Deerfield improves perfect league mark
Warriors undefeated in 2 league tries after 4-0 win over Maine E.
By Rusty Silber
DEERFIELD -- Like all high school soccer teams, Deerfield gives its heart to the game of soccer. Now that love is starting to translate to wins. The Warriors captured back-to-back victories for the first time this season with a 4-0 Central Suburban League North Division result over Maine East on Thursday.
Deerfield (4-6-0, 2-0-0) topped district rival and league foe Highland Park 4-2 on Tuesday night.
Louis Solovy, a senior midfielder, gives all he has to the team and tries to make an impact.
"Everyday, I lead, and I have to show leadership," said Solovy, who was named the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match for his contributions to the win. "I have to be a leader on and off the field and show positive energy on and off the field too. I just bring energy and heart to the game. I feel like I bring my skills with my flip-throws and corner kicks."
Solovy has worked on his flip-throw since last season, and it has turned into a dangerous set-up for the Warriors in the final third. His work on the Deerfield gymnastics team for the last three years has helped him develop the ability to put deep throws in front of the goal.
"It's really like a corner kick anywhere from the 30 (yards) on up," Solovy said. "I just try to place it in the area of the PK spot where my teammates are, and the goalie is not. So, someone can finish it off. I get to about the fourth or fifth lane on the track to get some momentum. It really isn't that hard, but the placement is what's hard about it."
His throw-ins, which there were a handful of early in the first half, caused many problems for Maine East (2-6-0, 0-2-0), which struggled trying to defend them and clearing the ball out.
"Louis (Solovy) has an engine, and I don't know where he gets his energy from," Deerfield coach Elliot Hurtig said. "He never stops working. Our team sees that type of energy that he gives, and they feed off of that. I was disappointed that we had all those throw-ins at the beginning of the game. We were right there, and we just didn't figure out our timing to finish. We need to get hungry on our finishing. We should have buried some of those throw-ins."
Solovy got the Warriors on the board another way. His well-placed corner kick got on the end of Jeff Lehrman's run. The junior defender put his header in for a 1-0 Warriors lead in the 14th minute.
"Coach has been getting on my back to finish my headers," Lehrman said. "One of our midfielders, Jacob Braunstein, told me to get into the box. I just found an opening, had the chance to put it in the back of the net. It was a good feeling to get my first goal on varsity. It's definitely a confidence booster.
"(Solovy) puts the ball close to the net, but not too close to the keeper. He gives everyone a good opportunity to get it right into the back of the net. It was nice and high, right in the middle and nice and easy."
The Warriors added two more first half goals. Corey Johnson broke free from the Maine East defense and slotted a low, rolling ball inside the post in the 20th minute for a 2-0 advantage.
Maine East earned a corner kick, but Deerfield turned it around very quickly. Nikita Bankevich became a one-man counterattack when controlled the ball on the Warriors side of the field and took it across midfield. He then chipped a shot from about 40 yards out that went under the crossbar and over the keeper in the 39th minute for a commanding lead at the break.
"One of the biggest goals was the third goal right before halftime," Hurtig said. "When (Bankevich) hit the chip on that keeper it was a work of art. It took a lot of courage. He's just playing with so much confidence right now. He's one that would take a chance like that, and you feel like good things are going to happen. It really was nice to be up 3-0 at the half."
Deerfield added its final goal when Barak Farhi scored off a pass from Jude Tatham in the 62nd minute.
Ryan Grady (4 saves) and Ross Fisher combined for the clean-sheet; it was the Warriors' third shutout of the season.
Maine East had several chances, but generaly had a difficult time winning the ball and getting through the midfield.
"I saw some great saves by the Deerfield keeper (Grady)," Maine East coach Jeff Bishop said. "If we could've snuck a couple in, especially, before the half, it might have been a closer match. Not sure if the result would've been any different. We did have some missed opportunities, and it's a learning experience.
"Deerfield played well, and you have to give it to them; (they) came ready to play. They go hard to the ball, and they won almost every 50/50 ball. They won the midfield battle. They were just bigger and stronger then we were."
Deerfield's second-straight Central Suburban League North Division win keeps them in the race for the league title. The Warriors play a nonconference match at Stevenson at 1 p.m. Saturday before they battle no. 9 Glenbrook North (also 2-0-0 in the CSL North) for the league lead at 7 p.m. Tuesday in Northbrook.
"We want to keep the momentum going," Hurtig said. "Our phrase right now is to 'Make a Play.' People have to step up and make a play.
"We had no let down with the dedication that we brought to the field. It's great to start our conference play with two wins.
"What I like about this team is that we have an incredible foundation of trust and hard work. With those two things, when things don't look good, these guys have a way to be resilient and find a way to bounce back even in the middle of games."
.
Starting lineups
Maine East
GK-Rarny Atia
D-Mickel Kesha
D-Nadio Zjakic
D-Krisjan Gudmundsson
D-Aleksandar Gligorevic
MF-Jean Lima
MF-Jose Parra
MF-Nikolaus Rycek
MF-Jean Noriega
F-Francisco Montesinos
F-Jason Noriega
Deerfield
GK-Ryan Grady
D-Dylan Capp
D-Jeff Lehrman
D-Jack Hammontree
D-Eric Kenney
MF-Louis Solovy
MF-Jacob Braunstein
MF-Noah Braunstein
F-Ryan David
F-Corey Johnson
F-Nikita Bankevich
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Louis Solovy sr., MF, Deerfield
Scoring summary
Deerfield: Lehrman (Solovy), Johnson, Bankevich. Farhi (Tathum)
Saves (goalkeepers)
ME 5 (Atia)
D 5 (Grady, 4/Fisher, 1)
Warriors undefeated in 2 league tries after 4-0 win over Maine E.
By Rusty Silber
DEERFIELD -- Like all high school soccer teams, Deerfield gives its heart to the game of soccer. Now that love is starting to translate to wins. The Warriors captured back-to-back victories for the first time this season with a 4-0 Central Suburban League North Division result over Maine East on Thursday.
Deerfield (4-6-0, 2-0-0) topped district rival and league foe Highland Park 4-2 on Tuesday night.
Louis Solovy, a senior midfielder, gives all he has to the team and tries to make an impact.
"Everyday, I lead, and I have to show leadership," said Solovy, who was named the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match for his contributions to the win. "I have to be a leader on and off the field and show positive energy on and off the field too. I just bring energy and heart to the game. I feel like I bring my skills with my flip-throws and corner kicks."
Solovy has worked on his flip-throw since last season, and it has turned into a dangerous set-up for the Warriors in the final third. His work on the Deerfield gymnastics team for the last three years has helped him develop the ability to put deep throws in front of the goal.
"It's really like a corner kick anywhere from the 30 (yards) on up," Solovy said. "I just try to place it in the area of the PK spot where my teammates are, and the goalie is not. So, someone can finish it off. I get to about the fourth or fifth lane on the track to get some momentum. It really isn't that hard, but the placement is what's hard about it."
His throw-ins, which there were a handful of early in the first half, caused many problems for Maine East (2-6-0, 0-2-0), which struggled trying to defend them and clearing the ball out.
"Louis (Solovy) has an engine, and I don't know where he gets his energy from," Deerfield coach Elliot Hurtig said. "He never stops working. Our team sees that type of energy that he gives, and they feed off of that. I was disappointed that we had all those throw-ins at the beginning of the game. We were right there, and we just didn't figure out our timing to finish. We need to get hungry on our finishing. We should have buried some of those throw-ins."
Solovy got the Warriors on the board another way. His well-placed corner kick got on the end of Jeff Lehrman's run. The junior defender put his header in for a 1-0 Warriors lead in the 14th minute.
"Coach has been getting on my back to finish my headers," Lehrman said. "One of our midfielders, Jacob Braunstein, told me to get into the box. I just found an opening, had the chance to put it in the back of the net. It was a good feeling to get my first goal on varsity. It's definitely a confidence booster.
"(Solovy) puts the ball close to the net, but not too close to the keeper. He gives everyone a good opportunity to get it right into the back of the net. It was nice and high, right in the middle and nice and easy."
The Warriors added two more first half goals. Corey Johnson broke free from the Maine East defense and slotted a low, rolling ball inside the post in the 20th minute for a 2-0 advantage.
Maine East earned a corner kick, but Deerfield turned it around very quickly. Nikita Bankevich became a one-man counterattack when controlled the ball on the Warriors side of the field and took it across midfield. He then chipped a shot from about 40 yards out that went under the crossbar and over the keeper in the 39th minute for a commanding lead at the break.
"One of the biggest goals was the third goal right before halftime," Hurtig said. "When (Bankevich) hit the chip on that keeper it was a work of art. It took a lot of courage. He's just playing with so much confidence right now. He's one that would take a chance like that, and you feel like good things are going to happen. It really was nice to be up 3-0 at the half."
Deerfield added its final goal when Barak Farhi scored off a pass from Jude Tatham in the 62nd minute.
Ryan Grady (4 saves) and Ross Fisher combined for the clean-sheet; it was the Warriors' third shutout of the season.
Maine East had several chances, but generaly had a difficult time winning the ball and getting through the midfield.
"I saw some great saves by the Deerfield keeper (Grady)," Maine East coach Jeff Bishop said. "If we could've snuck a couple in, especially, before the half, it might have been a closer match. Not sure if the result would've been any different. We did have some missed opportunities, and it's a learning experience.
"Deerfield played well, and you have to give it to them; (they) came ready to play. They go hard to the ball, and they won almost every 50/50 ball. They won the midfield battle. They were just bigger and stronger then we were."
Deerfield's second-straight Central Suburban League North Division win keeps them in the race for the league title. The Warriors play a nonconference match at Stevenson at 1 p.m. Saturday before they battle no. 9 Glenbrook North (also 2-0-0 in the CSL North) for the league lead at 7 p.m. Tuesday in Northbrook.
"We want to keep the momentum going," Hurtig said. "Our phrase right now is to 'Make a Play.' People have to step up and make a play.
"We had no let down with the dedication that we brought to the field. It's great to start our conference play with two wins.
"What I like about this team is that we have an incredible foundation of trust and hard work. With those two things, when things don't look good, these guys have a way to be resilient and find a way to bounce back even in the middle of games."
.
Starting lineups
Maine East
GK-Rarny Atia
D-Mickel Kesha
D-Nadio Zjakic
D-Krisjan Gudmundsson
D-Aleksandar Gligorevic
MF-Jean Lima
MF-Jose Parra
MF-Nikolaus Rycek
MF-Jean Noriega
F-Francisco Montesinos
F-Jason Noriega
Deerfield
GK-Ryan Grady
D-Dylan Capp
D-Jeff Lehrman
D-Jack Hammontree
D-Eric Kenney
MF-Louis Solovy
MF-Jacob Braunstein
MF-Noah Braunstein
F-Ryan David
F-Corey Johnson
F-Nikita Bankevich
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Louis Solovy sr., MF, Deerfield
Scoring summary
Deerfield: Lehrman (Solovy), Johnson, Bankevich. Farhi (Tathum)
Saves (goalkeepers)
ME 5 (Atia)
D 5 (Grady, 4/Fisher, 1)