville on Saturday. Knowing Waukegan had defeated no. 24 Loyola 3-2 earlier in the day, the Trevians needed a victory.
Now, defending tournament champion Libertyville will conference rival and 18th-ranked Waukegan in the title game. The Trevians move to the third place game against no. 15 Lyons. Loyola and no. 8 Buffalo Grove play in the fifth place game.
Glenbrook North plays Grayslake Central for seventh place.
The first half was linear and crisp as both teams showed tremendous energy and drive. New Trier star senior midfielder Logan Weaver scored in the 14th minute in staking the Trevians to a 1-0 lead. Glenbrook North senior defender Ben Gordon converted a penalty kick in the 37th minute.
It was the second half that turned almost anarchic and explosively unpredictable.
Glenbrook North (1-2-2) played with just nine field players after keeper Nick Washelesky was issued a red card in the 50th minute after a physical skirmish with New Trier junior forward Alex Powell.
After a service into the box was deflected and played off the jumbled players assembled inside, Powell collected the ball and drilled a shot from about eight yards out inside the left post for a 2-1 Trevians’ lead.
Washelesky appeared to take issue with what he considered excessive celebration by the Trevians, and he confronted Powell. The physical contact between the two led to his ejection.
“I almost felt like personally, for our attack, when we went down a man it almost gave us a boost because we knew we had to strike early and we knew we had to get a goal,” junior forward Joey Martens said. “I just felt the energy rise, and everybody was pushing, everybody was trying to get a goal.
“I could not be prouder of the boys today. We put our heart and soul into the game.”
The Spartans played with greater urgency and precision. In the 53rd minute, Martens pushed the ball down the left wing and left a ball that originally seemed intended for forward George Luke.
Sophomore Gabe Nayman instead hammered the shot home for the 2-2 draw.
“I saw the ball roll and George just missed it and suddenly the ball was right at my feet, and I put it in,” Nayman said. “I was mind-blown by how quickly everything changed. I am the sophomore on the team. This is all new to me.”
The goals marked the Spartans’ first scoring since a 5-0 victory over Taft in the second game of the year. Glenbrook North has played much of the year without some crucial offensive personnel, and the team has used the tournament to establish a more consistent offensive rhythm.
Lightning quick and explosive midfielder Max Marquez has been out since the second half of the Waukegan game last Saturday. Glenbrook North welcomed back two significant returners, Luke and 6-foot-5 junior midfielder David Schueler.
“I sprained my ankle during our early training, so I missed the first four games of the season,” Schueler said. His size and skill level brings a new dimension to the Spartans’ attack.
In the 57th minute Schueler recorded a goal as good as it gets: a monster 35-yard blast that tore past the inside of the near post for to produce a stunning 3-2 Spartans lead.
“I was just feeding off of my teammates, and there was a lot of great energy out there,” Schueler said. “It was not that hard to get right back into it.
“I was looking for a pass and nothing was opening. I saw the goal, so I went for it.”
As usual, New Trier had brought out the best in the Spartans.
“My main takeaway is when the game went the other direction and Glenbrook North got the momentum -- and all credit to them for going down a man and getting two past us -- we had to settle and drag ourselves back into the game playing our style of soccer,” New Trier coach Matt Ravenscraft said.
“One [goal] was a phenomenal hit from deep, and you just applaud it. The other one, I was not as pleased with, because I thought our shape was poor, and our focus was poor. We had just scored. I was most proud of the fact that we got the tie playing our way.”
New Trier also had to adjust on the fly. Senior midfielder David Kugler was out from complications of a concussion. Starting defender James Paden suffered a broken rib against Waukegan and missed the game.
Weaver’s all-around brilliance settled the Trevians and allowed their attack to flourish. Coming off its best game of the year, the 3-1 pool play win over Waukegan, New Trier looked to continue its improved play. Some young players thrown into the mix, like sophomore forward Jake Krueger and junior forward Aiden Crowder, brought youth and high energy.
“We’ve shown we can play at a very high level,” Ravenscraft said. “I think our consistency needs to improve. That is something we are going to work on in training. We like to showcase our technical play. It’s a matter of managing key moments, when we concede a goal or when we score a goal.”
New Trier maintained its composure after the Spartans took the lead. Weaver created some dangerous opportunities. As the clock worked down, the Trevians finally broke through. Working the ball from the right wing, junior defender Daniel Gunther lofted a ball that 6-foot-4 Kuhn got the crucial first touch on.
“I was really fortunate,” Kuhn said. “Daniel Gunther played a great ball. I thought we generated a lot of chances once Glenbrook North scored their third goal. We remained calm and continued to move the ball side to side. We did not want to rush things. We knew we had a lot of time.”
Schueler and Kuhn shared the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match distinction for the play.
Draws are peculiar affairs in soccer. Sometimes it leaves neither team happy. This time a different sense of growth or revelation existed on both sides.
“We definitely made a step forward,” Martens said. “Personally, I think this game gives us a lot of confidence to go forward knowing we can battle with the very best, even when we’re down a man.”
New Trier was also emboldened.
“I thought Andrew Kuhn was excellent in organizing in the back,” Ravenscraft said. “He’s very dangerous on set pieces, and it finally came. It was a good performance all-around. Guys who haven’t played a whole lot this year got big minutes because of the injuries.
“They came in and did a nice job.”
Starting lineups
Glenbrook North
GK: Nick Washelesky
D: Patrick O’Brien
D: Ben Gordon
D: Nate Aronson
MF: David Schueler
MF: Gabe Nayman
MF: Nico Adducci
MF: Jan Bogdan
MF: Sam Sullivan
F: Joey Martens
F: George Luke
New Trier
GK: James McGranahan
D: Daniel Gunther
D: Andrew Kuhn
D: Charles Hoholik
D: Jeffrey Urban
MF: Dominic de Boer
MF: Logan Weaver
MF: Sean Gooze
F: Colin Corney
F: Jake Krueger
F: Aidan Crowder
Chicagoland Soccer Men of the Match: David Schueler, jr., MF, Glenbrook North
Andrew Kuhn, sr., D, New Trier
Scoring summary
First half
New Trier—Logan Weaver (unassisted), 14th minute
Glenbrook North—Ben Gordon (penalty kick), 37th minute
Second half
New Trier—Alex Powell (unassisted), 50th minute
Glenbrook North—Gabe Nayman (Joey Martens), 53rd minute
Glenbrook North—David Schueler (unassisted), 57th minute
New Trier—Andrew Kuhn (Daniel Gunther), 79th minute