Naperville Central's emphatic effort
takes down Stevenson
Redhawks' strong in all phases in 5-0 win
By Dave Owen
HOFFMAN ESTATES -- Naperville Central’s postseason run reached an impressive new level Friday.
Scoring three goals over a 10-minute span of play, the Redhawks (25-3-1) turned a 1-0 lead late in the first half into an eventual 5-0 win over previously unbeaten Stevenson (21-1-3) in the Class 3A state semifinals.
The win catapults the Redhawks into Saturday’s 8 p.m. 3A state title match vs. Romeoville (27-1-1), where Naperville Central hopes to end its longest tournament run, since taking third in 2013, with the first state title in program history.
Friday was certainly an impressive step toward that goal: the win was the largest margin of victory this late in the big-school bracket of the state tournament since New Trier topped Conant 5-0 in the 1999 third place game.
“They’re a very good side,” Stevenson senior Daniel Sokolovsky said. “The three guys up-top controlled everything up there. Then there are two guys in the midfield that were very skilled. They beat all of our guys 1-on-1.
“And even their defenders, it was hard to get past them. Any long ball, they’d clear. It was tough.”
A tough player who also produced a very tough break for Stevenson was Naperville Central senior Sean O’Reilly, whose hat-trick included the two keystone moments of the match.
“We just knew we had to put our best effort out there today,” O’Reilly said.
“We all wanted to get to the final, and that's what we did today. We worked our butts off and showed how good of a team we really are, and how far we can go in this competition.”
O’Reilly’s 30-yard free kick 25:33 before halftime couldn’t have been aimed any better. He powered the shot just inside the upper-left corner of the net for a 1-0 lead.
“I've got to rewatch that,” O’Reilly said of the goal. “I can't believe I did that honestly. I've been doing it in practice recently too, and I hoped I could do it in a big game today. And I did.”
O’Reilly was then the key figure in a huge moment 4:14 before halftime.
Standout defender Patrick Bohan’s right-side throw-in from 10 yards deflected to an open O’Reilly left of the net. His eight-yard shot was a sure goal, but for a block by Stevenson defender Burak Gulsen at the goal line.
But in blocking the shot, Gulsen drew his hands up to his upper body and drew a handball call. That ruling produced not only an O’Reilly penalty kick goal and a 2-0 Redhawks lead, but drew an automatic red card ejection and left the Patriots one man down the rest of the night.
“I thought it was very bizarre at the time,” O’Reilly said. “I couldn't believe that he just put his hands up like that. But I was like 'Ref, red card.’ It had to be.”
It was indeed an automatic red card, and whether by instinct, self-preservation for a looming point-blank rocket or reflex, the play turned a Redhawks edge in play into a key one-player advantage.
“The second goal, you feel bad because it's not just a goal but the kid gets a red card and isn't able to play tomorrow,” Redhawks coach Troy Adams said. “Any red cards where it's not somebody potentially getting hurt, I feel bad about.
“The red card at this level should be about somebody playing dangerously. It has to be a red card there, I get that, but I feel for the kid it happens to.”
An already formidable Naperville Central team suddenly had an added edge,
“They’re outstanding,” Stevenson coach PepeJon Chavez said. “Well-organized, they’re coached well, and nine (Nathan Kwon), 10 (Chase Adams) and seven (Joey LoDuca) combination plays checking back to the ball and playing underneath our backline really caused us problems and stretched us a bit.
“And obviously two, free kick goals and playing with 10, it’s hard to say. He lets that goal go in (without the hand ball), and we play with 11 players and maybe have a chance in the second half.”
Before the first half goals, the Redhawks threatened with threats in the ninth minute by Chase Adams (caught by Stevenson goalkeeper Aidan Morris) and Jonathan Stoner (a header blocked away at the right post off a Bohan throw-in 13 minutes in).
And with the score 1-0, Eli Jarrell’s running 35-yard liner in the 23rd minute was grabbed at the left post by a leaping Morris.
“I thought Aidan Morris had an outstanding night in goal,” Chavez said, “and my boys had opportunities (offensively). They created, but they didn’t take shots. And you can’t score if you don’t shoot.”
Even with the halftime deficit and the red card, Stevenson found optimism in very recent history.
In the first 3A semifinal, York trailed Romeoville 3-0 at halftime and also was a man down after a red card. But while the Dukes rallied to tie that game 3-3 before falling 4-3 in overtime, Naperville Central wasted no time finishing the drama in their game.
Just 103 seconds into the second half, LoDuca won control of the ball in a crowd in the box, turned and lined a shot into the net to make the score 3-0.
Then less than four minutes later, the other two Redhawks standout forwards teamed up to add to the lead.
Chase Adams’ high, right-side send from 45 yards out sprung Kwon in on goal. Kwon won the ball from the Stevenson goalkeeper at the right edge of the box, dribbled in and powered home a goal into the left side of the net.
In between those two goals was a display of a less-glamorized aspect of the Redwawks’ strength: defense.
With 36:10 left, a 20-yard straight on free kick by Stevenson’s Bryant Rouse was blocked by Kwon and Michael Cavalleri at a wall of Redhawks defenders. O’Reilly then blocked a subsequent Rouse rebound try.
And when it wasn’t set piece defense, backline stalwarts like Bohan were there to stifle most Stevenson chances all night.
“We just stayed calm and composed, even with a lot of fans yelling,” Bohan said of the packed west side of the stadium stands and high-stakes pressure of the state semifinals. “Our backups did a great job too.”
The result was Naperville Central’s 13th shutout of the season.
“I thought it was our discipline, the backline just being where they need to be,” coach Adams said. “And the other part was the communication.
“Patrick (Bohan) and the other Patrick (Berryman), both do such a great job as captains on the backline being leaders, talking us through stuff, calming us down. Their composure is outstanding.”
Also outstanding Friday was O’Reilly, who capped off his big offensive night with 13:19 to go.
Off a pass from Josh Weigel left of the net, O’Reilly sent a straight-on header inside the right post to complete his hat-trick and produce the 5-0 final.
Beyond great execution on the field Friday, earlier attention to detail also aided the Redhawks.
“We have a great coaching staff, and we had I think three or four guys willing to drive up to their (Stevenson’s) supersectional (Tuesday),” the elder Adams said. “We got some film on (the game) and got a scouting report. And it gave us some insights that we needed, because I don't think we had any common opponents.
“It was kind of weird to meet a team in the suburbs (Stevenson) where you didn't have one team you had both played against. Credit to the coaching staff for putting together a really good plan of how we wanted to play.”
Now it’s on to a more familiar foe in the Class 3A state finals, a Romeoville team whose only loss this year came against the Redhawks on Oct. 13.
“We played Romeoville before and won 4-0, which was a big win,” Bohan said, “But we know we're going to have to come out just as strong because they are a great team.
“We know we're going to need to play better. Even though 5-0 is a great win (Friday), we’re still going to need to improve for tomorrow.”
His coach shared that opinion of Romeoville, which has a regular-season win over a Plainfield North team that defeated the Redhawks in early September.
“We went through a couple times in the playoffs (one-goal wins over Naperville North and Hinsdale Central) when we had to see teams we've played before,” Adams said. “That's never fun. Anytime you've played somebody before there's things that you know about each other.
“It's going to be a good game. They're a very good team. They move the ball incredibly well, and they've got a bunch of really dangerous players. We're going to have to come out, really work hard, be disciplined. We're going to have to communicate with each other to balance out their ability to attack.”
Despite running into a red and white buzzsaw Friday, Stevenson has had its own 2022 to savor.
“They’ve been in a place (the state semis) no Stevenson team has been in 10 years,” Chavez said. “And tomorrow they’ll set Stevenson history by taking third place.”
A third place game win vs. York would achieve that, but advancing to the biggest weekend of the year has been sweet.
“It’s an incredible feeling,” Sokolovsky said. “I was on the team last year, and we lost I think the game or two before this.
“Just getting to state is incredible with the amount of fans and people watching. It’s something really special. We couldn’t come out with a win today, but it’s still a great feeling.”
And for Naperville Central, their good feeling has a chance to hit a championship level Saturday.
“I'm really excited,” O’Reilly said. “Obviously first time being in the final, I'm really pumped for it. I just can't wait for tomorrow, and hopefully winning.”
“We're super excited,” Bohan said. “Today was obviously a huge win, but the job's not finished.”
Starting lineups
Naperville Central
GK: Austin Waite
D: Patrick Berryman
D: Patrick Bohan
D: Carter Bilik
D: Michael Cavalleri
M: Josh Weigel
M: Sean O’Reilly
M: Carter Adams
F: Nathan Kwon
F: Joey LoDuca
F: Chase Adams
Stevenson
GK: Aidan Morris
D: Burak Gulsen
D: Steven Nyc
D: Alex Huelsman
D:Bhargav Devabhaktuni
M: Nazar Mormul
M: Rohan Gapulam
M: Grayson Lueck
M: Bryant Rouse
F: Daniel Sokolovsky
F: Alex Xie
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match:
Sean O’Reilly, sr., MF, Naperville Central
Scoring summary
First half
NC- Sean O’Reilly (free kick), 15’
NC- O’Reilly (PK), 36’
Second half
NC- Joey LoDuca (unassisted), 42’
NC- Nathan Kwon (Chase Adams), 49’
NC- O’Reilly (Josh Weigel), 57’
takes down Stevenson
Redhawks' strong in all phases in 5-0 win
By Dave Owen
HOFFMAN ESTATES -- Naperville Central’s postseason run reached an impressive new level Friday.
Scoring three goals over a 10-minute span of play, the Redhawks (25-3-1) turned a 1-0 lead late in the first half into an eventual 5-0 win over previously unbeaten Stevenson (21-1-3) in the Class 3A state semifinals.
The win catapults the Redhawks into Saturday’s 8 p.m. 3A state title match vs. Romeoville (27-1-1), where Naperville Central hopes to end its longest tournament run, since taking third in 2013, with the first state title in program history.
Friday was certainly an impressive step toward that goal: the win was the largest margin of victory this late in the big-school bracket of the state tournament since New Trier topped Conant 5-0 in the 1999 third place game.
“They’re a very good side,” Stevenson senior Daniel Sokolovsky said. “The three guys up-top controlled everything up there. Then there are two guys in the midfield that were very skilled. They beat all of our guys 1-on-1.
“And even their defenders, it was hard to get past them. Any long ball, they’d clear. It was tough.”
A tough player who also produced a very tough break for Stevenson was Naperville Central senior Sean O’Reilly, whose hat-trick included the two keystone moments of the match.
“We just knew we had to put our best effort out there today,” O’Reilly said.
“We all wanted to get to the final, and that's what we did today. We worked our butts off and showed how good of a team we really are, and how far we can go in this competition.”
O’Reilly’s 30-yard free kick 25:33 before halftime couldn’t have been aimed any better. He powered the shot just inside the upper-left corner of the net for a 1-0 lead.
“I've got to rewatch that,” O’Reilly said of the goal. “I can't believe I did that honestly. I've been doing it in practice recently too, and I hoped I could do it in a big game today. And I did.”
O’Reilly was then the key figure in a huge moment 4:14 before halftime.
Standout defender Patrick Bohan’s right-side throw-in from 10 yards deflected to an open O’Reilly left of the net. His eight-yard shot was a sure goal, but for a block by Stevenson defender Burak Gulsen at the goal line.
But in blocking the shot, Gulsen drew his hands up to his upper body and drew a handball call. That ruling produced not only an O’Reilly penalty kick goal and a 2-0 Redhawks lead, but drew an automatic red card ejection and left the Patriots one man down the rest of the night.
“I thought it was very bizarre at the time,” O’Reilly said. “I couldn't believe that he just put his hands up like that. But I was like 'Ref, red card.’ It had to be.”
It was indeed an automatic red card, and whether by instinct, self-preservation for a looming point-blank rocket or reflex, the play turned a Redhawks edge in play into a key one-player advantage.
“The second goal, you feel bad because it's not just a goal but the kid gets a red card and isn't able to play tomorrow,” Redhawks coach Troy Adams said. “Any red cards where it's not somebody potentially getting hurt, I feel bad about.
“The red card at this level should be about somebody playing dangerously. It has to be a red card there, I get that, but I feel for the kid it happens to.”
An already formidable Naperville Central team suddenly had an added edge,
“They’re outstanding,” Stevenson coach PepeJon Chavez said. “Well-organized, they’re coached well, and nine (Nathan Kwon), 10 (Chase Adams) and seven (Joey LoDuca) combination plays checking back to the ball and playing underneath our backline really caused us problems and stretched us a bit.
“And obviously two, free kick goals and playing with 10, it’s hard to say. He lets that goal go in (without the hand ball), and we play with 11 players and maybe have a chance in the second half.”
Before the first half goals, the Redhawks threatened with threats in the ninth minute by Chase Adams (caught by Stevenson goalkeeper Aidan Morris) and Jonathan Stoner (a header blocked away at the right post off a Bohan throw-in 13 minutes in).
And with the score 1-0, Eli Jarrell’s running 35-yard liner in the 23rd minute was grabbed at the left post by a leaping Morris.
“I thought Aidan Morris had an outstanding night in goal,” Chavez said, “and my boys had opportunities (offensively). They created, but they didn’t take shots. And you can’t score if you don’t shoot.”
Even with the halftime deficit and the red card, Stevenson found optimism in very recent history.
In the first 3A semifinal, York trailed Romeoville 3-0 at halftime and also was a man down after a red card. But while the Dukes rallied to tie that game 3-3 before falling 4-3 in overtime, Naperville Central wasted no time finishing the drama in their game.
Just 103 seconds into the second half, LoDuca won control of the ball in a crowd in the box, turned and lined a shot into the net to make the score 3-0.
Then less than four minutes later, the other two Redhawks standout forwards teamed up to add to the lead.
Chase Adams’ high, right-side send from 45 yards out sprung Kwon in on goal. Kwon won the ball from the Stevenson goalkeeper at the right edge of the box, dribbled in and powered home a goal into the left side of the net.
In between those two goals was a display of a less-glamorized aspect of the Redwawks’ strength: defense.
With 36:10 left, a 20-yard straight on free kick by Stevenson’s Bryant Rouse was blocked by Kwon and Michael Cavalleri at a wall of Redhawks defenders. O’Reilly then blocked a subsequent Rouse rebound try.
And when it wasn’t set piece defense, backline stalwarts like Bohan were there to stifle most Stevenson chances all night.
“We just stayed calm and composed, even with a lot of fans yelling,” Bohan said of the packed west side of the stadium stands and high-stakes pressure of the state semifinals. “Our backups did a great job too.”
The result was Naperville Central’s 13th shutout of the season.
“I thought it was our discipline, the backline just being where they need to be,” coach Adams said. “And the other part was the communication.
“Patrick (Bohan) and the other Patrick (Berryman), both do such a great job as captains on the backline being leaders, talking us through stuff, calming us down. Their composure is outstanding.”
Also outstanding Friday was O’Reilly, who capped off his big offensive night with 13:19 to go.
Off a pass from Josh Weigel left of the net, O’Reilly sent a straight-on header inside the right post to complete his hat-trick and produce the 5-0 final.
Beyond great execution on the field Friday, earlier attention to detail also aided the Redhawks.
“We have a great coaching staff, and we had I think three or four guys willing to drive up to their (Stevenson’s) supersectional (Tuesday),” the elder Adams said. “We got some film on (the game) and got a scouting report. And it gave us some insights that we needed, because I don't think we had any common opponents.
“It was kind of weird to meet a team in the suburbs (Stevenson) where you didn't have one team you had both played against. Credit to the coaching staff for putting together a really good plan of how we wanted to play.”
Now it’s on to a more familiar foe in the Class 3A state finals, a Romeoville team whose only loss this year came against the Redhawks on Oct. 13.
“We played Romeoville before and won 4-0, which was a big win,” Bohan said, “But we know we're going to have to come out just as strong because they are a great team.
“We know we're going to need to play better. Even though 5-0 is a great win (Friday), we’re still going to need to improve for tomorrow.”
His coach shared that opinion of Romeoville, which has a regular-season win over a Plainfield North team that defeated the Redhawks in early September.
“We went through a couple times in the playoffs (one-goal wins over Naperville North and Hinsdale Central) when we had to see teams we've played before,” Adams said. “That's never fun. Anytime you've played somebody before there's things that you know about each other.
“It's going to be a good game. They're a very good team. They move the ball incredibly well, and they've got a bunch of really dangerous players. We're going to have to come out, really work hard, be disciplined. We're going to have to communicate with each other to balance out their ability to attack.”
Despite running into a red and white buzzsaw Friday, Stevenson has had its own 2022 to savor.
“They’ve been in a place (the state semis) no Stevenson team has been in 10 years,” Chavez said. “And tomorrow they’ll set Stevenson history by taking third place.”
A third place game win vs. York would achieve that, but advancing to the biggest weekend of the year has been sweet.
“It’s an incredible feeling,” Sokolovsky said. “I was on the team last year, and we lost I think the game or two before this.
“Just getting to state is incredible with the amount of fans and people watching. It’s something really special. We couldn’t come out with a win today, but it’s still a great feeling.”
And for Naperville Central, their good feeling has a chance to hit a championship level Saturday.
“I'm really excited,” O’Reilly said. “Obviously first time being in the final, I'm really pumped for it. I just can't wait for tomorrow, and hopefully winning.”
“We're super excited,” Bohan said. “Today was obviously a huge win, but the job's not finished.”
Starting lineups
Naperville Central
GK: Austin Waite
D: Patrick Berryman
D: Patrick Bohan
D: Carter Bilik
D: Michael Cavalleri
M: Josh Weigel
M: Sean O’Reilly
M: Carter Adams
F: Nathan Kwon
F: Joey LoDuca
F: Chase Adams
Stevenson
GK: Aidan Morris
D: Burak Gulsen
D: Steven Nyc
D: Alex Huelsman
D:Bhargav Devabhaktuni
M: Nazar Mormul
M: Rohan Gapulam
M: Grayson Lueck
M: Bryant Rouse
F: Daniel Sokolovsky
F: Alex Xie
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match:
Sean O’Reilly, sr., MF, Naperville Central
Scoring summary
First half
NC- Sean O’Reilly (free kick), 15’
NC- O’Reilly (PK), 36’
Second half
NC- Joey LoDuca (unassisted), 42’
NC- Nathan Kwon (Chase Adams), 49’
NC- O’Reilly (Josh Weigel), 57’