Graham lifts Libertyville past New Trier
Wildcats, Trevians both shine in showdown of top teams
By Gary Larsen
NORTHFIELD — A blindfolded person could point at the roster for either New Trier or Libertyville and odds are his finger would land on the name of a high-quality player. Currently ranked among the top four teams in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, both teams have a realistic goal of reaching the state finals in November.
No. 2 Libertyville won 2-1 in an early-season meeting at no. 4 New Trier that proved worthy of the hype for a game between top-shelf teams.
“That’s probably the best team we’ll play on the schedule,” Libertyville senior Mickey Reilly said.
“Libertyville is one of the best teams we’ll play all season,” New Trier coach Matt Ravenscraft countered.
If Tuesday’s game had a theme, it was ‘Fast Starts’. Libertyville was itching to get back on the pitch following what they felt was a somewhat lackluster effort in a 2-1 win over Loyola. The Wildcats were eager to meet the standard for a program that played in three of the last four Class 3A state championship games, and won the state title in 2015.
The Wildcats (3-0-0) were in fifth gear from the opening whistle: Patrick Graham got his foot on a through-ball and sent it just wide; Cade Apton headed a shot wide; and Reilly ripped a shot just off the mark from 20 yards — all in the first five minutes.
The Trevians (2-1-1) were under siege, fighting to hold players like Reilly, Graham, Apton, and Luke Underwood at bay.
“They came out harder than us, and we have to come out more mentally prepared,” New Trier senior Alex Powell said. “They play big soccer, and they win the second ball, and that second ball is crucial.”
The game’s first goal came at six minutes and started with a goal kick from Libertyville keeper Braden Lynch. Connor Hay flicked the ball ahead towards the top of the New Trier box and Reilly did the rest.
“I got behind the backline and shot it,” Reilly said. “The goalie was backing up, and I just curved it around him. It happened quick.”
Reilly forced a diving stop from Crawford at 17 minutes and Graham headed a shot just wide at 22 minutes. New Trier sent four free kicks from distance into the Libertyville box through 40 minutes but the Trevians struggled in their possession game and quality scoring chances were scarce.
That trend changed after halftime, when it was New Trier's turn to start fast.
“We came out in the first five minutes of this game, and we had (intensity),” Libertyville coach Kevin Thunholm said, “and in the second half, New Trier came out gangbusters.
“The way we moved the ball in their third, offensively, for the first half was fantastic. In the second half we were back on our heels a little bit, because I don’t think we’d seen that (attacking pressure) from a team yet this season. But overall, I’m very happy.”
The Trevians heard Ravenscraft loud and clear at halftime, and committed to avoiding playing the long ball against the Wildcats.
“We talked about working for each other and doing what we work on in practice, because in the first half we kind of let the game get away from us,” Powell said. “We had to dictate our style, to take away their style. In the second half I thought we were the better team when we got to playing our style of soccer.”
New Trier’s payoff came just three minutes into the second half, when Will Gerstein sent a ball into the box to Powell, who had his back to the goal 16 yards away. Powell touched it once, popped it up, and then spun quickly on it. His volleyed shot stretched the back netting and tied the game.
Ravenscraft named Powell New Trier’s Man of the Match for coming up big with the Trevians chasing a one-goal deficit.
“He’s physical and aggressive, and I think he’s learned how much of an influence he can have on a game when he uses his body,” Ravenscraft said. “And when he unleashes like that, no one is going to stop it.”
Thunholm concurred.
"That was a high-quality goal. There wasn't anything we could do about it," he said.
New Trier’s Jake Krueger was in the thick of things as New Trier’s attack picked up speed, along with Ryan Ball, and Aiden Crowder’s relentlessness also helped keep the pressure on the Wildcats for the first 15 minutes of the second half.
The game turned again at 57 minutes. Graham blistered a shot that New Trier keeper Aiden Crawford tipped terrifically over the bar.
Graham’s very next shot was even finer.
On the ensuing corner kick, the Wildcats’ senior forward made a run across the box to meet teammate Landon Johnson’s corner kick, and buried a head shot inside the near post from 12 yards.
Graham’s goal ultimately held up as the game-winner and the chemistry shown on the play between Johnson and Graham was particularly noteworthy.
“Everybody on this team is skilled. We just haven’t played together before,” Graham said. “So it’s just about getting that connection rolling.”
Graham was named Chicagoland Soccer’s Man of the Match for tallying the game-winning shot.
The teams took turns attacking and finding occasional dangerous shots, but Lynch and his backline of Johnson, Jacopo Franciosi, Cole Houser, and Will Herbek kept it clean from there to secure the win.
“New Trier’s a good team, and I think we were ready for it,” Houser said. “We saw what they did against Grayslake Central (a 7-0 New Trier win), and we knew to play our game and stick together.”
New Trier's Crawford tipped another shot over the bar before game’s end and defender James Paden spearheaded a solid game in back along with Gerstein, Ronan O’Neill, and Jack Cudmore.
“We need to work on finishing but (Crawford) made a ton of good saves,” Reilly said. “We could have had five goals.”
The sophomore Crawford continues to take strides in his first varsity season in net.
“He’s young, but he has shown poise and growth,” Ravenscraft said. “We’re really happy with the ability he has shown to stop shots, and he’s improving his decision-making on the ball.
“I think Libertyville and New Trier tend to get the best out of each other. It’s important to say we’re disappointed and should have been better in key moments, but we’re taking steps forward.”
Thunholm applauded Graham's heroics along with the creative play of Underwood and Reilly, and was pleased with what his backline and Lynch gave him in withstanding New Trier's attacking pressure.
Reilly was similarly happy with what he saw from his side Tuesday.
“The Loyola game wasn’t good for us,” Reilly said. “It wasn’t where our expectations are. We knew (New Trier) was going to be good, and we just had to play our game, and play harder than them.”
Starting lineups
Libertyville
GK: Braden Lynch
D: Landon Johnson
D: Jacopo Franciosi
D: Will Herbek
D: Cole Houser
M: Jack Brennan
M: Luke Underwood
M: Mickey Reilly
M: Cade Apton
F: Connor Hay
F: Patrick Graham
New Trier
GK: Aidan Crawford
D: Will Gerstein
D: Jack Cudmore
D: James Paden
D: Ronan O’Neill
MF: Ryan Ball
MF: Will Franzen
MF: Jack Krueger
F: Aidan Crowder
F: Alex Powell
F: Simon Kellman
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Patrick Graham, sr., F, Libertyville
Scoring summary
First half
Libertyville — Reilly (Hay) 6th minute
Second half
New Trier — Powell (Gerstein) 43rd minute
Libertyville — Graham (Johnson) 57th minute
Wildcats, Trevians both shine in showdown of top teams
By Gary Larsen
NORTHFIELD — A blindfolded person could point at the roster for either New Trier or Libertyville and odds are his finger would land on the name of a high-quality player. Currently ranked among the top four teams in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, both teams have a realistic goal of reaching the state finals in November.
No. 2 Libertyville won 2-1 in an early-season meeting at no. 4 New Trier that proved worthy of the hype for a game between top-shelf teams.
“That’s probably the best team we’ll play on the schedule,” Libertyville senior Mickey Reilly said.
“Libertyville is one of the best teams we’ll play all season,” New Trier coach Matt Ravenscraft countered.
If Tuesday’s game had a theme, it was ‘Fast Starts’. Libertyville was itching to get back on the pitch following what they felt was a somewhat lackluster effort in a 2-1 win over Loyola. The Wildcats were eager to meet the standard for a program that played in three of the last four Class 3A state championship games, and won the state title in 2015.
The Wildcats (3-0-0) were in fifth gear from the opening whistle: Patrick Graham got his foot on a through-ball and sent it just wide; Cade Apton headed a shot wide; and Reilly ripped a shot just off the mark from 20 yards — all in the first five minutes.
The Trevians (2-1-1) were under siege, fighting to hold players like Reilly, Graham, Apton, and Luke Underwood at bay.
“They came out harder than us, and we have to come out more mentally prepared,” New Trier senior Alex Powell said. “They play big soccer, and they win the second ball, and that second ball is crucial.”
The game’s first goal came at six minutes and started with a goal kick from Libertyville keeper Braden Lynch. Connor Hay flicked the ball ahead towards the top of the New Trier box and Reilly did the rest.
“I got behind the backline and shot it,” Reilly said. “The goalie was backing up, and I just curved it around him. It happened quick.”
Reilly forced a diving stop from Crawford at 17 minutes and Graham headed a shot just wide at 22 minutes. New Trier sent four free kicks from distance into the Libertyville box through 40 minutes but the Trevians struggled in their possession game and quality scoring chances were scarce.
That trend changed after halftime, when it was New Trier's turn to start fast.
“We came out in the first five minutes of this game, and we had (intensity),” Libertyville coach Kevin Thunholm said, “and in the second half, New Trier came out gangbusters.
“The way we moved the ball in their third, offensively, for the first half was fantastic. In the second half we were back on our heels a little bit, because I don’t think we’d seen that (attacking pressure) from a team yet this season. But overall, I’m very happy.”
The Trevians heard Ravenscraft loud and clear at halftime, and committed to avoiding playing the long ball against the Wildcats.
“We talked about working for each other and doing what we work on in practice, because in the first half we kind of let the game get away from us,” Powell said. “We had to dictate our style, to take away their style. In the second half I thought we were the better team when we got to playing our style of soccer.”
New Trier’s payoff came just three minutes into the second half, when Will Gerstein sent a ball into the box to Powell, who had his back to the goal 16 yards away. Powell touched it once, popped it up, and then spun quickly on it. His volleyed shot stretched the back netting and tied the game.
Ravenscraft named Powell New Trier’s Man of the Match for coming up big with the Trevians chasing a one-goal deficit.
“He’s physical and aggressive, and I think he’s learned how much of an influence he can have on a game when he uses his body,” Ravenscraft said. “And when he unleashes like that, no one is going to stop it.”
Thunholm concurred.
"That was a high-quality goal. There wasn't anything we could do about it," he said.
New Trier’s Jake Krueger was in the thick of things as New Trier’s attack picked up speed, along with Ryan Ball, and Aiden Crowder’s relentlessness also helped keep the pressure on the Wildcats for the first 15 minutes of the second half.
The game turned again at 57 minutes. Graham blistered a shot that New Trier keeper Aiden Crawford tipped terrifically over the bar.
Graham’s very next shot was even finer.
On the ensuing corner kick, the Wildcats’ senior forward made a run across the box to meet teammate Landon Johnson’s corner kick, and buried a head shot inside the near post from 12 yards.
Graham’s goal ultimately held up as the game-winner and the chemistry shown on the play between Johnson and Graham was particularly noteworthy.
“Everybody on this team is skilled. We just haven’t played together before,” Graham said. “So it’s just about getting that connection rolling.”
Graham was named Chicagoland Soccer’s Man of the Match for tallying the game-winning shot.
The teams took turns attacking and finding occasional dangerous shots, but Lynch and his backline of Johnson, Jacopo Franciosi, Cole Houser, and Will Herbek kept it clean from there to secure the win.
“New Trier’s a good team, and I think we were ready for it,” Houser said. “We saw what they did against Grayslake Central (a 7-0 New Trier win), and we knew to play our game and stick together.”
New Trier's Crawford tipped another shot over the bar before game’s end and defender James Paden spearheaded a solid game in back along with Gerstein, Ronan O’Neill, and Jack Cudmore.
“We need to work on finishing but (Crawford) made a ton of good saves,” Reilly said. “We could have had five goals.”
The sophomore Crawford continues to take strides in his first varsity season in net.
“He’s young, but he has shown poise and growth,” Ravenscraft said. “We’re really happy with the ability he has shown to stop shots, and he’s improving his decision-making on the ball.
“I think Libertyville and New Trier tend to get the best out of each other. It’s important to say we’re disappointed and should have been better in key moments, but we’re taking steps forward.”
Thunholm applauded Graham's heroics along with the creative play of Underwood and Reilly, and was pleased with what his backline and Lynch gave him in withstanding New Trier's attacking pressure.
Reilly was similarly happy with what he saw from his side Tuesday.
“The Loyola game wasn’t good for us,” Reilly said. “It wasn’t where our expectations are. We knew (New Trier) was going to be good, and we just had to play our game, and play harder than them.”
Starting lineups
Libertyville
GK: Braden Lynch
D: Landon Johnson
D: Jacopo Franciosi
D: Will Herbek
D: Cole Houser
M: Jack Brennan
M: Luke Underwood
M: Mickey Reilly
M: Cade Apton
F: Connor Hay
F: Patrick Graham
New Trier
GK: Aidan Crawford
D: Will Gerstein
D: Jack Cudmore
D: James Paden
D: Ronan O’Neill
MF: Ryan Ball
MF: Will Franzen
MF: Jack Krueger
F: Aidan Crowder
F: Alex Powell
F: Simon Kellman
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Patrick Graham, sr., F, Libertyville
Scoring summary
First half
Libertyville — Reilly (Hay) 6th minute
Second half
New Trier — Powell (Gerstein) 43rd minute
Libertyville — Graham (Johnson) 57th minute