Fremd edges Jacobs in 2nd half shootout
Vikings win 4-3 on Bennett goal with 13 seconds left
By Bill McLean
PALATINE — Russell Beaupre needs lots of room before unleashing his lengthy, effective throw-ins. The distance of the Fremd senior midfielder’s running start comes close to that of a pole vaulter’s run-up in track and field.
Saturday afternoon, at the midpoint of the first half of a Fremd Classic match versus Jacobs, Beaupre encountered an unusual obstacle along a sideline: a line of neatly arranged backpacks belonging to Jacobs’ Golden Eagles.
Beaupre got permission from an assistant referee to move a few of the traveling bags in order to create a throw-in path for himself.
It was Parting of the Red Sea-esque — on a much smaller scale.
“His throw-ins are strong,” Fremd sophomore midfielder Eli Schoffstall said. “We call him ‘Russell Muscle.’ ”
Fremd and Jacobs waited until the second half to flex their offenses in Fremd’s highly entertaining 4-3 victory on a grey, drizzly day. All seven goals were scored in the final 40 minutes, including a flurry of four tallies — three by Fremd — in a stirring span that started in the 43rd minute and ended in the
56th.
Vikings senior forward Josh Bennett scored the match-winner with only 13 ticks remaining. Fremd reserve senior midfielder Lucas Torcato — who had suffered a concussion on Sept. 14 and was cleared to play Saturday — got spiked in the knee in the 52nd minute but returned to the pitch to deliver a dramatic shot on goal moments before Bennett’s clutch goal.
Torcato, with time melting in the 80th minute, cranked a crisp shot from about 30 yards.
“I know Lucas can hit the ball cleanly, low and hard,” Bennett said. “I’m thinking, when he had the ball, ‘I’d better crash [the goalie box] hard.’ Plus, you had to be aware that the wet field would make Lucas’ shot skip.”
Torcato’s blast hit the far post. An alert Bennett collected the rebound five yards in front of Jacobs senior goalkeeper Preston Krahl, noticed Krahl was leaning to his left, and then poked the ball to Krahl’s right to break the 3-3 stalemate.
“A win’s a win,” Fremd coach Steve Keller said after his club — ranked no. 13 in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25 — improved to 6-1-4. “We’ll take it, but I’m not too pleased with the way we coughed up that 3-1 lead. Mental mistakes, mental mistakes. Too many. We’d been preaching to them, ‘Those can’t happen.’
“I don't know if we deserved to win today. A tie would have been more of a fair result.”
Jacobs (7-3-2) had entered the Fremd Classic on a six-match winning streak, with half of those triumphs coming against Geneva, Larkin and Hampshire between Sept. 12-24; the boys from the Algonquin school outscored the three foes by a combined 10-1.
“We changed our formation,” Golden Eagles coach and 2007 Jacobs graduate Colin Brice said before Saturday’s kickoff.
“We’re more offensive, more aggressive, and everything’s clicking.”
Clapping for the home side’s ‘O’ commenced in the 43rd minute. Bennett pressed a Jacobs center-back into committing a turnover, and Schoffstall capitalized shortly thereafter, chipping a 15-to-20-yard shot past Krahl to finally bust the 0-0 deadlock.
A Fremd handball, in the 34th minute, preceded Jacobs’ initial goal. Following the free kick after the infraction, Golden Eagles midfielder Liam Armstrong struck a shot that smacked a post.
Moments later, Jacobs earned a corner kick. Senior defender Chris Loizzi hustled to take care of the set-piece duty, and his well-struck delivery found Jacobs midfielder Alex Nicastro. The connection and ensuing score enlivened the visitors’ bench and faithful.
But Fremd senior defender Kaelan Conway, brilliant in the back several times in the second half, netted a goal four minutes later. And then Schoffstall drew a penalty that led to brother Jake Schoffstall’s successful penalty kick. That made it 3-1, Fremd, with 24 minutes of game action remaining.
A comfy lead. Seemingly.
Jacobs played urgent ball from there and got goals from dangerous senior striker Johnny O’Connor and junior striker Bryan Ramos in a stretch of two minutes.
Suddenly it was knotted, again, with 5:55 showing on the scoreboard.
“Fun,” Brice said of what transpired in the second half. “First half, it was back and forth, with both teams having similar chances.
“I liked how our boys responded to being down 3-1.”
Both squads return to action Oct. 1 at 6:30 p.m. Fremd visits Hoffman Estates, and Jacobs entertains Huntley.
Footnotes
Bad weather wiped out the Fremd vs. Dundee-Crown opener in the Fremd
Classic on riday night with the host school holding a 1-0 lead on a rebound goal by Jake Schoffstall. Eight minutes remained in the first half when action was halted. The teams will not reconvene to finish it. “Abandoned,” Keller said before the start of Saturday’s Jacobs-Fremd clash. “It’s like the game never happened.” … Palatine also was in the Classic’s four-team field. … Back in the day, Golden Eagles coach Brice suited up as an outside midfielder at Jacobs before shifting to center back at the University of Dubuque. … Brice, on Jacobs junior back P.J. Hopkins, who was highly composed and as steady as the drizzle Saturday afternoon: “Our hardest worker on the field. He’s a leader and a strong player, as well as extremely athletic. P.J. developed his game in the offseason, and it paid off.” The 6-foot Hopkins ran often in the offseason, in between his commitments to club soccer. … Fremd played without starting senior defender Colin Jackson (injury). “We’re getting healthy,” Keller said. Fremd had battled without four starters and a key sub in its 1-0 defeat of host Buffalo Grove Sept. 19. … Gus’ Diner in Palatine is where Fremd’s players like to gather and inhale breakfast fare. … Keller, on Jacobs’ Golden Eagles: “They play some good soccer. They hustle, play physical, can cause problems.” … It appeared Fremd senior midfielder John Kating may suffered a broken nose midway through the second half against Jacobs Saturday afternoon, but an athletic trainer stopped the
bleeding and okayed Kating’s return to action.
Starting lineups
Jacobs
GK: Preston Krahl
D: Chris Loizzi
D: P.J. Hopkins
D: Sam Colucci
D: Aaron Henning
MF: Liam Armstrong
MF: Alex Nicastro
MF: Tarek Shah
MF: Sam Rainer
F: Johnny O’Connor
F: Bryan Ramos
Fremd
GK: Joey Gillespie
D: Kaelan Conway
D: Andrew Clark
D: Jake Schoffstall
MF: Nick Austin
MF: Russell Beaupre
MF: C.J. Williams
MF: John Kating
MF: Eli Schoffstall
F: Kyle Johnston
F: Josh Bennett
Chicagoland Soccer Men of the Match: Eli Schoffstall, so., MF, Fremd
Josh Bennett, sr., F, Fremd
Referees: Dragan Micic (center); Vedad Sarancic; Adam Krupa
Vikings win 4-3 on Bennett goal with 13 seconds left
By Bill McLean
PALATINE — Russell Beaupre needs lots of room before unleashing his lengthy, effective throw-ins. The distance of the Fremd senior midfielder’s running start comes close to that of a pole vaulter’s run-up in track and field.
Saturday afternoon, at the midpoint of the first half of a Fremd Classic match versus Jacobs, Beaupre encountered an unusual obstacle along a sideline: a line of neatly arranged backpacks belonging to Jacobs’ Golden Eagles.
Beaupre got permission from an assistant referee to move a few of the traveling bags in order to create a throw-in path for himself.
It was Parting of the Red Sea-esque — on a much smaller scale.
“His throw-ins are strong,” Fremd sophomore midfielder Eli Schoffstall said. “We call him ‘Russell Muscle.’ ”
Fremd and Jacobs waited until the second half to flex their offenses in Fremd’s highly entertaining 4-3 victory on a grey, drizzly day. All seven goals were scored in the final 40 minutes, including a flurry of four tallies — three by Fremd — in a stirring span that started in the 43rd minute and ended in the
56th.
Vikings senior forward Josh Bennett scored the match-winner with only 13 ticks remaining. Fremd reserve senior midfielder Lucas Torcato — who had suffered a concussion on Sept. 14 and was cleared to play Saturday — got spiked in the knee in the 52nd minute but returned to the pitch to deliver a dramatic shot on goal moments before Bennett’s clutch goal.
Torcato, with time melting in the 80th minute, cranked a crisp shot from about 30 yards.
“I know Lucas can hit the ball cleanly, low and hard,” Bennett said. “I’m thinking, when he had the ball, ‘I’d better crash [the goalie box] hard.’ Plus, you had to be aware that the wet field would make Lucas’ shot skip.”
Torcato’s blast hit the far post. An alert Bennett collected the rebound five yards in front of Jacobs senior goalkeeper Preston Krahl, noticed Krahl was leaning to his left, and then poked the ball to Krahl’s right to break the 3-3 stalemate.
“A win’s a win,” Fremd coach Steve Keller said after his club — ranked no. 13 in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25 — improved to 6-1-4. “We’ll take it, but I’m not too pleased with the way we coughed up that 3-1 lead. Mental mistakes, mental mistakes. Too many. We’d been preaching to them, ‘Those can’t happen.’
“I don't know if we deserved to win today. A tie would have been more of a fair result.”
Jacobs (7-3-2) had entered the Fremd Classic on a six-match winning streak, with half of those triumphs coming against Geneva, Larkin and Hampshire between Sept. 12-24; the boys from the Algonquin school outscored the three foes by a combined 10-1.
“We changed our formation,” Golden Eagles coach and 2007 Jacobs graduate Colin Brice said before Saturday’s kickoff.
“We’re more offensive, more aggressive, and everything’s clicking.”
Clapping for the home side’s ‘O’ commenced in the 43rd minute. Bennett pressed a Jacobs center-back into committing a turnover, and Schoffstall capitalized shortly thereafter, chipping a 15-to-20-yard shot past Krahl to finally bust the 0-0 deadlock.
A Fremd handball, in the 34th minute, preceded Jacobs’ initial goal. Following the free kick after the infraction, Golden Eagles midfielder Liam Armstrong struck a shot that smacked a post.
Moments later, Jacobs earned a corner kick. Senior defender Chris Loizzi hustled to take care of the set-piece duty, and his well-struck delivery found Jacobs midfielder Alex Nicastro. The connection and ensuing score enlivened the visitors’ bench and faithful.
But Fremd senior defender Kaelan Conway, brilliant in the back several times in the second half, netted a goal four minutes later. And then Schoffstall drew a penalty that led to brother Jake Schoffstall’s successful penalty kick. That made it 3-1, Fremd, with 24 minutes of game action remaining.
A comfy lead. Seemingly.
Jacobs played urgent ball from there and got goals from dangerous senior striker Johnny O’Connor and junior striker Bryan Ramos in a stretch of two minutes.
Suddenly it was knotted, again, with 5:55 showing on the scoreboard.
“Fun,” Brice said of what transpired in the second half. “First half, it was back and forth, with both teams having similar chances.
“I liked how our boys responded to being down 3-1.”
Both squads return to action Oct. 1 at 6:30 p.m. Fremd visits Hoffman Estates, and Jacobs entertains Huntley.
Footnotes
Bad weather wiped out the Fremd vs. Dundee-Crown opener in the Fremd
Classic on riday night with the host school holding a 1-0 lead on a rebound goal by Jake Schoffstall. Eight minutes remained in the first half when action was halted. The teams will not reconvene to finish it. “Abandoned,” Keller said before the start of Saturday’s Jacobs-Fremd clash. “It’s like the game never happened.” … Palatine also was in the Classic’s four-team field. … Back in the day, Golden Eagles coach Brice suited up as an outside midfielder at Jacobs before shifting to center back at the University of Dubuque. … Brice, on Jacobs junior back P.J. Hopkins, who was highly composed and as steady as the drizzle Saturday afternoon: “Our hardest worker on the field. He’s a leader and a strong player, as well as extremely athletic. P.J. developed his game in the offseason, and it paid off.” The 6-foot Hopkins ran often in the offseason, in between his commitments to club soccer. … Fremd played without starting senior defender Colin Jackson (injury). “We’re getting healthy,” Keller said. Fremd had battled without four starters and a key sub in its 1-0 defeat of host Buffalo Grove Sept. 19. … Gus’ Diner in Palatine is where Fremd’s players like to gather and inhale breakfast fare. … Keller, on Jacobs’ Golden Eagles: “They play some good soccer. They hustle, play physical, can cause problems.” … It appeared Fremd senior midfielder John Kating may suffered a broken nose midway through the second half against Jacobs Saturday afternoon, but an athletic trainer stopped the
bleeding and okayed Kating’s return to action.
Starting lineups
Jacobs
GK: Preston Krahl
D: Chris Loizzi
D: P.J. Hopkins
D: Sam Colucci
D: Aaron Henning
MF: Liam Armstrong
MF: Alex Nicastro
MF: Tarek Shah
MF: Sam Rainer
F: Johnny O’Connor
F: Bryan Ramos
Fremd
GK: Joey Gillespie
D: Kaelan Conway
D: Andrew Clark
D: Jake Schoffstall
MF: Nick Austin
MF: Russell Beaupre
MF: C.J. Williams
MF: John Kating
MF: Eli Schoffstall
F: Kyle Johnston
F: Josh Bennett
Chicagoland Soccer Men of the Match: Eli Schoffstall, so., MF, Fremd
Josh Bennett, sr., F, Fremd
Referees: Dragan Micic (center); Vedad Sarancic; Adam Krupa