WWS ties Geneva in youthful battle
Both quads see positives after DuKane Conference opener
By Chris Walker
WHEATON – Not everyone can be a winner, but someone had to win the conference opener between Geneva and Wheaton Warrenville South on Tuesday, right?
Nope.
At least not in the new DuKane Conference which has a rule that there are no overtime periods.
But certainly, one of the teams had to leave with big smiles on their faces after finally getting their first victory of the year, right?
Nope.
Instead, both the Vikings and Tigers walked off the turf in Wheaton still lacking a victory this fall as the teams battled to 1-1 tie.
“Like all throughout our little run of (playing) tough teams, I just want the boys to compete, and I thought we competed tonight,” Vikings coach Jason Bhatta said. “Maybe the game didn’t go the way we wanted, because we would like to get that first win in conference. I kind of told them before the game that we can say we lost all those games, but we’re still undefeated in conference now.”
Technically, they still are undefeated in the DuKane.
“We tried to go hard in this game and get the result that we wanted,” Bhatta continued. “I thought they worked hard. And we had chances, and they had chances, but it’s the same stuff that hurt us at the beginning of the year. We defend and defend and defend, and we give up small mental lapses, and we end up getting punished for it.”
Geneva (0-6-1, 0-0-1) certainly hasn’t done itself any favors and included some cupcakes on its schedule. Rather, it’s been tough team after tough team, with tilts against undefeated Wheaton Academy and undefeated and two-time defending state champion Naperville North. In fact, coming into Tuesday’s game, Geneva’s previous six opponents were an impressive 29-6-2 and winners of a pair of tournaments, the Barrington Invitational (Streamwood) and the Best of the West (Naperville North).
Wheaton Warrenville South has taken a more laid back route at the start of the season with only three matches played so far.
“I kind of made certain we were on the same page in respect to the opposition regardless of their record coming in, because they knew,” Tigers coach Guy Callipari said. “But I didn’t know how they felt about it, but I wanted to assure them that four of those teams are Top 15 and three are in the Top 10.
“So they’ve had a tough go of it at the beginning in terms of the schedule and who they are. They had opportunities and also knew what our record was and thought maybe they could shine and maybe find their own way. So they played as such and we gave them hope certainly early on with the couple mistakes we made, but we rallied.”
Brandt Miller’s free kick from almost 50 yards helped the Vikings slip ahead 1-0 with 30:10 still remaining in the first half. Colin Fromm was able to secure possession after the boot from Miller and sneak it in.
“I’m not a very big guy, so on set plays like that I just try to get in a good spot,” Fromm said. “I just kind of got a lucky trap. I was in a six-yard box and went in one-on-one with the keeper so it was hard to miss that.”
Wheaton Warrenville South (0-2-1, 0-0-1) held Fromm in check the rest of the way, although the junior did get involved in a few other scoring chances, but the Vikings were unable to finish any of them, which primarily came in the second half.
“Usually after any player scores, the other team just kind of picks up and presses them harder and harder,” Fromm said. “They did that and did a good of defending me. I thought they played a good game overall defensively.”
Fromm nearly got to them though. His 28-yard bullet of a shot forced Wheaton Warrenville South goalkeeper Joe Adamek to make a diving stop to his left to just knock it away with 24:50 remaining.
Less than a minute later, Fromm ended up not taking a shot because teammate Josh Eiss beat him to it as the two were headed toward the ball in the penalty area simultaneously. Eiss was able to roll a shot toward the right post, but Adamek once again was able to reject it.
“We would’ve liked to have gotten another one and to have won a lot more than tie,” Eiss said. “But everyone worked really hard in the game which I’m really happy about. Having started 0-6-0. it is a lot better than a loss. It’s a nice start to our conference so now we can try to get wins off this tie.”
Eiss said stopping Wheaton Warrenville South's Sumani Husseini, who was named Chicagoland Man of the Match, was almost as rewarding as scoring in itself. The Tigers senior he proved to be a handful to contain.
“When you have a team like that and (Husseini) who is so super fast, you've just got to have everyone back and ready for them to try to get those balls over the top,” Eiss said. “It was tough stopping those guys from getting those through-balls because if they get those it’s a goal nine-out-of-10 times. So we were good. We stayed back on defense and stuck together. We were able to shut them down easily, so they couldn’t score off those through-balls.”
Wheaton Warrenville South scored its goal with 23:50 left in the first half, so it didn’t take them long to answer the Vikings.
“I liked how we responded and were not on our heels,” Callipari said. “(Husseini) created something on the left flank there, and Sam (Schlegel) made a good run and got all the way to the end line like we trained. We played a cross and missed the first guy, but the second (Ryan Dufty) was there to clean it up. If you had to draw it up, that’s how it would look.”
It was the kind of response Callipari seeks from his young squad.
“I’m pleased with that effort,” he said. “That’s mental fortitude, and we had some good leadership there, because some guys who have been here really stepped up there.”
Overall, his feelings were mixed with how the rest of those 80 minutes played out.
“They had a little more possession than we did,” he said. “I thought we countered better and created more looks in the final third but in the end of the day, maybe it’s fitting given that we’re both trying to seek small successes, and this was certainly one for both of us.”
And it’s the kind of positive reinforcement both teams certainly can use to their advantage as they go through growing pains and now get seriously acclimated to the rest of the season especially with conference play underway.
“We’re still kind of testing the waters in our lineup and people associated with certain roles, and I thought the players that got in did manage well,” Callipari said.
“We tried to stay to a game plan, but we couldn’t possess enough and part of that was their pressure was high, and they were very athletic and closed really well. Our guys got a little tired and slowed on the ball and allowed for more of a 50/50 environment and less fluidity and rhythm with what we were trying to do. Everything kept getting disrupted.”
As time ran out, the Tigers kept the pressure on the Vikings while not allowing the visitors to unleash any real threats of their own.
The Wheaton Warrenville South outshot the Vikings by a lopsided 19-5 count, which included a few dangerous chances in the final seven minutes.
Junior Paul Thalmann broke free momentarily and lined a shot right at Geneva goalkeeper Chris Morales.
Husseini had a decent look with 5:57 left but rolled it to Morales.
With 3 minutes and change remaining, junior Griffin Wight’s attempt on a corner kick was denied. Senior Declin Ermer was able to take a rebound shot, but couldn’t find the back of the net. Then, in the final minute, Husseini’s burst of speed allowed him to break free and take a shot that missed. Still, Wight crashed hard for another rebound chance but skied his attempt.
“Yeah, I had a really good chance at the end there but didn’t know the goalie was coming out so far,” Thalmann said. “We had some chances there so we’re improving, and overall I’m happy with our performance. It’s only our third game and we keep getting better. We didn’t get the win, but that happens.”
While the Tigers looked really good at times, there were also some ugly moments.
“We had an advantage in shots, but we also were too sloppy, especially in the second half,” Thalmann said. “We needed to put the ball on the ground more and play our game, find some through-balls and maybe find a goal.”
Not allowing the Tigers to find it kind of gave Geneva the feeling that their effort was more of a win.
“It’s been a trial by fire, and I think having played all those teams has helped us compete more and more, and we’ve gotten better and better,” Bhatta said. “They’re doing what I’ve asked them to do and are just trying to match the physicality at this level and just growing into a team.
“I sound like a broken record, but it’s getting guys up to speed and that comes over the course of the year and not just in one game. The results should get better, and we did what we could today.”
The teams posed for a group photo prior to the game to commemorate the beginning of the new conference. The start of the game was then delayed approximately 10 minutes after the National Anthem due to one of the nets requiring a minor repair. The teams also had water breaks at the midpoints of each half due to the warm and humid conditions.
“It was something else to be played for, so there definitely is a lot of pride for the first time out,” Callipari said. “Having been here 28 years, the (conference) change is bittersweet to some degree, but I get it. Change in evitable, and we’re excited to be a part of this conference. I think there is a lot of parity and on any given day, and in all sports, we can compete day in and day out.”
Starting lineups
Geneva
GK: Chris Morales
D: Thomas Lotspiech
D: Mark Migliazzo
D: Brandt Miller
MF: Joey Carli
MF: Joss Eiss
MF: Colin Fromm
MF: Ethan Hipp
MF: Evan Horvath
MF: Dominick Peri
F: Dominik Barwiolek
Wheaton Warrenville South
GK: Joe Adamek
D: Jared Coria
D: Sam Schlegel
D: Kevin Stumbris
MF: Ryan Dufty
MF: Sumani Husseini
MF: Nick McGrath
MF: Jordy Morales
MF: Paul Thalmann
MF: Griffin Wight
F: Declin Ermer
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Sumani Husseini, sr., MF, Wheaton Warrenville South
Scoring summary
First half
Geneva – Colin Fromm (Brandt Miller), 10th minute
Wheaton Warrenville South – Ryan Dufty (Sam Schlegel), 17th minute
Second half
None
Both quads see positives after DuKane Conference opener
By Chris Walker
WHEATON – Not everyone can be a winner, but someone had to win the conference opener between Geneva and Wheaton Warrenville South on Tuesday, right?
Nope.
At least not in the new DuKane Conference which has a rule that there are no overtime periods.
But certainly, one of the teams had to leave with big smiles on their faces after finally getting their first victory of the year, right?
Nope.
Instead, both the Vikings and Tigers walked off the turf in Wheaton still lacking a victory this fall as the teams battled to 1-1 tie.
“Like all throughout our little run of (playing) tough teams, I just want the boys to compete, and I thought we competed tonight,” Vikings coach Jason Bhatta said. “Maybe the game didn’t go the way we wanted, because we would like to get that first win in conference. I kind of told them before the game that we can say we lost all those games, but we’re still undefeated in conference now.”
Technically, they still are undefeated in the DuKane.
“We tried to go hard in this game and get the result that we wanted,” Bhatta continued. “I thought they worked hard. And we had chances, and they had chances, but it’s the same stuff that hurt us at the beginning of the year. We defend and defend and defend, and we give up small mental lapses, and we end up getting punished for it.”
Geneva (0-6-1, 0-0-1) certainly hasn’t done itself any favors and included some cupcakes on its schedule. Rather, it’s been tough team after tough team, with tilts against undefeated Wheaton Academy and undefeated and two-time defending state champion Naperville North. In fact, coming into Tuesday’s game, Geneva’s previous six opponents were an impressive 29-6-2 and winners of a pair of tournaments, the Barrington Invitational (Streamwood) and the Best of the West (Naperville North).
Wheaton Warrenville South has taken a more laid back route at the start of the season with only three matches played so far.
“I kind of made certain we were on the same page in respect to the opposition regardless of their record coming in, because they knew,” Tigers coach Guy Callipari said. “But I didn’t know how they felt about it, but I wanted to assure them that four of those teams are Top 15 and three are in the Top 10.
“So they’ve had a tough go of it at the beginning in terms of the schedule and who they are. They had opportunities and also knew what our record was and thought maybe they could shine and maybe find their own way. So they played as such and we gave them hope certainly early on with the couple mistakes we made, but we rallied.”
Brandt Miller’s free kick from almost 50 yards helped the Vikings slip ahead 1-0 with 30:10 still remaining in the first half. Colin Fromm was able to secure possession after the boot from Miller and sneak it in.
“I’m not a very big guy, so on set plays like that I just try to get in a good spot,” Fromm said. “I just kind of got a lucky trap. I was in a six-yard box and went in one-on-one with the keeper so it was hard to miss that.”
Wheaton Warrenville South (0-2-1, 0-0-1) held Fromm in check the rest of the way, although the junior did get involved in a few other scoring chances, but the Vikings were unable to finish any of them, which primarily came in the second half.
“Usually after any player scores, the other team just kind of picks up and presses them harder and harder,” Fromm said. “They did that and did a good of defending me. I thought they played a good game overall defensively.”
Fromm nearly got to them though. His 28-yard bullet of a shot forced Wheaton Warrenville South goalkeeper Joe Adamek to make a diving stop to his left to just knock it away with 24:50 remaining.
Less than a minute later, Fromm ended up not taking a shot because teammate Josh Eiss beat him to it as the two were headed toward the ball in the penalty area simultaneously. Eiss was able to roll a shot toward the right post, but Adamek once again was able to reject it.
“We would’ve liked to have gotten another one and to have won a lot more than tie,” Eiss said. “But everyone worked really hard in the game which I’m really happy about. Having started 0-6-0. it is a lot better than a loss. It’s a nice start to our conference so now we can try to get wins off this tie.”
Eiss said stopping Wheaton Warrenville South's Sumani Husseini, who was named Chicagoland Man of the Match, was almost as rewarding as scoring in itself. The Tigers senior he proved to be a handful to contain.
“When you have a team like that and (Husseini) who is so super fast, you've just got to have everyone back and ready for them to try to get those balls over the top,” Eiss said. “It was tough stopping those guys from getting those through-balls because if they get those it’s a goal nine-out-of-10 times. So we were good. We stayed back on defense and stuck together. We were able to shut them down easily, so they couldn’t score off those through-balls.”
Wheaton Warrenville South scored its goal with 23:50 left in the first half, so it didn’t take them long to answer the Vikings.
“I liked how we responded and were not on our heels,” Callipari said. “(Husseini) created something on the left flank there, and Sam (Schlegel) made a good run and got all the way to the end line like we trained. We played a cross and missed the first guy, but the second (Ryan Dufty) was there to clean it up. If you had to draw it up, that’s how it would look.”
It was the kind of response Callipari seeks from his young squad.
“I’m pleased with that effort,” he said. “That’s mental fortitude, and we had some good leadership there, because some guys who have been here really stepped up there.”
Overall, his feelings were mixed with how the rest of those 80 minutes played out.
“They had a little more possession than we did,” he said. “I thought we countered better and created more looks in the final third but in the end of the day, maybe it’s fitting given that we’re both trying to seek small successes, and this was certainly one for both of us.”
And it’s the kind of positive reinforcement both teams certainly can use to their advantage as they go through growing pains and now get seriously acclimated to the rest of the season especially with conference play underway.
“We’re still kind of testing the waters in our lineup and people associated with certain roles, and I thought the players that got in did manage well,” Callipari said.
“We tried to stay to a game plan, but we couldn’t possess enough and part of that was their pressure was high, and they were very athletic and closed really well. Our guys got a little tired and slowed on the ball and allowed for more of a 50/50 environment and less fluidity and rhythm with what we were trying to do. Everything kept getting disrupted.”
As time ran out, the Tigers kept the pressure on the Vikings while not allowing the visitors to unleash any real threats of their own.
The Wheaton Warrenville South outshot the Vikings by a lopsided 19-5 count, which included a few dangerous chances in the final seven minutes.
Junior Paul Thalmann broke free momentarily and lined a shot right at Geneva goalkeeper Chris Morales.
Husseini had a decent look with 5:57 left but rolled it to Morales.
With 3 minutes and change remaining, junior Griffin Wight’s attempt on a corner kick was denied. Senior Declin Ermer was able to take a rebound shot, but couldn’t find the back of the net. Then, in the final minute, Husseini’s burst of speed allowed him to break free and take a shot that missed. Still, Wight crashed hard for another rebound chance but skied his attempt.
“Yeah, I had a really good chance at the end there but didn’t know the goalie was coming out so far,” Thalmann said. “We had some chances there so we’re improving, and overall I’m happy with our performance. It’s only our third game and we keep getting better. We didn’t get the win, but that happens.”
While the Tigers looked really good at times, there were also some ugly moments.
“We had an advantage in shots, but we also were too sloppy, especially in the second half,” Thalmann said. “We needed to put the ball on the ground more and play our game, find some through-balls and maybe find a goal.”
Not allowing the Tigers to find it kind of gave Geneva the feeling that their effort was more of a win.
“It’s been a trial by fire, and I think having played all those teams has helped us compete more and more, and we’ve gotten better and better,” Bhatta said. “They’re doing what I’ve asked them to do and are just trying to match the physicality at this level and just growing into a team.
“I sound like a broken record, but it’s getting guys up to speed and that comes over the course of the year and not just in one game. The results should get better, and we did what we could today.”
The teams posed for a group photo prior to the game to commemorate the beginning of the new conference. The start of the game was then delayed approximately 10 minutes after the National Anthem due to one of the nets requiring a minor repair. The teams also had water breaks at the midpoints of each half due to the warm and humid conditions.
“It was something else to be played for, so there definitely is a lot of pride for the first time out,” Callipari said. “Having been here 28 years, the (conference) change is bittersweet to some degree, but I get it. Change in evitable, and we’re excited to be a part of this conference. I think there is a lot of parity and on any given day, and in all sports, we can compete day in and day out.”
Starting lineups
Geneva
GK: Chris Morales
D: Thomas Lotspiech
D: Mark Migliazzo
D: Brandt Miller
MF: Joey Carli
MF: Joss Eiss
MF: Colin Fromm
MF: Ethan Hipp
MF: Evan Horvath
MF: Dominick Peri
F: Dominik Barwiolek
Wheaton Warrenville South
GK: Joe Adamek
D: Jared Coria
D: Sam Schlegel
D: Kevin Stumbris
MF: Ryan Dufty
MF: Sumani Husseini
MF: Nick McGrath
MF: Jordy Morales
MF: Paul Thalmann
MF: Griffin Wight
F: Declin Ermer
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Sumani Husseini, sr., MF, Wheaton Warrenville South
Scoring summary
First half
Geneva – Colin Fromm (Brandt Miller), 10th minute
Wheaton Warrenville South – Ryan Dufty (Sam Schlegel), 17th minute
Second half
None