Crowder leads New Trier to CSL title
Senior F records a brace and assist in 4-1 win over Highland Park
By Rusty Silber
NORTHFIELD -- Numerous streaks continue for New Trier and the latest success brought the Trevians the Central Suburban League championship.
The most important run is their third-straight league title. Aidan Crowder scored a brace and contributed an assist, and Peter Kanellos and Sunjay Joshi added goals to lead New Trier (13-1-4), ranked seventh in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, past Highland Park 4-1 Thursday night.
The Trevians beat the Giants (9-6-3) in a shootout last year on penalty kicks in Highland Park.
"Highland Park always plays us tough," New Trier coach Matt Revenscraft said, "I thought we started really well (in this one). Aidan Crowder's goal was exceptional, and he showed his quality. But, give Highland Park credit, they stayed in it. We got it to 2-0 and we needed that second goal (before the half). I thought we deserved to be up 2-0 at the half. It was a big win for us."
The Trevians have now won four-straight Central Suburban League South Division titles. In 2016 they tied with Maine South, but the Hawks got the nod to play in final due to league rules.
The win continued other New Trier seasonal unbeaten streaks: 14 games overall (11-0-3) eight games (7-0-1) in Central Suburban League play.
"It's a good feeling, but we have bigger roles we want to accomplish," Ravenscraft said. "It's still one day at a time. We have another week to build and grow. We're really hoping to find a new level and get the most we can out of this team."
Crowder's opening goal was a piece of art. After taking a pass from Jeffery Urban along the wing just past the middle of the field, Crowder created a flick touch that got him past a Giants' player. Then he used his speed the rest of the way and placed the ball into the back of the net in the seventh minute.
"I just got the ball and turned, then realized I had some space," Crowder said. "I just actually turned and realized the flick had worked. I knew that I was faster than the defender. I dribbled the rest of the way and got the guy with a fake and chopped it back then shot it without even thinking about it.
"I've had a couple of runs trying that same move, and it hadn't gone my way. It's actually, the first time I've scored (off it)."
Crowder added a later goal and for his team-leading effort was named the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match. The senior now he has 14 goals and seven assists this season.
"I like the way we play really good soccer on the ground, quick; and it leads to gaps in the defense," Crower said. "It just makes it look so simple the way we make it work."
Crowder set up the second goal of the night with a cross right on the foot of Kanellos, who finished in front of the goal in the 40th minute.
Highland Park (9-6-3) found a goal in the second half off the leg of Lalo Astudillo in the 54th minute that cut the New Trier lead to 2-1. Gustavo Marquez was credited with the assist.
The Giants had chances to tie up the match in the next 15 minutes, but couldn't finish. New Trier goalkeeper Aidan Crawford made several of his five saves to preserve the lead.
In the 70th minute, Crowder took a loose ball and finished from in front of the Highland Park goal. Simon Kellman had the initial shot that went off a Giants' defender and the crossbar.
Sunjay Joshi added an additional insurance goal for New Trier after taking a pass from Alex Glueck in the 77th minute to end the scoring.
Urban played in his third game back since returning from an injury that kept him out of the New Trier lineup since the season opener against Fremd. After playing center back to start the season, he is now positioned on the left wing.
"I had an high ankle sprain in my first game in the first half," Urban said. "I had scored just 10 minutes before the injury happened. I think I was out for six weeks, and it was a tough journey. It's good to be back and to get an assist.
"For the first two games, it kind of felt weird not knowing if was 100 percent going into tackles. In this one, I felt very good playing a good chunk of minutes with the guys "
Highland Park hoped to stay with New Trier and find a way to pull even in the second half.
"(New Trier) just didn't make to many mistakes on the field," Highland Park coach Blake Novotny said. "So, there's very little room for error.
"If we made a mistake like at the end of the first half, I thought we were trying to pack it up and our guys just let off. I could feel (New Trier) was going to get a second one in the final minute.
"I thought we chased a little too much in the first half. But, when we did bring some pressure in the second half it did work. We did have a couple of good chances that we didn't get to finish on. They just outlasted us."
Highland Park needs to regroup before they ener the postseason in the competitive Libertyville Sectional.
"We're in a bad patch of our season right now," Novotny said. "The season has gone gotten long for us, and we need to refresh some things. A little lineup shakeup or a formation shakeup. We have to regroup and figure something out."
New Trier ends the regular season with St. Ignatius and Taft will complete the regular season. Host Maine West follows in the regional opener. The Trevians have streaks they want to continue. The most important stretches to Nov. 9.
Starting lineups
Highland Park
GK-Ethan Fineman
D-Aaron Bach
D-Matt Holleman
D-Luke Illes
D-Ben Kaden
MF-Jose Flores
MF-Danny Barragan
MF-Ronin Moore
MF-Gustavo Marquez
F-Lalo Astudillo
F-Luke Zuker
New Trier
GK-Aidan Crawford
D-Seth Babbitt
D-Alex Powell
D-Ronan O'Neill
D-Peter Norhad
MF-Jake Krueger
MF-Will Franzen
MF-'James Paden
MF-Ryan Ball
F-Aidan Crowder
F-Jeffery Urban
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Aidan Crowder, sr., F, New Trier
Scoring summary
New Trier 4 Highland Park 1
Highland Park 0 1 -1
New Trier 2 2 -4
First half
NT-Crowder (Urban) 7'
NT-Kanellos (Crowder) 40'
Second half
HP-Astudillo (Marquez) 54'
NT-Crowder (unassisted) 70'
NT-Joshi (Glueck) 77'
Senior F records a brace and assist in 4-1 win over Highland Park
By Rusty Silber
NORTHFIELD -- Numerous streaks continue for New Trier and the latest success brought the Trevians the Central Suburban League championship.
The most important run is their third-straight league title. Aidan Crowder scored a brace and contributed an assist, and Peter Kanellos and Sunjay Joshi added goals to lead New Trier (13-1-4), ranked seventh in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, past Highland Park 4-1 Thursday night.
The Trevians beat the Giants (9-6-3) in a shootout last year on penalty kicks in Highland Park.
"Highland Park always plays us tough," New Trier coach Matt Revenscraft said, "I thought we started really well (in this one). Aidan Crowder's goal was exceptional, and he showed his quality. But, give Highland Park credit, they stayed in it. We got it to 2-0 and we needed that second goal (before the half). I thought we deserved to be up 2-0 at the half. It was a big win for us."
The Trevians have now won four-straight Central Suburban League South Division titles. In 2016 they tied with Maine South, but the Hawks got the nod to play in final due to league rules.
The win continued other New Trier seasonal unbeaten streaks: 14 games overall (11-0-3) eight games (7-0-1) in Central Suburban League play.
"It's a good feeling, but we have bigger roles we want to accomplish," Ravenscraft said. "It's still one day at a time. We have another week to build and grow. We're really hoping to find a new level and get the most we can out of this team."
Crowder's opening goal was a piece of art. After taking a pass from Jeffery Urban along the wing just past the middle of the field, Crowder created a flick touch that got him past a Giants' player. Then he used his speed the rest of the way and placed the ball into the back of the net in the seventh minute.
"I just got the ball and turned, then realized I had some space," Crowder said. "I just actually turned and realized the flick had worked. I knew that I was faster than the defender. I dribbled the rest of the way and got the guy with a fake and chopped it back then shot it without even thinking about it.
"I've had a couple of runs trying that same move, and it hadn't gone my way. It's actually, the first time I've scored (off it)."
Crowder added a later goal and for his team-leading effort was named the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match. The senior now he has 14 goals and seven assists this season.
"I like the way we play really good soccer on the ground, quick; and it leads to gaps in the defense," Crower said. "It just makes it look so simple the way we make it work."
Crowder set up the second goal of the night with a cross right on the foot of Kanellos, who finished in front of the goal in the 40th minute.
Highland Park (9-6-3) found a goal in the second half off the leg of Lalo Astudillo in the 54th minute that cut the New Trier lead to 2-1. Gustavo Marquez was credited with the assist.
The Giants had chances to tie up the match in the next 15 minutes, but couldn't finish. New Trier goalkeeper Aidan Crawford made several of his five saves to preserve the lead.
In the 70th minute, Crowder took a loose ball and finished from in front of the Highland Park goal. Simon Kellman had the initial shot that went off a Giants' defender and the crossbar.
Sunjay Joshi added an additional insurance goal for New Trier after taking a pass from Alex Glueck in the 77th minute to end the scoring.
Urban played in his third game back since returning from an injury that kept him out of the New Trier lineup since the season opener against Fremd. After playing center back to start the season, he is now positioned on the left wing.
"I had an high ankle sprain in my first game in the first half," Urban said. "I had scored just 10 minutes before the injury happened. I think I was out for six weeks, and it was a tough journey. It's good to be back and to get an assist.
"For the first two games, it kind of felt weird not knowing if was 100 percent going into tackles. In this one, I felt very good playing a good chunk of minutes with the guys "
Highland Park hoped to stay with New Trier and find a way to pull even in the second half.
"(New Trier) just didn't make to many mistakes on the field," Highland Park coach Blake Novotny said. "So, there's very little room for error.
"If we made a mistake like at the end of the first half, I thought we were trying to pack it up and our guys just let off. I could feel (New Trier) was going to get a second one in the final minute.
"I thought we chased a little too much in the first half. But, when we did bring some pressure in the second half it did work. We did have a couple of good chances that we didn't get to finish on. They just outlasted us."
Highland Park needs to regroup before they ener the postseason in the competitive Libertyville Sectional.
"We're in a bad patch of our season right now," Novotny said. "The season has gone gotten long for us, and we need to refresh some things. A little lineup shakeup or a formation shakeup. We have to regroup and figure something out."
New Trier ends the regular season with St. Ignatius and Taft will complete the regular season. Host Maine West follows in the regional opener. The Trevians have streaks they want to continue. The most important stretches to Nov. 9.
Starting lineups
Highland Park
GK-Ethan Fineman
D-Aaron Bach
D-Matt Holleman
D-Luke Illes
D-Ben Kaden
MF-Jose Flores
MF-Danny Barragan
MF-Ronin Moore
MF-Gustavo Marquez
F-Lalo Astudillo
F-Luke Zuker
New Trier
GK-Aidan Crawford
D-Seth Babbitt
D-Alex Powell
D-Ronan O'Neill
D-Peter Norhad
MF-Jake Krueger
MF-Will Franzen
MF-'James Paden
MF-Ryan Ball
F-Aidan Crowder
F-Jeffery Urban
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Aidan Crowder, sr., F, New Trier
Scoring summary
New Trier 4 Highland Park 1
Highland Park 0 1 -1
New Trier 2 2 -4
First half
NT-Crowder (Urban) 7'
NT-Kanellos (Crowder) 40'
Second half
HP-Astudillo (Marquez) 54'
NT-Crowder (unassisted) 70'
NT-Joshi (Glueck) 77'