No. 1 Naperville North, no. 2 Morton
stay off the scoreboard
Top teams yearn for playoff rematch after hard-fought draw
By Matt Le Cren
BERWYN – Naperville North senior Keegan Flaherty began his varsity career as a sophomore forward. As a junior, he transitioned to outside back.
Now he’s a co-captain and the only returning starter on the backline, which long has been a strength for the Huskies, Now, it is a big question mark.
“It’s kind of surreal being the senior now,” Flaherty said. “It’s definitely a good experience.
“It’s fun to the lead the team but it’s also a lot of pressure. Pressure is a privilege, as we like to say here.”
Flaherty and fellow fullbacks Adam Zielke, Ryan Konrad and Cole Ritzmann did a fine job of handling the pressure of facing Morton’s high-powered offense Saturday.
The host and second-ranked Mustangs came into the match having beaten Naperville Central (2-0) and Mount Carmel (4-1), the 13th- and 33rd-ranked teams in the First 50 preseason poll. Top-ranked Naperville North dropped its first season-opener since at least 2010 in a 2-0 loss to no. 5 Lyons.
However, the Huskies did not wilt under the broiling sun and survived a dicey final few minutes to pull out a 0-0 tie.
“I think definitely today defensively we were much better than we were against Lyons,” Flaherty said. “Lyons was a wakeup call and defensively as a unit we were much stronger today.
The midfield helped us out much more today, too.”
Naperville North coach Jim Konrad was pleased with how the Huskies rebounded from the lose to Lyons.
“Our backline did a better job of anticipating danger, whereas on Thursday they were reacting to danger, and that’s been a huge step up,” Konrad said. “Obviously, from Game 1 to Game 2 we were way better in the back, and our midfield did a really good job today protecting our backline.
“They didn’t give away a lot of balls. They battled, and they tracked the runners well.”
That proved to be crucial in helping goalkeeper Patrick Horn keep a clean-sheet. The Huskies surrendered 14 shots, but Horn was required to make only two saves, as his defenders were able to force the Mustangs to take shots either from long distance or from severe angles along the end lines.
Flaherty proved to be the key to getting his inexperienced linemates up to the task.
“He’s been great,” Konrad said. “He’s a really smart kid.
“Keegan, being a three-year guy, senior captain and the one experienced guy back there has been crucial to the communication, and we knew this was going to be a growing process.
“I’m confident in the end we’ll be ready to roll come conference time and come state tournament time.”
Still, Morton nearly won it in the final 60 seconds.
Senior forward Jonathon Murillo battled a defender hard to turn the corner on the right side of the box and had just enough room to send a sharp ball toward the net.
The ball struck the crossbar from a sharp angle and came down near the far post, but none of Murillo’s teammates were close enough to put it in the back of the net.
“I turned and I knew I could take him 1-on-1,” Murillo said. “Coach (Jim Bageanis) has been telling me to take them 1-on-1.
“I attacked him. Once I cut with the right, I knew it was done. I was trying to cross it, but I was also trying to trick them and have it hit the crossbar and somebody rebound. I was hoping somebody would crash the goal after it hit the crossbar or even have it go in. I thought it might go in.”
Nothing went in, though it wasn’t for lack of trying on either team’s part. The Huskies had the best chance when they were awarded a penalty kick with 21:13 left in the first half.
But star forward Alex Barger waited to see which way Mayorga would commit, then hit a cutback shot with his left foot that rolled five feet wide of the right post.
Mayorga finished with three saves and the Huskies’ only other near miss came later in the first half when Jacob Ryu boomed a free kick from midfield that hit the crossbar.
“We survived,” Bageanis said. “They did a really good job of closing us down and not letting us play our 1-on-1 game.
“We thrive on our 1-on-1 play, connecting with players once we get into the attacking third, and they did a good job of shutting that down. We’ll have to work on that a little bit, but we started to get a little space, starting playing the ball wider and making use of our outside mids a little more. We got in a little bit more and stretched them out.
“It was a good game. It was two good teams playing. Both teams had chances.
“I thought we put it on the them pretty good there in the last five minutes.”
Which is one reason why Konrad was satisfied with a draw.
“I’m happy with today,” Konrad said. “Battling Morton to a draw is always something we can take some pride in.
“Obviously we want to win, and we love that program so much. It’s such a classy organization, and it’s a thrill to play them every year.”
For Flaherty, the matchup of Chicagoland Soccer’s no. 1 and no. 2 teams was merely an early season measuring stick, not a be-all-and-end-all clash.
“To me at least, I don’t think the rankings really matter at all,” Flaherty said. “I always feel that we can compete with anyone that we play against, no matter what.
“This was a good game. We definitely had our chances, and we know that going into the next week of practice that’s something we need to work on.”
The last time the IHSA held a state tournament, in 2019, Morton and Naperville North duked it out in a Class 3A supersectional, with Morton ending the Huskies’ bid for a fourth-straight championship with a 4-3 shootout victory en route to a runner-up finish at state.
Nobody will be surprised if they meet again in this year’s supersectional. It is bound to be just as evenly matched as this match.
“We all knew it was going to be a difficult game from the beginning,” Murillo said. “Everybody knew it was 1 and 2.
“We all played our best. We did whatever we could, because it is hard with this weather. We all played our heart out. They did too, and it was a draw.
“We’re looking forward to playing them again.”
Starting lineups
Naperville North
GK Patrick Horn
D Keegan Flaherty
D Adam Zielke
D Ryan Konrad
D Cole Ritzmann
M Tyson Amoo-Mensah
M Jacob Ryu
M Caden Hill
M Bryan Higgs
F Cam Redeke
F Alex Barger
Morton
GK Sebastian Mayorga
D Eddie Barraza
D Luis Gonzalez
D Juan Ramirez
D Ivan Ramirez
M Edgar Quintero
M Daniel Diaz
M Giovanni Alvarez
M Max Aquino
F Deyair Ruiz
F Ismael Zepeda
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match:
Keegan Flaherty, sr., D, Naperville North
Scoring summary
First half
No scoring
Second half
No scoring
stay off the scoreboard
Top teams yearn for playoff rematch after hard-fought draw
By Matt Le Cren
BERWYN – Naperville North senior Keegan Flaherty began his varsity career as a sophomore forward. As a junior, he transitioned to outside back.
Now he’s a co-captain and the only returning starter on the backline, which long has been a strength for the Huskies, Now, it is a big question mark.
“It’s kind of surreal being the senior now,” Flaherty said. “It’s definitely a good experience.
“It’s fun to the lead the team but it’s also a lot of pressure. Pressure is a privilege, as we like to say here.”
Flaherty and fellow fullbacks Adam Zielke, Ryan Konrad and Cole Ritzmann did a fine job of handling the pressure of facing Morton’s high-powered offense Saturday.
The host and second-ranked Mustangs came into the match having beaten Naperville Central (2-0) and Mount Carmel (4-1), the 13th- and 33rd-ranked teams in the First 50 preseason poll. Top-ranked Naperville North dropped its first season-opener since at least 2010 in a 2-0 loss to no. 5 Lyons.
However, the Huskies did not wilt under the broiling sun and survived a dicey final few minutes to pull out a 0-0 tie.
“I think definitely today defensively we were much better than we were against Lyons,” Flaherty said. “Lyons was a wakeup call and defensively as a unit we were much stronger today.
The midfield helped us out much more today, too.”
Naperville North coach Jim Konrad was pleased with how the Huskies rebounded from the lose to Lyons.
“Our backline did a better job of anticipating danger, whereas on Thursday they were reacting to danger, and that’s been a huge step up,” Konrad said. “Obviously, from Game 1 to Game 2 we were way better in the back, and our midfield did a really good job today protecting our backline.
“They didn’t give away a lot of balls. They battled, and they tracked the runners well.”
That proved to be crucial in helping goalkeeper Patrick Horn keep a clean-sheet. The Huskies surrendered 14 shots, but Horn was required to make only two saves, as his defenders were able to force the Mustangs to take shots either from long distance or from severe angles along the end lines.
Flaherty proved to be the key to getting his inexperienced linemates up to the task.
“He’s been great,” Konrad said. “He’s a really smart kid.
“Keegan, being a three-year guy, senior captain and the one experienced guy back there has been crucial to the communication, and we knew this was going to be a growing process.
“I’m confident in the end we’ll be ready to roll come conference time and come state tournament time.”
Still, Morton nearly won it in the final 60 seconds.
Senior forward Jonathon Murillo battled a defender hard to turn the corner on the right side of the box and had just enough room to send a sharp ball toward the net.
The ball struck the crossbar from a sharp angle and came down near the far post, but none of Murillo’s teammates were close enough to put it in the back of the net.
“I turned and I knew I could take him 1-on-1,” Murillo said. “Coach (Jim Bageanis) has been telling me to take them 1-on-1.
“I attacked him. Once I cut with the right, I knew it was done. I was trying to cross it, but I was also trying to trick them and have it hit the crossbar and somebody rebound. I was hoping somebody would crash the goal after it hit the crossbar or even have it go in. I thought it might go in.”
Nothing went in, though it wasn’t for lack of trying on either team’s part. The Huskies had the best chance when they were awarded a penalty kick with 21:13 left in the first half.
But star forward Alex Barger waited to see which way Mayorga would commit, then hit a cutback shot with his left foot that rolled five feet wide of the right post.
Mayorga finished with three saves and the Huskies’ only other near miss came later in the first half when Jacob Ryu boomed a free kick from midfield that hit the crossbar.
“We survived,” Bageanis said. “They did a really good job of closing us down and not letting us play our 1-on-1 game.
“We thrive on our 1-on-1 play, connecting with players once we get into the attacking third, and they did a good job of shutting that down. We’ll have to work on that a little bit, but we started to get a little space, starting playing the ball wider and making use of our outside mids a little more. We got in a little bit more and stretched them out.
“It was a good game. It was two good teams playing. Both teams had chances.
“I thought we put it on the them pretty good there in the last five minutes.”
Which is one reason why Konrad was satisfied with a draw.
“I’m happy with today,” Konrad said. “Battling Morton to a draw is always something we can take some pride in.
“Obviously we want to win, and we love that program so much. It’s such a classy organization, and it’s a thrill to play them every year.”
For Flaherty, the matchup of Chicagoland Soccer’s no. 1 and no. 2 teams was merely an early season measuring stick, not a be-all-and-end-all clash.
“To me at least, I don’t think the rankings really matter at all,” Flaherty said. “I always feel that we can compete with anyone that we play against, no matter what.
“This was a good game. We definitely had our chances, and we know that going into the next week of practice that’s something we need to work on.”
The last time the IHSA held a state tournament, in 2019, Morton and Naperville North duked it out in a Class 3A supersectional, with Morton ending the Huskies’ bid for a fourth-straight championship with a 4-3 shootout victory en route to a runner-up finish at state.
Nobody will be surprised if they meet again in this year’s supersectional. It is bound to be just as evenly matched as this match.
“We all knew it was going to be a difficult game from the beginning,” Murillo said. “Everybody knew it was 1 and 2.
“We all played our best. We did whatever we could, because it is hard with this weather. We all played our heart out. They did too, and it was a draw.
“We’re looking forward to playing them again.”
Starting lineups
Naperville North
GK Patrick Horn
D Keegan Flaherty
D Adam Zielke
D Ryan Konrad
D Cole Ritzmann
M Tyson Amoo-Mensah
M Jacob Ryu
M Caden Hill
M Bryan Higgs
F Cam Redeke
F Alex Barger
Morton
GK Sebastian Mayorga
D Eddie Barraza
D Luis Gonzalez
D Juan Ramirez
D Ivan Ramirez
M Edgar Quintero
M Daniel Diaz
M Giovanni Alvarez
M Max Aquino
F Deyair Ruiz
F Ismael Zepeda
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match:
Keegan Flaherty, sr., D, Naperville North
Scoring summary
First half
No scoring
Second half
No scoring