Deerfield closes out regular-season,
Grant with Senior Night win
On their night, seniors Coleman and Neumann pace Warriors
By Patrick Z. McGavin
DEERFIELD — With its state-of-the-art, digital video scoreboard on the south end of its field, Deerfield has a way of freezing time.
The aura of youth and possibility is everywhere. Faces and memories are all immediately available, and ready to either appraise or conjure.
The night was marked by tenderness, warmth and team bonding.
“After a game like this, I am going to miss all the memories of playing under the lights, and remembering the friends and connections I made through the program, and how much fun I had,” senior forward Ryder Coleman said.
On a crisp and glorious fall night, the Deerfield field was like the famous carousel sequence from “Mad Men,” a special panorama of sounds, images and memories all beautifully intertwined and cut together.
Coleman had a hand in all of the scoring with a goal and assist as the Warriors completed their regular-season with the 2-0 victory over Grant that completed a memorable Senior Night.
Nine seniors took part in the special ceremony — and then went on and helped the Warriors (8-11-1) secure their third shutout of the year.
“We fought hard for the whole game, and we got the clean-sheet,” senior center back Matthew Neumann said.
“I’m really proud of the team and the guys today. We fought hard. We won tackles, and we won headers. We did what we wanted to do for the whole 80 minutes.”
After an altered pregame warmup to allow for the celebrating seniors, Deerfield took some time to get acclimated to the early speed and rhythm of the game.
The Bulldogs (10-8-2) came close to ruining the party.
“Grant did a great job of starting strong, and they had us on our heels for the first 10 minutes,” Deerfield coach Ryan Crane said.
“We like to pride ourselves on starting strong, and they were better in the first 10. I think in the middle 20 of the first half we really flipped the switch.”
It was the youngest Deerfield starter, sophomore keeper Xander Yang, who helped offset the early Bulldogs’ advantage with some sharp play and alert actions inside the box.
“I thought Addison Simon, our center back, did a great job of keeping us calm, as well as our keeper Xander,” Crane said.
“Anytime anything came by, Xander did a great job of commanding his area tonight. We felt pretty confident in the chances we gave them that we were going to be able to stop them.”
Eventually the Warriors’ offense got untracked.
Midfielders Jason Nieder and Nathan Garcia began to assert their presence and create combination play and push numbers forward.
Coleman is the engine that makes the attack go.
“I really like to go forward, whether that be passing, dribbling or shooting,” he said. “Those are the three things I like doing.
“I like moving the ball through passing and trying to create the shot or a situation.”
Deerfield broke through in the 23d minute, the accumulative pressure and a sharp play by Nieder created a corner kick from the left.
Coleman delivered the terrific service that Neumann was able to control with a first touch off his body. He then issued a quick and decisive half volley with his left foot from six yards for his first goal of the season.
“I had a little bit of space, so I had to make sure I didn’t blast it over the crossbar,” he said. “I went with the side foot and made sure I had it on frame.
“We had the play of how we wanted it to work, of just putting it into the chaos of the six, and it popped right out to me. I had space and time.”
Coleman was the facilitator.
“Definitely on that play we were just trying to get the ball into the chaos ... , and it worked,” he said.
The goal energized the team, and Deerfield dominated the balance of the half. The ball rarely strayed into the Warriors’ final third.
Neumann and Simon patrolled the back with toughness and precision, and looked to make the quick counter or push the ball into Grant’s back.
The Warriors started five seniors. The night was a jamboree with different factors and key contributions.
“All the younger guys had a chance to play and show what they could do and have fun with this game,” senior defender Justin Blumenthal said.
“We have been through a lot, but one thing we could take away is how close we are.”
Still, the Warriors had just the one-goal differential to start the second half. Deerfield played well and clearly dictated the flow and patterns. Grant was hanging around.
“We only tell the guys those 1-0, 2-0 scores are dangerous, because just one play can always shift the momentum,” Crane said.
Befitting the special night, another unsung senior, reserve forward Max Izaks, hustled to create a dead ball just outside the left edge of the Grant box early in the second half.
Enter stage left Coleman, who delivered the knockout.
He drilled a 21-yard blast inside the far post for his team-best 14th goal.
“I saw an opening from the wall between the keeper,” he said. “Luckily, I hit it well, and that’s how I planned for it to happen.”
Coleman earned the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match distinction for his memorable final home game.
“It was a great job by Max to win that free kick right outside the box,” Crane said.
“Ryder does what he does. He curled a great shot to the far post. What else can you say about him? He works super hard, and his teammates all love and respect him.”
In the process a Deerfield side that had been juiced by the electric actions at the end of the first half now settled into a looser and more comfortable register.
Grant made things interesting a couple of times, generating a few corners.
Yang came out and won a foot race against the Grant’s Julian Celis in the 74th minute. The denial on the Bulldogs’ best scoring chance permanently shut the door.
Yang finished with five saves.
Neumann led the defense in the shutout. As he walking off the pitch for the last time, he was asked what he enjoyed the most.
“I like the shutout," he said. "But I will never complain about the goal.”
Starting lineups
Grant
GK: Alexis Deluna
D: Fred Kunzer
D: Edward Murray
D: Leo Mendoza
D: Finn Joiner
MF: Alex Shubin
MF: Jordy Torres
MF: Miguel Nunez
MF: Sebastian Gonzalez
F: Giancarlo Hinestrosa
F: Julian Celis
Deerfield
GK: Xander Yang
D: Justin Blumenthal
D: Addison Simon
D: Matthew Neumann
D: Carlos Pacheco
MF: Nathan Garcia
MF: Jason Nieder
MF: Matthew Seed
MF: James Weiner
F: Ryder Coleman
F: Christian Castro
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match:
Ryder Coleman, sr., F, Deerfield
Scoring summary
First half
Deerfield—Matthew Neumann (Ryder Coleman), 23rd minute
Second half
Deerfield—Coleman (free kick), 43rd minute
Grant with Senior Night win
On their night, seniors Coleman and Neumann pace Warriors
By Patrick Z. McGavin
DEERFIELD — With its state-of-the-art, digital video scoreboard on the south end of its field, Deerfield has a way of freezing time.
The aura of youth and possibility is everywhere. Faces and memories are all immediately available, and ready to either appraise or conjure.
The night was marked by tenderness, warmth and team bonding.
“After a game like this, I am going to miss all the memories of playing under the lights, and remembering the friends and connections I made through the program, and how much fun I had,” senior forward Ryder Coleman said.
On a crisp and glorious fall night, the Deerfield field was like the famous carousel sequence from “Mad Men,” a special panorama of sounds, images and memories all beautifully intertwined and cut together.
Coleman had a hand in all of the scoring with a goal and assist as the Warriors completed their regular-season with the 2-0 victory over Grant that completed a memorable Senior Night.
Nine seniors took part in the special ceremony — and then went on and helped the Warriors (8-11-1) secure their third shutout of the year.
“We fought hard for the whole game, and we got the clean-sheet,” senior center back Matthew Neumann said.
“I’m really proud of the team and the guys today. We fought hard. We won tackles, and we won headers. We did what we wanted to do for the whole 80 minutes.”
After an altered pregame warmup to allow for the celebrating seniors, Deerfield took some time to get acclimated to the early speed and rhythm of the game.
The Bulldogs (10-8-2) came close to ruining the party.
“Grant did a great job of starting strong, and they had us on our heels for the first 10 minutes,” Deerfield coach Ryan Crane said.
“We like to pride ourselves on starting strong, and they were better in the first 10. I think in the middle 20 of the first half we really flipped the switch.”
It was the youngest Deerfield starter, sophomore keeper Xander Yang, who helped offset the early Bulldogs’ advantage with some sharp play and alert actions inside the box.
“I thought Addison Simon, our center back, did a great job of keeping us calm, as well as our keeper Xander,” Crane said.
“Anytime anything came by, Xander did a great job of commanding his area tonight. We felt pretty confident in the chances we gave them that we were going to be able to stop them.”
Eventually the Warriors’ offense got untracked.
Midfielders Jason Nieder and Nathan Garcia began to assert their presence and create combination play and push numbers forward.
Coleman is the engine that makes the attack go.
“I really like to go forward, whether that be passing, dribbling or shooting,” he said. “Those are the three things I like doing.
“I like moving the ball through passing and trying to create the shot or a situation.”
Deerfield broke through in the 23d minute, the accumulative pressure and a sharp play by Nieder created a corner kick from the left.
Coleman delivered the terrific service that Neumann was able to control with a first touch off his body. He then issued a quick and decisive half volley with his left foot from six yards for his first goal of the season.
“I had a little bit of space, so I had to make sure I didn’t blast it over the crossbar,” he said. “I went with the side foot and made sure I had it on frame.
“We had the play of how we wanted it to work, of just putting it into the chaos of the six, and it popped right out to me. I had space and time.”
Coleman was the facilitator.
“Definitely on that play we were just trying to get the ball into the chaos ... , and it worked,” he said.
The goal energized the team, and Deerfield dominated the balance of the half. The ball rarely strayed into the Warriors’ final third.
Neumann and Simon patrolled the back with toughness and precision, and looked to make the quick counter or push the ball into Grant’s back.
The Warriors started five seniors. The night was a jamboree with different factors and key contributions.
“All the younger guys had a chance to play and show what they could do and have fun with this game,” senior defender Justin Blumenthal said.
“We have been through a lot, but one thing we could take away is how close we are.”
Still, the Warriors had just the one-goal differential to start the second half. Deerfield played well and clearly dictated the flow and patterns. Grant was hanging around.
“We only tell the guys those 1-0, 2-0 scores are dangerous, because just one play can always shift the momentum,” Crane said.
Befitting the special night, another unsung senior, reserve forward Max Izaks, hustled to create a dead ball just outside the left edge of the Grant box early in the second half.
Enter stage left Coleman, who delivered the knockout.
He drilled a 21-yard blast inside the far post for his team-best 14th goal.
“I saw an opening from the wall between the keeper,” he said. “Luckily, I hit it well, and that’s how I planned for it to happen.”
Coleman earned the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match distinction for his memorable final home game.
“It was a great job by Max to win that free kick right outside the box,” Crane said.
“Ryder does what he does. He curled a great shot to the far post. What else can you say about him? He works super hard, and his teammates all love and respect him.”
In the process a Deerfield side that had been juiced by the electric actions at the end of the first half now settled into a looser and more comfortable register.
Grant made things interesting a couple of times, generating a few corners.
Yang came out and won a foot race against the Grant’s Julian Celis in the 74th minute. The denial on the Bulldogs’ best scoring chance permanently shut the door.
Yang finished with five saves.
Neumann led the defense in the shutout. As he walking off the pitch for the last time, he was asked what he enjoyed the most.
“I like the shutout," he said. "But I will never complain about the goal.”
Starting lineups
Grant
GK: Alexis Deluna
D: Fred Kunzer
D: Edward Murray
D: Leo Mendoza
D: Finn Joiner
MF: Alex Shubin
MF: Jordy Torres
MF: Miguel Nunez
MF: Sebastian Gonzalez
F: Giancarlo Hinestrosa
F: Julian Celis
Deerfield
GK: Xander Yang
D: Justin Blumenthal
D: Addison Simon
D: Matthew Neumann
D: Carlos Pacheco
MF: Nathan Garcia
MF: Jason Nieder
MF: Matthew Seed
MF: James Weiner
F: Ryder Coleman
F: Christian Castro
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match:
Ryder Coleman, sr., F, Deerfield
Scoring summary
First half
Deerfield—Matthew Neumann (Ryder Coleman), 23rd minute
Second half
Deerfield—Coleman (free kick), 43rd minute