New Trier’s Segall makes
opening statement vs. Hersey
After illness, senior scores 3 times off the bench in 4-1 win
By Patrick Z. McGavin
NORTHFIELD — First games are the ultimate blank slate.
Anything is possible with all the different factors at play, including nerves, general anxiousness and the initial competition against a structured team.
New Trier midfielder Karsten Segall felt a tad off after starting the Trevians’ home-opener on the sidelines.
“I just came back to practice from an illness,” he said. “I was sick with a virus for a couple of days. I came back to school for training on Saturday, and I practiced one time.
“Obviously I wasn’t in the starting lineup. I was a little bummed by that.”
Segall underscored the absence of any real line of demarcation at New Trier. There is little separation if any between those who start and the rotation players off the bench.
“We have 24 guys on this team, and they are locked in,” New Trier coach Matt Ravenscraft said.
Seagall made a spectacular recovery and showed another dynamic threat in the Trevians’ attack with three goals in a 4-1 victory over Hersey in the CSL/MSL Challenge on Monday night.
“I was just happy to be back,” Segall said.
In exceeding his entire scoring output last year (two goals), Segall earned the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honor for his excellent play.
It was a glorious and thrilling way to start the new season for the hosts. The Trevians entered sky high and ranked no. 2 in the Chicagoland Soccer First 50 preseason poll of the state’s top teams.
Hersey, the defending Mid-Suburban League East Division champion, was ranked at 48.
New Trier (1-0-0) put the game out of reach with a three-goal blitz during a 12-minute burst of activity in the second half.
The Huskies (0-1-0) held their own for more than 60 minutes of action before they went a man down.
“It was a great test and a chance to measure where we are at as a team,” Hersey coach Michael Rusniak said. “This is a top program we are playing.
“Hats off to them. They move the ball extremely well, effectively and dangerously all over the field. Top down, I was pleased with how our boys kept themselves in the game.”
The Huskies had a significant absence with captain and defensive leader Charlie Shiffman unavailable.
Senior midfielder Charlie Sieg, who played several enticing balls and free kicks that tested the Trevians, said first games are a necessary litmus test, especially for a collection of players who are talented though still finding their way.
“We have a lot of young guys,” Sieg said. “It was the first starting game ever for more than half of our lineup.
“Against this good of a team, that might get out of hand, but I thought the new guys handled it well. Chemistry is a big factor. A lot of guys were nervous. I talked with them before the game. We were also missing Charlie in the backline, and he keeps us organized.”
New Trier is stacked with depth, skill and national experience. Many of the key players were part of the FC United club program that qualified for nationals last month.
Forward Matthew Perchik and Evan Kanellos, each named Chicagoland Soccer All-State Watch List players last season, are four-year varsity players. That kind of experience and expertise is invaluable.
“We definitely realized at the start of training that we have a big role,” Perchik said. “If you look around, the faces that we relied on as leaders are gone. That can be a shock at first.
“During the preseason, we accepted that role. Tonight, it was a combination of our seniors, and also the young guys also stepped up. I think it was a total, team effort tonight.”
Kanellos is dynamic with the ball, fluid, fast and very dangerous as a shot-creator and facilitator. He created the early pressure, showing great feel in conjunction with Perchik and midfielder Aryan Krishna, a fast, mobile midfielder.
New Trier created a near constant state of pressure in the opening stretches of the first half. Hersey had a solid and impressive performance to lean on from athletic keeper Adrian Smakowski, who made his varsity debut.
The sophomore, rangy and fluid and graced with excellent size at 6-foot-3, showed presence and daring inside the box. He finished with nine saves.
“He had a phenomenal game,” Rusniak said. “He really wants to play at the top level. He is so incredibly hard on himself.
“He is the guy who is going to put in all the work that he possibly can and take every single opportunity he can to develop as a player. He’s a student of the game, and a student of his own progress.”
The New Trier players certainly took notice.
“It was kind of a dogfight in the first half,” Perchik said. “As we grew into the game, we really started to break down Hersey.
“We grew into the game. A first game, with a big crowd, can be kind of daunting. Before the game, we made it a point that we had to play for us.”
Kanellos created the first goal, weaving through the Hersey back down the left edge and playing a ball just inside the six-yard line that Segall punched home with his left foot in the 24th minute.
“Evan played it back, right spot at the right time, and I hit it as hard as I could, and it went in the bottom left and beat the keeper,” Segall said.
“We were getting a lot of shots off. I felt like we should have ended the first half with more than one goal.”
Hersey stayed with the Trevians more than halfway through the second half thanks to some Smakowski point-blank stops. At the other end of the field, Sieg had a brilliant free kick from about 26 yards that Trevians’ keeper Shafer Brahm elevated to punch over the top.
With midfielder Michael Choi’s rocket ball from the left wing that pushed just wide, Hersey remained dangerous.
New Trier seized control in the 62nd minute during a frantic and pivotal moment. Kanellos got free on the right wing for a near breakaway.
Smakowski tried to cut off the angle by coming hard off his line. Kanellos appeared to play the ball to Ollie Hernandez for a goal that was nullified by an apparent foul call.
After a consultation with the nearest assistant referee, the official ruled Huskies’ defender Joey Casey had illegally interfered as the “last man,” and was given a red card.
Off the right wing from 22 yards, Kanellos buried the free kick.
“The coaches talked with us at halftime that we had to finish,” Segall said. “Once Evan scored, we took advantage of them. We have 12 new guys coming in, with two sophomores, but we already feel like a family already.”
Segall put the finishing touches with two textbook goals, a rocket from about 16 yards on the right edge in the 67th minute, and a sure touch from about 14 yards in the 74th minute.
“Karsten came in ready to go and locked in,” Ravenscraft said. “To be honest, I thought the story of the game tonight really showed our depth.
“We were able to make changes earlier in the game and more often in the game than previous seasons, and the level didn’t drop. We needed this game tonight. We needed the test of another opponent. It was important to see the boys take a good first step tonight.”
Hersey showed fight, sufficient grit and promise. As evidence of their tenacious nature, the Huskies averted the shutout with a 78th-minute goal from junior midfielder Billy Beck, who directed home a rebound inside the box.
“I think this was way closer than a typical 4-1 game,” Sieg said. “We had our chances. We played a man down a good amount of time. This team is never going to stop fighting, throughout the score or throughout the season.
“We are going to fight until the end.”
First games are finally a chance to zoom out, and capture the wider picture.
“I’d rather have an opportunity to play against one of the top teams early in the season, where we can really assess where we need to improve and work on,” Rusniak said.
“It’s not where you start. It’s where you finish.”
Starting lineups
Hersey
GK: Adrian Smakowski
D: Nate Mabry
D: Alex Masztak
D: Jack Farrell
D: Joey Casey
MF: Oleh Tymovfi
MF: Michael Choi
MF: Luc Perez
MF: Billy Beck
MF: Charlie Sieg
F: Danny Duray
New Trier
GK: Shafer Brahm
D: Colin Gottshall
D: Ollie Fernandez
D: Kevin Farina
D: Eli Drake
MF: Aryan Krishna
MF: Evan Kanellos
MF: Theo Franzen
MF: Wyatt McAlexander
F: Matthew Perchik
F: Aidan Nicholson
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Karsten Segall, sr., MF, New Trier
Scoring summary
First half
New Trier—Karsten Segall (Evan Kanellos), 24th minute
Second half
New Trier—Kanellos (free kick), 62nd minute
New Trier—Segall (Wyatt McAlexander), 67th minute
New Trier—Segall (Jack Jaworski), 74th minute
Hersey—Billy Beck (deflection), 78th minute
opening statement vs. Hersey
After illness, senior scores 3 times off the bench in 4-1 win
By Patrick Z. McGavin
NORTHFIELD — First games are the ultimate blank slate.
Anything is possible with all the different factors at play, including nerves, general anxiousness and the initial competition against a structured team.
New Trier midfielder Karsten Segall felt a tad off after starting the Trevians’ home-opener on the sidelines.
“I just came back to practice from an illness,” he said. “I was sick with a virus for a couple of days. I came back to school for training on Saturday, and I practiced one time.
“Obviously I wasn’t in the starting lineup. I was a little bummed by that.”
Segall underscored the absence of any real line of demarcation at New Trier. There is little separation if any between those who start and the rotation players off the bench.
“We have 24 guys on this team, and they are locked in,” New Trier coach Matt Ravenscraft said.
Seagall made a spectacular recovery and showed another dynamic threat in the Trevians’ attack with three goals in a 4-1 victory over Hersey in the CSL/MSL Challenge on Monday night.
“I was just happy to be back,” Segall said.
In exceeding his entire scoring output last year (two goals), Segall earned the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honor for his excellent play.
It was a glorious and thrilling way to start the new season for the hosts. The Trevians entered sky high and ranked no. 2 in the Chicagoland Soccer First 50 preseason poll of the state’s top teams.
Hersey, the defending Mid-Suburban League East Division champion, was ranked at 48.
New Trier (1-0-0) put the game out of reach with a three-goal blitz during a 12-minute burst of activity in the second half.
The Huskies (0-1-0) held their own for more than 60 minutes of action before they went a man down.
“It was a great test and a chance to measure where we are at as a team,” Hersey coach Michael Rusniak said. “This is a top program we are playing.
“Hats off to them. They move the ball extremely well, effectively and dangerously all over the field. Top down, I was pleased with how our boys kept themselves in the game.”
The Huskies had a significant absence with captain and defensive leader Charlie Shiffman unavailable.
Senior midfielder Charlie Sieg, who played several enticing balls and free kicks that tested the Trevians, said first games are a necessary litmus test, especially for a collection of players who are talented though still finding their way.
“We have a lot of young guys,” Sieg said. “It was the first starting game ever for more than half of our lineup.
“Against this good of a team, that might get out of hand, but I thought the new guys handled it well. Chemistry is a big factor. A lot of guys were nervous. I talked with them before the game. We were also missing Charlie in the backline, and he keeps us organized.”
New Trier is stacked with depth, skill and national experience. Many of the key players were part of the FC United club program that qualified for nationals last month.
Forward Matthew Perchik and Evan Kanellos, each named Chicagoland Soccer All-State Watch List players last season, are four-year varsity players. That kind of experience and expertise is invaluable.
“We definitely realized at the start of training that we have a big role,” Perchik said. “If you look around, the faces that we relied on as leaders are gone. That can be a shock at first.
“During the preseason, we accepted that role. Tonight, it was a combination of our seniors, and also the young guys also stepped up. I think it was a total, team effort tonight.”
Kanellos is dynamic with the ball, fluid, fast and very dangerous as a shot-creator and facilitator. He created the early pressure, showing great feel in conjunction with Perchik and midfielder Aryan Krishna, a fast, mobile midfielder.
New Trier created a near constant state of pressure in the opening stretches of the first half. Hersey had a solid and impressive performance to lean on from athletic keeper Adrian Smakowski, who made his varsity debut.
The sophomore, rangy and fluid and graced with excellent size at 6-foot-3, showed presence and daring inside the box. He finished with nine saves.
“He had a phenomenal game,” Rusniak said. “He really wants to play at the top level. He is so incredibly hard on himself.
“He is the guy who is going to put in all the work that he possibly can and take every single opportunity he can to develop as a player. He’s a student of the game, and a student of his own progress.”
The New Trier players certainly took notice.
“It was kind of a dogfight in the first half,” Perchik said. “As we grew into the game, we really started to break down Hersey.
“We grew into the game. A first game, with a big crowd, can be kind of daunting. Before the game, we made it a point that we had to play for us.”
Kanellos created the first goal, weaving through the Hersey back down the left edge and playing a ball just inside the six-yard line that Segall punched home with his left foot in the 24th minute.
“Evan played it back, right spot at the right time, and I hit it as hard as I could, and it went in the bottom left and beat the keeper,” Segall said.
“We were getting a lot of shots off. I felt like we should have ended the first half with more than one goal.”
Hersey stayed with the Trevians more than halfway through the second half thanks to some Smakowski point-blank stops. At the other end of the field, Sieg had a brilliant free kick from about 26 yards that Trevians’ keeper Shafer Brahm elevated to punch over the top.
With midfielder Michael Choi’s rocket ball from the left wing that pushed just wide, Hersey remained dangerous.
New Trier seized control in the 62nd minute during a frantic and pivotal moment. Kanellos got free on the right wing for a near breakaway.
Smakowski tried to cut off the angle by coming hard off his line. Kanellos appeared to play the ball to Ollie Hernandez for a goal that was nullified by an apparent foul call.
After a consultation with the nearest assistant referee, the official ruled Huskies’ defender Joey Casey had illegally interfered as the “last man,” and was given a red card.
Off the right wing from 22 yards, Kanellos buried the free kick.
“The coaches talked with us at halftime that we had to finish,” Segall said. “Once Evan scored, we took advantage of them. We have 12 new guys coming in, with two sophomores, but we already feel like a family already.”
Segall put the finishing touches with two textbook goals, a rocket from about 16 yards on the right edge in the 67th minute, and a sure touch from about 14 yards in the 74th minute.
“Karsten came in ready to go and locked in,” Ravenscraft said. “To be honest, I thought the story of the game tonight really showed our depth.
“We were able to make changes earlier in the game and more often in the game than previous seasons, and the level didn’t drop. We needed this game tonight. We needed the test of another opponent. It was important to see the boys take a good first step tonight.”
Hersey showed fight, sufficient grit and promise. As evidence of their tenacious nature, the Huskies averted the shutout with a 78th-minute goal from junior midfielder Billy Beck, who directed home a rebound inside the box.
“I think this was way closer than a typical 4-1 game,” Sieg said. “We had our chances. We played a man down a good amount of time. This team is never going to stop fighting, throughout the score or throughout the season.
“We are going to fight until the end.”
First games are finally a chance to zoom out, and capture the wider picture.
“I’d rather have an opportunity to play against one of the top teams early in the season, where we can really assess where we need to improve and work on,” Rusniak said.
“It’s not where you start. It’s where you finish.”
Starting lineups
Hersey
GK: Adrian Smakowski
D: Nate Mabry
D: Alex Masztak
D: Jack Farrell
D: Joey Casey
MF: Oleh Tymovfi
MF: Michael Choi
MF: Luc Perez
MF: Billy Beck
MF: Charlie Sieg
F: Danny Duray
New Trier
GK: Shafer Brahm
D: Colin Gottshall
D: Ollie Fernandez
D: Kevin Farina
D: Eli Drake
MF: Aryan Krishna
MF: Evan Kanellos
MF: Theo Franzen
MF: Wyatt McAlexander
F: Matthew Perchik
F: Aidan Nicholson
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Karsten Segall, sr., MF, New Trier
Scoring summary
First half
New Trier—Karsten Segall (Evan Kanellos), 24th minute
Second half
New Trier—Kanellos (free kick), 62nd minute
New Trier—Segall (Wyatt McAlexander), 67th minute
New Trier—Segall (Jack Jaworski), 74th minute
Hersey—Billy Beck (deflection), 78th minute