Naperville Central's perseverance pays
off in shootout win over OPRF
Redhawks rally twice then go perfect in PKs
By Steve Millar
SCHAUMBURG – The way senior forward Joey LoDuca sees it, Naperville Central showed a lot about what kind of team they are Sunday.
Fighting the elements on a rainy day at Olympic Park in Schaumburg, the Redhawks, ranked eighth in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, fell behind no. 2 Oak Park and River Forest twice but were undeterred.
After the teams were tied 2-2 through 80 minutes of regulation time, Naperville Central came out on top with a 5-3 shootout advantage in a BodyArmor bracket semifinal game.
“This shows our heart and our hard work,” LoDuca said. “We wanted to win that game and give everything we had, and it showed on the field.
“It’s just that mentality. Even though they scored on us at the beginning, we had to keep our heads up and keep going. No matter how hard it looked, we had to keep going. That’s what we did, and we got a result.”
Naperville Central (8-2-0) will take on no. 15 Conant in a bracket championship game Sept. 18.
Redhawks coach Troy Adams knew his team had pulled off a special win Sunday.
“We talked about how on a day like this with the weather and playing against one of the best teams in the state, it comes down to work-rate and opportunities,” Adams said. “I thought we did a phenomenal job with work-rate. I think we worked our tails off.
“Then when we had some opportunities – I would have liked to have a few more – but when we had them, we took advantage of them.”
In the shootout, Eli Jarrell, Patrick Berryman, Nathan Kwon and Chase Adams all buried their shots in the first four rounds for Naperville Central.
Oak Park and River Forest (6-2-0) matched the Redhawks through three rounds with goals from Easton Bogard, Bryce Richards and Jadyn Hsieh-Bailey before Naperville Central goalkeeper Austin Waite came up with a big save on Diego Zarate’s shot.
That set the stage for junior defender Michael Cavalleri, who finished the win for the Redhawks by slamming home a high shot.
Naperville Central lost a shootout to Sandburg at the Best of the West Tournament on Sept. 1, which Waite said caused the Redhawks to put more focus on penalty kicks.
“We train it every practice. We hit PKs,” Waite said. “Ever since Best of the West, we wanted to make sure we wouldn’t miss a PK again. All I can say is it was awesome penalty taking.”
Waite played the first half for Naperville Central, then turned over the goalkeeping chores to Dylan Scott for the second half. When he came back in the game for the shootout, Waite was ready to go.
“The last five or 10 minutes, I’m thinking in my head that it might happen and getting prepared mentally,” Waite said.
On his save, Waite quickly got low to get his body in front of Zarate’s liner down the middle.
“Before the game, coach told me to react more to the ball, which I did,” Waite said. “I also kind of guessed, but I tried to wait and react more to the ball. I have to thank coach for that.
“It was exhilarating. None of this would have happened if it wasn’t for the boys putting it in the back of the net.”
Adams gave Waite credit for staying locked in even after going to the bench for the second half.
“The best thing about Austin is his mental preparation as a goalie,” Adams said. “It’s such a mental game for goalkeepers. He’s always engaged. He was on the sideline, and I had to keep telling him ‘Back up,’ because he’s always wanting to be into the game and engaged in it and wanting to help his teammates.
“There was no time he sat on the bench and was talking about something else or anything like that. He was always in the game and that helped him when he went back out there.”
Although Oak Park and River Forest fell short, Richards thought the match provided a good experience for the Huskies with a shootout in a high-pressure environment.
“Overall, we played good, and it was a good game that will help us get better,” Richards said.
Richards, a talented sophomore forward, twice played a part in giving Oak Park and River Forest its leads.
In the eighth minute, the Huskies worked a pretty combination play on a counterattack that saw Hsieh-Bailey pass to Richards, who slipped the ball outside to Colin Hayes.
Hayes ripped a shot from 15 yards along the right side of the box off the inside of the far post and in for the game’s initial score.
“I love being part of the build-up and creating chances,” Richards said. “Of course, scoring is always nice, too. But the setup is just as important.”
Naperville Central came back quickly and tied it in the 13th minute on a terrific effort from senior forward Nathan Kwon. Kwon fought off a couple Oak Park and River Forest defenders in the box, sticking with the play even as the ball was poked away from him multiple times.
Kwon then played a pass out wide to LoDuca, who quickly sent a cross back to the middle to Kwon, who blasted in a shot from 10 yards.
It was the start of a big day for LoDuca, who earned the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honor with a goal and an assist.
Richards put Oak Park and River Forest back in front in the 46th minute. Collecting the ball with his back to the goal off Hseih-Bailey’s free kick, Richards was able to quickly turn and get off a deflected shot that found its way into the back of the net.
“It was off the set piece,” Richards said. “The ball was bouncing in the box. It came to me, and I touched it to the side and took a swing at it. The defender did hit it, too, but I’m taking it for me, because I got a touch on it.”
Richards was happy to rise to the occasion on a big stage against another top team. He even embraced playing through the steady rain.
“It’s fun,” he said. “You don’t get to play in the rain often.”
LoDuca again helped Naperville Central rally, this time producing a brilliant strike in the 55th minute.
After Cavalleri played a pass from the back across midfield, LoDuca turned and unloaded a shot from 40 yards that he sent into the top of the net for the equalizer.
“I received a great ball, made a turn and I saw a shot open,” LoDuca said. “I took it. Sometimes you have to take a risk. I took a risk, and I got a goal.”
In the end, all of Naperville Central’s battling back paid off.
“It shows we can have passion,” LoDuca said. “If we want it done, we can get it done.”
Richards, meanwhile, is still confident big things are ahead for the Huskies, who put forth a strong effort in the loss.
“We started off slow, but we really got into it in the second half,” Richards said. “We played a lot of good combinations and created some really good chances. We just have to finish more.”
Adams would love to see the teams meet up again.
“That’s a really good team,” Adams said of Oak Park and River Forest. “Talking to their coach (Jason Fried), I said I hope we see each other again in November because that means we’re both in the Final Four. These types of games make you better.”
Starting lineups
Naperville Central
GK: Austin Waite
D: Patrick Berryman
D: Carter Adams
D: Carter Bilik
D: Michael Cavalleri
MF: Patrick Bohan
MF: Eli Jarrell
MF: Josh Weigel
F: Joey LoDuca
F: Nathan Kwon
F: Chase Adams
Oak Park and River Forest
GK: Christian Dussius
D: Tukura Hess
D: Ben Naber
D: Ezra Plotkin
D: Diego Zarate
MF: Isaac Cummings
MF: Colin Hayes
MF: Jadyn Hsieh-Bailey
MF: Easton Bogard
F: Bryce Richards
F: Hodari Motley
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Joey LoDuca, sr., F, Naperville Central
Scoring summary
First half
Oak Park and River Forest: Hayes (Richards), 8’
Naperville Central: Kwon (LoDuca), 13’
Second half
Oak Park and River Forest: Richards (Hsieh-Bailey), 46’
Naperville Central: LoDuca (Cavalleri), 55’
Shootout
Naperville Central: Jarrell (good), Berryman (good), Kwon (good), Chase Adams (good), Cavalleri (good)
Oak Park and River Forest: Bogard (good), Richards (good), Hsieh-Bailey (good), Zarate (saved)
off in shootout win over OPRF
Redhawks rally twice then go perfect in PKs
By Steve Millar
SCHAUMBURG – The way senior forward Joey LoDuca sees it, Naperville Central showed a lot about what kind of team they are Sunday.
Fighting the elements on a rainy day at Olympic Park in Schaumburg, the Redhawks, ranked eighth in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, fell behind no. 2 Oak Park and River Forest twice but were undeterred.
After the teams were tied 2-2 through 80 minutes of regulation time, Naperville Central came out on top with a 5-3 shootout advantage in a BodyArmor bracket semifinal game.
“This shows our heart and our hard work,” LoDuca said. “We wanted to win that game and give everything we had, and it showed on the field.
“It’s just that mentality. Even though they scored on us at the beginning, we had to keep our heads up and keep going. No matter how hard it looked, we had to keep going. That’s what we did, and we got a result.”
Naperville Central (8-2-0) will take on no. 15 Conant in a bracket championship game Sept. 18.
Redhawks coach Troy Adams knew his team had pulled off a special win Sunday.
“We talked about how on a day like this with the weather and playing against one of the best teams in the state, it comes down to work-rate and opportunities,” Adams said. “I thought we did a phenomenal job with work-rate. I think we worked our tails off.
“Then when we had some opportunities – I would have liked to have a few more – but when we had them, we took advantage of them.”
In the shootout, Eli Jarrell, Patrick Berryman, Nathan Kwon and Chase Adams all buried their shots in the first four rounds for Naperville Central.
Oak Park and River Forest (6-2-0) matched the Redhawks through three rounds with goals from Easton Bogard, Bryce Richards and Jadyn Hsieh-Bailey before Naperville Central goalkeeper Austin Waite came up with a big save on Diego Zarate’s shot.
That set the stage for junior defender Michael Cavalleri, who finished the win for the Redhawks by slamming home a high shot.
Naperville Central lost a shootout to Sandburg at the Best of the West Tournament on Sept. 1, which Waite said caused the Redhawks to put more focus on penalty kicks.
“We train it every practice. We hit PKs,” Waite said. “Ever since Best of the West, we wanted to make sure we wouldn’t miss a PK again. All I can say is it was awesome penalty taking.”
Waite played the first half for Naperville Central, then turned over the goalkeeping chores to Dylan Scott for the second half. When he came back in the game for the shootout, Waite was ready to go.
“The last five or 10 minutes, I’m thinking in my head that it might happen and getting prepared mentally,” Waite said.
On his save, Waite quickly got low to get his body in front of Zarate’s liner down the middle.
“Before the game, coach told me to react more to the ball, which I did,” Waite said. “I also kind of guessed, but I tried to wait and react more to the ball. I have to thank coach for that.
“It was exhilarating. None of this would have happened if it wasn’t for the boys putting it in the back of the net.”
Adams gave Waite credit for staying locked in even after going to the bench for the second half.
“The best thing about Austin is his mental preparation as a goalie,” Adams said. “It’s such a mental game for goalkeepers. He’s always engaged. He was on the sideline, and I had to keep telling him ‘Back up,’ because he’s always wanting to be into the game and engaged in it and wanting to help his teammates.
“There was no time he sat on the bench and was talking about something else or anything like that. He was always in the game and that helped him when he went back out there.”
Although Oak Park and River Forest fell short, Richards thought the match provided a good experience for the Huskies with a shootout in a high-pressure environment.
“Overall, we played good, and it was a good game that will help us get better,” Richards said.
Richards, a talented sophomore forward, twice played a part in giving Oak Park and River Forest its leads.
In the eighth minute, the Huskies worked a pretty combination play on a counterattack that saw Hsieh-Bailey pass to Richards, who slipped the ball outside to Colin Hayes.
Hayes ripped a shot from 15 yards along the right side of the box off the inside of the far post and in for the game’s initial score.
“I love being part of the build-up and creating chances,” Richards said. “Of course, scoring is always nice, too. But the setup is just as important.”
Naperville Central came back quickly and tied it in the 13th minute on a terrific effort from senior forward Nathan Kwon. Kwon fought off a couple Oak Park and River Forest defenders in the box, sticking with the play even as the ball was poked away from him multiple times.
Kwon then played a pass out wide to LoDuca, who quickly sent a cross back to the middle to Kwon, who blasted in a shot from 10 yards.
It was the start of a big day for LoDuca, who earned the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honor with a goal and an assist.
Richards put Oak Park and River Forest back in front in the 46th minute. Collecting the ball with his back to the goal off Hseih-Bailey’s free kick, Richards was able to quickly turn and get off a deflected shot that found its way into the back of the net.
“It was off the set piece,” Richards said. “The ball was bouncing in the box. It came to me, and I touched it to the side and took a swing at it. The defender did hit it, too, but I’m taking it for me, because I got a touch on it.”
Richards was happy to rise to the occasion on a big stage against another top team. He even embraced playing through the steady rain.
“It’s fun,” he said. “You don’t get to play in the rain often.”
LoDuca again helped Naperville Central rally, this time producing a brilliant strike in the 55th minute.
After Cavalleri played a pass from the back across midfield, LoDuca turned and unloaded a shot from 40 yards that he sent into the top of the net for the equalizer.
“I received a great ball, made a turn and I saw a shot open,” LoDuca said. “I took it. Sometimes you have to take a risk. I took a risk, and I got a goal.”
In the end, all of Naperville Central’s battling back paid off.
“It shows we can have passion,” LoDuca said. “If we want it done, we can get it done.”
Richards, meanwhile, is still confident big things are ahead for the Huskies, who put forth a strong effort in the loss.
“We started off slow, but we really got into it in the second half,” Richards said. “We played a lot of good combinations and created some really good chances. We just have to finish more.”
Adams would love to see the teams meet up again.
“That’s a really good team,” Adams said of Oak Park and River Forest. “Talking to their coach (Jason Fried), I said I hope we see each other again in November because that means we’re both in the Final Four. These types of games make you better.”
Starting lineups
Naperville Central
GK: Austin Waite
D: Patrick Berryman
D: Carter Adams
D: Carter Bilik
D: Michael Cavalleri
MF: Patrick Bohan
MF: Eli Jarrell
MF: Josh Weigel
F: Joey LoDuca
F: Nathan Kwon
F: Chase Adams
Oak Park and River Forest
GK: Christian Dussius
D: Tukura Hess
D: Ben Naber
D: Ezra Plotkin
D: Diego Zarate
MF: Isaac Cummings
MF: Colin Hayes
MF: Jadyn Hsieh-Bailey
MF: Easton Bogard
F: Bryce Richards
F: Hodari Motley
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Joey LoDuca, sr., F, Naperville Central
Scoring summary
First half
Oak Park and River Forest: Hayes (Richards), 8’
Naperville Central: Kwon (LoDuca), 13’
Second half
Oak Park and River Forest: Richards (Hsieh-Bailey), 46’
Naperville Central: LoDuca (Cavalleri), 55’
Shootout
Naperville Central: Jarrell (good), Berryman (good), Kwon (good), Chase Adams (good), Cavalleri (good)
Oak Park and River Forest: Bogard (good), Richards (good), Hsieh-Bailey (good), Zarate (saved)