North Shore Country Day
sprints past Northridge
2 early goals lead to 3-0 win
By A.J. Schmitz
WINNETKA -- Sometimes all it takes is an explosive start.
For North Shore Country Day, that's exactly what happened Saturday night as they took the field against Northridge in their final game of the Independent School League schedule and season.
The Raiders (10-1-2, 6-0-2) defeated Northridge 3-0 in a game that left North Shore Country Day and Latin without a loss in the Independent School League standings.
“It feels good, and we’ve done well playing all our games and getting the most points. Nobody can catch us,” Raiders head coach Kyle Jones chuckled after the game. “The boys have been terrific all year long, and they deserve this. They’ve been awesome.”
North Shore Country Day racked up a remarkable 57 goals this season while only conceding 11.
“I think this might be one of our best teams in history,” said Walter Luglio, whose senior brother Vincent, is one of three captains on the team. Both brothers have struggled with injuries throughout the season. “It was unfortunate that we didn’t have state (playoffs), but we made the most of it.”
“This team was stacked from the bottom of the bench to the top of the starters,” said sophomore midfielder Teddy Gallun. “I think the chemistry we had made us the best team in the ISL.”
From the outset of the game, it was clear that the Raiders would set the pace. In only the first minute, junior midfielder Mason Roberts-Jones dribbled his way past two defenders to begin a solo fast break. With only the keeper to beat, Roberts-Jones located the far post and hit a light grounder that found its way into the back of the net.
In the 6th minute, freshman forward Danny Becker made his way into the box trailed by Northridge defenders. As the ball started to get away from Becker, he was roughly tackled to the ground in an ill-timed challenge. North Shore Country Day’s senior defender Augie Gallun stepped up to take and convert the penalty kick.
An early two-goal edge threatens to cause complacency on the leading side, and while the Raiders would not score again until late in the second half, this concern proved unwarranted.
North Shore Country Day is a team that knows what to do with the ball. Just as dangerous on quick attacks as they are building from the backfield, the Raiders maintained possession most of the night. With their defense spread out across the entire backfield, the Raiders found switching the fields an easy endeavour as they caught the Knights consistently chasing the ball. When pressed by Northridge’s offense, the Raiders had no problem playing the ball back to their keeper, Nick Potter, who is as skilled with his feet as he is with his hands.
Potter made a number of impressive saves throughout the first half to ensure his team’s preliminary efforts did not fizzle into irrelevance. In the 14th minute, Potter made a running save off a header that was connected by Franco Chapello. The Northridge junior forward also spends time in net when not trying to score goals himself. As the ball headed far post, Potter ran to grab it, not wasting any energy on a flashy dive.
In the 33rd minute, Northridge junior midfielder Nicholas Presberg wound up firing a laser beam from 40 yards after causing a turnover in the Raider’s end. Potter read the ball’s direction and nabbed it before it could find its way into the top left corner.
“This is kind of a consistent thing,” Gallun said. “We score, and then they piece together a little comeback. He (Jones) didn’t even need to say anything (at halftime). We knew what we had to do, and we did it.”
The second half was defined by a dangerous duo for the Raiders’ offense. Becker and Leonetti combined on multiple give-and-go through-balls in the second half that forced Northridge’s junior goalkeeper Owen Mongoven to put on the show of a lifetime.
“Their keeper was in inspired form, wasn’t he?” Jones said. “The score line could have been more had he not played so well.”
Mongoven played high off his line and was immediately there to pounce on everything that came his way until the 65th minute, when Northridge (3-6-3, 1-4-1) finally conceded again.
Becker scored on a fast-break when he timed his run perfectly to stay onside. Receiving a through-ball from senior midfielder Jacob Sherman, Becker booted the ball over Mongoven’s head and into the far post.
Though Leonetti was not the assisting player, it was his offensive prowess that seemed to ensure his teammates would convert again. He consistently set up opportunities that only his speed could create, and the pressure Leonetti and Becker put on Northridge’s defense eventually proved to be too much. For his efforts, Leonetti’s team name him its Man of the Match, an impressive accomplishment that proves a solid performance does not always directly translate to the scoreboard. The team's choice coincided with the Chicagoland Soccer honor.
“We’re just really good as a team,” Leonetti acknowledged, humbly deflecting any personal credit for the team’s result. “I’m very proud of our record.”
Jones agreed, praising his team’s performance in their principle game.
“Northridge is always a tough opponent,” Jones said. “They come, and they fight; they battle, and they make it difficult for you. I think we overcame that and put in a good performance.”
“They played well,” said Northridge head coach Alvaro Vargas said of his side. “Everything was good except for the final touch. With that finishing touch, we would have had a couple goals, but it was a great game on both sides.”
“Considering that our core group is sophomores and juniors, I think they’ll have a strong season next (school) year.”
As North Shore Country Day watches many of its key seniors graduate this semester, the Raiders hope to maintain the level of play that created such success for them this spring and before. The Raiders finished fourth in Class A in 2019.
Jones has some ideas about how they might do that.
“We’ve got great people when you put them together. Everybody buys in and works hard and plays a role ... turning up to contact days and putting the work in, treating every single practice and game the right way. All those little things added together make big things, and that’s what you saw tonight: the culmination of all those little things.”
“Success breeds success. The boys have seen what that takes, and hopefully they can bring that into next season.”
Starting lineups
Northridge
GK: Owen Mongoven
D: Daniel Kaiser
D: Raphael Camara
D: Ben Hanretty
D: Robert Ciesla
M: Nicholas Presberg
M: Johnny Pugh
M: Jack Brown
M: Fernando Vian
F: Owen Coleman
F: Franco Chapello
North Shore Country Day
GK: Nick Potter
D: Ethan Stump
D: Finn Doornweerd
D: John Sprenger
D: Augie Gallun
M: Axel Garcia
M: Benji Leonetti
M: Jacob Sherman
M: Mason Roberts-Jones
M: Tae Won Lillig
F: Danny Becker
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Benji Leonetti, so., M, North Shore Country Day
Scoring Summary
First half
Roberts-Jones (UA) 1st minute
A.Gallun (PK) 6th minute
Second half
Becker (Sherman) 65th minute
sprints past Northridge
2 early goals lead to 3-0 win
By A.J. Schmitz
WINNETKA -- Sometimes all it takes is an explosive start.
For North Shore Country Day, that's exactly what happened Saturday night as they took the field against Northridge in their final game of the Independent School League schedule and season.
The Raiders (10-1-2, 6-0-2) defeated Northridge 3-0 in a game that left North Shore Country Day and Latin without a loss in the Independent School League standings.
“It feels good, and we’ve done well playing all our games and getting the most points. Nobody can catch us,” Raiders head coach Kyle Jones chuckled after the game. “The boys have been terrific all year long, and they deserve this. They’ve been awesome.”
North Shore Country Day racked up a remarkable 57 goals this season while only conceding 11.
“I think this might be one of our best teams in history,” said Walter Luglio, whose senior brother Vincent, is one of three captains on the team. Both brothers have struggled with injuries throughout the season. “It was unfortunate that we didn’t have state (playoffs), but we made the most of it.”
“This team was stacked from the bottom of the bench to the top of the starters,” said sophomore midfielder Teddy Gallun. “I think the chemistry we had made us the best team in the ISL.”
From the outset of the game, it was clear that the Raiders would set the pace. In only the first minute, junior midfielder Mason Roberts-Jones dribbled his way past two defenders to begin a solo fast break. With only the keeper to beat, Roberts-Jones located the far post and hit a light grounder that found its way into the back of the net.
In the 6th minute, freshman forward Danny Becker made his way into the box trailed by Northridge defenders. As the ball started to get away from Becker, he was roughly tackled to the ground in an ill-timed challenge. North Shore Country Day’s senior defender Augie Gallun stepped up to take and convert the penalty kick.
An early two-goal edge threatens to cause complacency on the leading side, and while the Raiders would not score again until late in the second half, this concern proved unwarranted.
North Shore Country Day is a team that knows what to do with the ball. Just as dangerous on quick attacks as they are building from the backfield, the Raiders maintained possession most of the night. With their defense spread out across the entire backfield, the Raiders found switching the fields an easy endeavour as they caught the Knights consistently chasing the ball. When pressed by Northridge’s offense, the Raiders had no problem playing the ball back to their keeper, Nick Potter, who is as skilled with his feet as he is with his hands.
Potter made a number of impressive saves throughout the first half to ensure his team’s preliminary efforts did not fizzle into irrelevance. In the 14th minute, Potter made a running save off a header that was connected by Franco Chapello. The Northridge junior forward also spends time in net when not trying to score goals himself. As the ball headed far post, Potter ran to grab it, not wasting any energy on a flashy dive.
In the 33rd minute, Northridge junior midfielder Nicholas Presberg wound up firing a laser beam from 40 yards after causing a turnover in the Raider’s end. Potter read the ball’s direction and nabbed it before it could find its way into the top left corner.
“This is kind of a consistent thing,” Gallun said. “We score, and then they piece together a little comeback. He (Jones) didn’t even need to say anything (at halftime). We knew what we had to do, and we did it.”
The second half was defined by a dangerous duo for the Raiders’ offense. Becker and Leonetti combined on multiple give-and-go through-balls in the second half that forced Northridge’s junior goalkeeper Owen Mongoven to put on the show of a lifetime.
“Their keeper was in inspired form, wasn’t he?” Jones said. “The score line could have been more had he not played so well.”
Mongoven played high off his line and was immediately there to pounce on everything that came his way until the 65th minute, when Northridge (3-6-3, 1-4-1) finally conceded again.
Becker scored on a fast-break when he timed his run perfectly to stay onside. Receiving a through-ball from senior midfielder Jacob Sherman, Becker booted the ball over Mongoven’s head and into the far post.
Though Leonetti was not the assisting player, it was his offensive prowess that seemed to ensure his teammates would convert again. He consistently set up opportunities that only his speed could create, and the pressure Leonetti and Becker put on Northridge’s defense eventually proved to be too much. For his efforts, Leonetti’s team name him its Man of the Match, an impressive accomplishment that proves a solid performance does not always directly translate to the scoreboard. The team's choice coincided with the Chicagoland Soccer honor.
“We’re just really good as a team,” Leonetti acknowledged, humbly deflecting any personal credit for the team’s result. “I’m very proud of our record.”
Jones agreed, praising his team’s performance in their principle game.
“Northridge is always a tough opponent,” Jones said. “They come, and they fight; they battle, and they make it difficult for you. I think we overcame that and put in a good performance.”
“They played well,” said Northridge head coach Alvaro Vargas said of his side. “Everything was good except for the final touch. With that finishing touch, we would have had a couple goals, but it was a great game on both sides.”
“Considering that our core group is sophomores and juniors, I think they’ll have a strong season next (school) year.”
As North Shore Country Day watches many of its key seniors graduate this semester, the Raiders hope to maintain the level of play that created such success for them this spring and before. The Raiders finished fourth in Class A in 2019.
Jones has some ideas about how they might do that.
“We’ve got great people when you put them together. Everybody buys in and works hard and plays a role ... turning up to contact days and putting the work in, treating every single practice and game the right way. All those little things added together make big things, and that’s what you saw tonight: the culmination of all those little things.”
“Success breeds success. The boys have seen what that takes, and hopefully they can bring that into next season.”
Starting lineups
Northridge
GK: Owen Mongoven
D: Daniel Kaiser
D: Raphael Camara
D: Ben Hanretty
D: Robert Ciesla
M: Nicholas Presberg
M: Johnny Pugh
M: Jack Brown
M: Fernando Vian
F: Owen Coleman
F: Franco Chapello
North Shore Country Day
GK: Nick Potter
D: Ethan Stump
D: Finn Doornweerd
D: John Sprenger
D: Augie Gallun
M: Axel Garcia
M: Benji Leonetti
M: Jacob Sherman
M: Mason Roberts-Jones
M: Tae Won Lillig
F: Danny Becker
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Benji Leonetti, so., M, North Shore Country Day
Scoring Summary
First half
Roberts-Jones (UA) 1st minute
A.Gallun (PK) 6th minute
Second half
Becker (Sherman) 65th minute