Loyola, GBN see the light-ning, draw 0-0
D rules in N'side College Showcase game cut short by weather
By Ken Keenan
NORTHBROOK -- Mother Nature was the only winner Tuesday night at Glenbrook North. Lightning cut short the Northside College Showcase pool-play match between the Spartans and Loyola; it ended in a 0-0 draw.
After observing a flash of lightning in the distant western sky, officials stopped play with 26:20 remaining in the second half. Though the school's Thor Guard warning system never sounded and weather conditions were not unfavorable, the game was called after a brief meeting with the host school's athletic staff. No resumption was planned.
"I thought we had an opportunity (weather-wise) to finish the game," said Spartans head coach Paul Vignocchi, whose club exited the pitch at 1-2-1. "But officials determined otherwise, and the (Glenbrook North) administration supports the referees' decision."
Loyola skipper Baer Fisher said, "It was definitely the right decision to call the game, definitely frustrating, but player safety trumps all other factors."
Defense ruled the night. Throughout the abbreviated tilt, both sides marking tightly in the midfield to thwart possessions and prevent any real flow.
Sizable senior defender Daniel Montaquila anchored the back end for Loyola (2-0-2) and cleared his share of loose balls while manning a wide area in front of Ramblers freshman goalkeeper Alex Ainsworth. Senior defender Ben Gordon did the same for the Spartans, aiding junior keeper Nick Washelesky to help keep Loyola off the scoreboard.
For their efforts, Montaquila and Gordon shared Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honors.
"Daniel (Montaquila) has had a strong start to the season," Fisher said. "His focus and lead-by-example personality has resonated with our younger team. He's an important player for us moving forward."
His counterpart got the job done for Glenbrook North.
"I try to keep the ball out of our zone ... take the air out of the ball and encourage my teammates to play well," Gordon said.
Vignocchi said, "Ben (Gordon) is rock-solid back there. He does a nice job -- a solid defender. And our keeper did a nice job tonight, too."
Washelesky made the save of the game in the 29th minute, diving to his left to stop a low, 30-yard rocket from Loyola sophomore midfielder Tommy Zipprich. The Spartans' keeper also held his ground to nab a tricky 35-yard free kick by sophomore defender Mario Hrvojevic with 21:50 left in the opening session.
In the 24th minute, shifty Loyola junior mid Henry Goetz charged ahead with a loose ball, but he lost control, and Washelesky dashed out to grab it.
"I was anxious when I got that ball, and I didn't keep it very well," Goetz said.
Glenbrook North's best chances in the first half came on a short, wide-angle try by senior defender Patrick O'Brien that Ainsworth scooped in the 8th minute, and a pop-up shot from near the right sideline by junior forward Joey Martens that floated high and wide.
Otherwise, battles for 50/50 balls in the midfield frequently resulted in throw-ins, and passes often missed their intended targets.
"It was real defensive," said Loyola sophomore mid Gabe Nayman. "It was hard to kick the ball ... really packed in the middle."
Gordon said, "You get frustrated in a defensive game like this. But you have to trust your teammates. You have to keep pushing through."
Added Vignocchi: "It was a defensive game, but we have to finish our opportunities and be better in the offensive third. But we're still sorting some things out."
Following the break, Glenbrook North created a handful of opportunities before the stadium was cleared.
With 38:10 showing, Martens dashed ahead and fired a left-footed, 10-yard blast that sailed over the crossbar. Less than a minute later, Martens missed high on a try from 30 yards.
In the 47th minute, a corner kick by Spartans senior mid Sam Sullivan was smacked away in front by an alert Ainsworth, and Martens missed wide-left on a low strike from a sharp angle on the right side with 31:20 remaining.
Finally, a 45-yard Washelesky free kick was headed just wide of the left post with 28:45 to go. Soon after, the lightning flash had the final say.
"It was tough to stop playing," Gordon said. "I feel we were putting pressure on."
Fisher said, "Give credit to Glenbrook North. They came out firing in the second half. While I thought we dictated much of the play in the first half, they had us on the ropes in the second. I'm confident we could have found our way back in the game if the lightning didn't come along, but obviously we didn't have that opportunity."
Starting lineups
Loyola
G: Alex Ainsworth
D: Mario Hrvojevic
D: Brady Reichert
D: Brendan Knapp
D: Daniel Montaquila
M: Tommy Zipprich
M: Michael Sullivan
M: Nick Roscoe
M: Collin Leider
M: Christian Jimenez
F: David Gripman
Glenbrook North
G: Nick Washelesky
D: Patrick O'Brien
D: Ben Gordon
D: Nate Aronson
D: Josh Lee
M: Gabe Nayman
M: Sam Sullivan
M: Konrad Kulesza
M: Nico Adducci
M: Jan Bogdan
F: Joey Martens
Chicagoland Soccer Men of the Match: Daniel Montaquila, sr., D, Loyola
Ben Gordon, sr., D, Glenbrook North
Officials: Michael Moore, Alexander Spivak, Oleg Podtynov
D rules in N'side College Showcase game cut short by weather
By Ken Keenan
NORTHBROOK -- Mother Nature was the only winner Tuesday night at Glenbrook North. Lightning cut short the Northside College Showcase pool-play match between the Spartans and Loyola; it ended in a 0-0 draw.
After observing a flash of lightning in the distant western sky, officials stopped play with 26:20 remaining in the second half. Though the school's Thor Guard warning system never sounded and weather conditions were not unfavorable, the game was called after a brief meeting with the host school's athletic staff. No resumption was planned.
"I thought we had an opportunity (weather-wise) to finish the game," said Spartans head coach Paul Vignocchi, whose club exited the pitch at 1-2-1. "But officials determined otherwise, and the (Glenbrook North) administration supports the referees' decision."
Loyola skipper Baer Fisher said, "It was definitely the right decision to call the game, definitely frustrating, but player safety trumps all other factors."
Defense ruled the night. Throughout the abbreviated tilt, both sides marking tightly in the midfield to thwart possessions and prevent any real flow.
Sizable senior defender Daniel Montaquila anchored the back end for Loyola (2-0-2) and cleared his share of loose balls while manning a wide area in front of Ramblers freshman goalkeeper Alex Ainsworth. Senior defender Ben Gordon did the same for the Spartans, aiding junior keeper Nick Washelesky to help keep Loyola off the scoreboard.
For their efforts, Montaquila and Gordon shared Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honors.
"Daniel (Montaquila) has had a strong start to the season," Fisher said. "His focus and lead-by-example personality has resonated with our younger team. He's an important player for us moving forward."
His counterpart got the job done for Glenbrook North.
"I try to keep the ball out of our zone ... take the air out of the ball and encourage my teammates to play well," Gordon said.
Vignocchi said, "Ben (Gordon) is rock-solid back there. He does a nice job -- a solid defender. And our keeper did a nice job tonight, too."
Washelesky made the save of the game in the 29th minute, diving to his left to stop a low, 30-yard rocket from Loyola sophomore midfielder Tommy Zipprich. The Spartans' keeper also held his ground to nab a tricky 35-yard free kick by sophomore defender Mario Hrvojevic with 21:50 left in the opening session.
In the 24th minute, shifty Loyola junior mid Henry Goetz charged ahead with a loose ball, but he lost control, and Washelesky dashed out to grab it.
"I was anxious when I got that ball, and I didn't keep it very well," Goetz said.
Glenbrook North's best chances in the first half came on a short, wide-angle try by senior defender Patrick O'Brien that Ainsworth scooped in the 8th minute, and a pop-up shot from near the right sideline by junior forward Joey Martens that floated high and wide.
Otherwise, battles for 50/50 balls in the midfield frequently resulted in throw-ins, and passes often missed their intended targets.
"It was real defensive," said Loyola sophomore mid Gabe Nayman. "It was hard to kick the ball ... really packed in the middle."
Gordon said, "You get frustrated in a defensive game like this. But you have to trust your teammates. You have to keep pushing through."
Added Vignocchi: "It was a defensive game, but we have to finish our opportunities and be better in the offensive third. But we're still sorting some things out."
Following the break, Glenbrook North created a handful of opportunities before the stadium was cleared.
With 38:10 showing, Martens dashed ahead and fired a left-footed, 10-yard blast that sailed over the crossbar. Less than a minute later, Martens missed high on a try from 30 yards.
In the 47th minute, a corner kick by Spartans senior mid Sam Sullivan was smacked away in front by an alert Ainsworth, and Martens missed wide-left on a low strike from a sharp angle on the right side with 31:20 remaining.
Finally, a 45-yard Washelesky free kick was headed just wide of the left post with 28:45 to go. Soon after, the lightning flash had the final say.
"It was tough to stop playing," Gordon said. "I feel we were putting pressure on."
Fisher said, "Give credit to Glenbrook North. They came out firing in the second half. While I thought we dictated much of the play in the first half, they had us on the ropes in the second. I'm confident we could have found our way back in the game if the lightning didn't come along, but obviously we didn't have that opportunity."
Starting lineups
Loyola
G: Alex Ainsworth
D: Mario Hrvojevic
D: Brady Reichert
D: Brendan Knapp
D: Daniel Montaquila
M: Tommy Zipprich
M: Michael Sullivan
M: Nick Roscoe
M: Collin Leider
M: Christian Jimenez
F: David Gripman
Glenbrook North
G: Nick Washelesky
D: Patrick O'Brien
D: Ben Gordon
D: Nate Aronson
D: Josh Lee
M: Gabe Nayman
M: Sam Sullivan
M: Konrad Kulesza
M: Nico Adducci
M: Jan Bogdan
F: Joey Martens
Chicagoland Soccer Men of the Match: Daniel Montaquila, sr., D, Loyola
Ben Gordon, sr., D, Glenbrook North
Officials: Michael Moore, Alexander Spivak, Oleg Podtynov