Accidental GK Fortier leads
NSCD to tourney win over Notre Dame
Senior subs, stars in net to bring home Don Raider Cup
By Bobby Narang
NILES — At first glance, North Shore Country Day’s Evan Fortier looked out of place in the goalie position for the championship match against Notre Dame on Saturday afternoon in the Don Raider Cup.
The senior had a combination of odd factors that made him look unnatural in the box.
Maybe it was the lack of a number on his jersey, or the skin-tight, full-sleeve shirt.
Perhaps, it was his physique — chiseled, strong and athletic — for his age and unlike your typical keeper.
It could’ve been his demeanor, which presented itself as a mix of confidence and insecurity.
Turns out there was a good reason for all of that – Fortier’s not a keeper.
Two days ago, North Shore Country Day coach Kyle Jones informed his field player he needed an emergency starter because regular keeper Aram Dombalagian would not be at the game.
“Evan doesn’t play goalie,” Jones said. “He’s a striker, but our goalie is at a baseball showcase; Aram couldn’t be here today. We did a day of training with Evan in the goal. He’s extremely athletic. We’ve thrown him in goal in practices, but he’s never played in a game. Today was his first game.
“He’s so athletic and has great instincts. He plays basketball and baseball. At our school we have a bunch of multi-sport athletes, and (students) are encouraged to play different sports.”
By the end of Saturday’s spirited match, Fortier found his comfort zone. After creating a stir with his play throughout the tournament-shortened 70-minute match, he turned up his game during the penalty kick shootout.
Fortier saved all three spot kicks and scored the decisive penalty to punctuate North Shore Country Day’s 1-0 win over Notre Dame in the title game at Legends Field.
The Raiders (4-0-0) rode solid play by their backline and stayed aggressive throughout the match to meet the Dons (2-1-1) in the shootout.
Fortier admitted it was a whirlwind experience, especially against a team that won a Class AA sectional championship last season.
“I’m a right winger, but our goalie was out today, so coach asked me to step in on Thursday afternoon,” Fortier said. “I got about 45 minutes of training yesterday and some warmups today.”
Fortier said he faced a mental and physical challenge when the match was extended into a penalty kick shootout but gained confidence with each stop.
He opened up the PK session by diving to his left to stop the first attempt, then lurched to his right for the second shot. Right after his second save, Fortier showed off his scoring skills by calmly drilling a shot into the back of the net to make his team a perfect 3-for-3 on penalty kicks.
All that remained was for Fortier to try to complete a save trifecta. After glancing at the ball and guessing correctly, he landed on his shoulder as he dived hard to his left to knock the ball away.
“My mind was racing,” Fortier said. “I was little worried, to say the least. I trusted my teammates and trusted my instincts and guessed right a few times. The first one, I saw him setting up and looking left a lot, so I went with the other option and went right. The second one, I knew I could really do it. On the third one, I had to reach a little bit extra, hurt my shoulder a bit, had to put the body on the line.”
Fortier, who had seven saves in regulation, said playing keeper in the shootout delayed his joy, but he made sure it was only postponed by one more save.
“When I made my (PK), I wanted to run back to my team and celebrate with them,” he said. “But I knew I had to turn around quickly and finish the job.
“It was different playing goalie, a lot different. You have to use your hands a lot. I’m not used to it. You have to charge the ball and try and beat the other attackers. It was a fun experience, an interesting experience and I’m super happy with the result.”
Jones said he was very impressed with his now battle-tested second-string goalie. A few minutes after the victory, as the players were gathered in a sit-down huddle, North Shore Country Day senior forward Walter Luglio got up, walked toward the sidelines and retrieved a small plaque from a bag. He immediately handed Fortier the team’s “Man of the Match” trophy that’s handed out for every match.
“We threw him into goalie,” Jones said. “If Evan wasn’t the winner of that trophy, it would’ve been a travesty. We have good guys and did a preseason five-day trip to Ohio and got to know each other well. When you are tight off the field, you are tight on the field. That’s helped springboard us to be successful. The boys have been working hard. Each game has gotten harder and harder. We were down a few guys today, but the others stepped up.”
Senior defender Tae Won Lillig, a captain, said Saturday’s spirited victory is a major early season milestone.
“This feels really good, the first time we’ve won (this trophy) in our four years,” he said. “We lost to them last year, so this was good revenge. We played the better game for throughout the 70 minutes but didn’t finish. Evan showed great instincts and confidence. We trust him.”
Luglio, a senior who came up empty on several close shots during the game. called the victory a satisfying experience.
“It was very frustrating (not scoring) but the team played great,” he said. “We were more compact and winning balls in the midfield. I was disappointed not to put one away. We should’ve scored a lot. We were unlucky today, but in our league, we have to put in a lot of goals. We have a lot of grit, and even if we’re missing a few players, we showed we can get the job done.”
Not to be outdone, on the other end of the field, Notre Dame senior goalie Luca LoBianco had a stellar game in the net. He collected eight saves and showcased his vast experience and confidence by repeatedly coming way out of the box to stop numerous attacking plays from developing. The three-year starter recorded numerous memorable saves, and the Dons handcuffed Luglio, a strong and physical player who often willed his way down the field with his foot skills and physicality.
LoBianco recorded 10 shutouts in his junior campaign and has not allowed a goal in regulation in three of the Dons’ four games this season. He tallied three of his saves in the final 25-plus minutes.
“I came into this game knowing it was going to be a hard game,” LoBianco said. “They had (Luglio), and we had to keep him on lock. We prepared for him to cut in on the right side, and we had to prepare for long balls over the top. I just want to give props for our defense. They stepped up. I feel we just need to work on our offense.”
Notre Dame coach Michael Smith said his team had a minor letdown during the penalty kicks due to the point structure of the tournament.
“We knew we had to win this game regardless if we tied or went into penalty kicks. Coming into today, they had 19 points and we had 18 (per tournament rules),” Smith said. “A little bit of steam was let out when our guys realized, regardless of the penalty shootout, that we had lost the tournament.
“In the second half, we created chances but finishing has been an issue for us early this season. We lost some big pieces, and our makeup is different. We need some guys to step up and put the ball in the net. Our goalie had a good game. We had some chances but needed to find the good pass.
“We didn’t test their keeper enough, so that was disappointing. This was a good experience for our guys to feel the magnitude of playing for a cup. We will learn from this experience.
“Ante Basan was a stud locking down on Luglio. That was our game plan. We were missing one of our captains due to an injury in Francesco DiFilippo, but we have to take care of business. We need other guys to step up, and we’ve got to finish.”
Notre Dame senior Daniel Deano had two late free kick attempts to break the shutout, but the North Shore Country Day backline stopped each threat.
“In the first half, we had a lot of chances and didn’t take advantage of them,” Deano said. “We had the same thing in the second half. We just got unlucky in the finishing part.
“We’re a young team. For the first week, I’m pretty proud of the guys. They played pretty hard. I think next week we’re going to build off this and get more goals.”
Starting lineups
North Shore Country Day
GK Evan Fortier
D Kyle Banner
D Teddy Gallun
D Tae Won Lillig
D Buckley Oelerich
M Sam Fielder
M Smith Flickinger
M Henry Gallun
M Benji Leonetti
F Daniel Becker
F Walter Luglio
Notre Dame
GK Luca Lobianco
D Max Stalencyzk
D Andrew Nika
D Ante Basan
D Ian Martinez
M Joey Sorce
M Danny Deano
M Jack McNamara
M Danny England
F Ryan Shanahan
F Sebastian Dzierzanowski
Chicagoland soccer Man of the Match: Evan Fortier, sr., GK, North Shore Country Day
Scoring summary
First half
No scoring
Second half
No scoring
Penalty kicks
North Shore Country Day: 1, Benji Leonetti, goal; 2, Walter Luglio, goal; 3, Evan Fortier, goal
Notre Dame: 1, Danny Deano, saved; 2, Max Stalencyzk, saved; 3, Jake Schmucker, saved
NSCD to tourney win over Notre Dame
Senior subs, stars in net to bring home Don Raider Cup
By Bobby Narang
NILES — At first glance, North Shore Country Day’s Evan Fortier looked out of place in the goalie position for the championship match against Notre Dame on Saturday afternoon in the Don Raider Cup.
The senior had a combination of odd factors that made him look unnatural in the box.
Maybe it was the lack of a number on his jersey, or the skin-tight, full-sleeve shirt.
Perhaps, it was his physique — chiseled, strong and athletic — for his age and unlike your typical keeper.
It could’ve been his demeanor, which presented itself as a mix of confidence and insecurity.
Turns out there was a good reason for all of that – Fortier’s not a keeper.
Two days ago, North Shore Country Day coach Kyle Jones informed his field player he needed an emergency starter because regular keeper Aram Dombalagian would not be at the game.
“Evan doesn’t play goalie,” Jones said. “He’s a striker, but our goalie is at a baseball showcase; Aram couldn’t be here today. We did a day of training with Evan in the goal. He’s extremely athletic. We’ve thrown him in goal in practices, but he’s never played in a game. Today was his first game.
“He’s so athletic and has great instincts. He plays basketball and baseball. At our school we have a bunch of multi-sport athletes, and (students) are encouraged to play different sports.”
By the end of Saturday’s spirited match, Fortier found his comfort zone. After creating a stir with his play throughout the tournament-shortened 70-minute match, he turned up his game during the penalty kick shootout.
Fortier saved all three spot kicks and scored the decisive penalty to punctuate North Shore Country Day’s 1-0 win over Notre Dame in the title game at Legends Field.
The Raiders (4-0-0) rode solid play by their backline and stayed aggressive throughout the match to meet the Dons (2-1-1) in the shootout.
Fortier admitted it was a whirlwind experience, especially against a team that won a Class AA sectional championship last season.
“I’m a right winger, but our goalie was out today, so coach asked me to step in on Thursday afternoon,” Fortier said. “I got about 45 minutes of training yesterday and some warmups today.”
Fortier said he faced a mental and physical challenge when the match was extended into a penalty kick shootout but gained confidence with each stop.
He opened up the PK session by diving to his left to stop the first attempt, then lurched to his right for the second shot. Right after his second save, Fortier showed off his scoring skills by calmly drilling a shot into the back of the net to make his team a perfect 3-for-3 on penalty kicks.
All that remained was for Fortier to try to complete a save trifecta. After glancing at the ball and guessing correctly, he landed on his shoulder as he dived hard to his left to knock the ball away.
“My mind was racing,” Fortier said. “I was little worried, to say the least. I trusted my teammates and trusted my instincts and guessed right a few times. The first one, I saw him setting up and looking left a lot, so I went with the other option and went right. The second one, I knew I could really do it. On the third one, I had to reach a little bit extra, hurt my shoulder a bit, had to put the body on the line.”
Fortier, who had seven saves in regulation, said playing keeper in the shootout delayed his joy, but he made sure it was only postponed by one more save.
“When I made my (PK), I wanted to run back to my team and celebrate with them,” he said. “But I knew I had to turn around quickly and finish the job.
“It was different playing goalie, a lot different. You have to use your hands a lot. I’m not used to it. You have to charge the ball and try and beat the other attackers. It was a fun experience, an interesting experience and I’m super happy with the result.”
Jones said he was very impressed with his now battle-tested second-string goalie. A few minutes after the victory, as the players were gathered in a sit-down huddle, North Shore Country Day senior forward Walter Luglio got up, walked toward the sidelines and retrieved a small plaque from a bag. He immediately handed Fortier the team’s “Man of the Match” trophy that’s handed out for every match.
“We threw him into goalie,” Jones said. “If Evan wasn’t the winner of that trophy, it would’ve been a travesty. We have good guys and did a preseason five-day trip to Ohio and got to know each other well. When you are tight off the field, you are tight on the field. That’s helped springboard us to be successful. The boys have been working hard. Each game has gotten harder and harder. We were down a few guys today, but the others stepped up.”
Senior defender Tae Won Lillig, a captain, said Saturday’s spirited victory is a major early season milestone.
“This feels really good, the first time we’ve won (this trophy) in our four years,” he said. “We lost to them last year, so this was good revenge. We played the better game for throughout the 70 minutes but didn’t finish. Evan showed great instincts and confidence. We trust him.”
Luglio, a senior who came up empty on several close shots during the game. called the victory a satisfying experience.
“It was very frustrating (not scoring) but the team played great,” he said. “We were more compact and winning balls in the midfield. I was disappointed not to put one away. We should’ve scored a lot. We were unlucky today, but in our league, we have to put in a lot of goals. We have a lot of grit, and even if we’re missing a few players, we showed we can get the job done.”
Not to be outdone, on the other end of the field, Notre Dame senior goalie Luca LoBianco had a stellar game in the net. He collected eight saves and showcased his vast experience and confidence by repeatedly coming way out of the box to stop numerous attacking plays from developing. The three-year starter recorded numerous memorable saves, and the Dons handcuffed Luglio, a strong and physical player who often willed his way down the field with his foot skills and physicality.
LoBianco recorded 10 shutouts in his junior campaign and has not allowed a goal in regulation in three of the Dons’ four games this season. He tallied three of his saves in the final 25-plus minutes.
“I came into this game knowing it was going to be a hard game,” LoBianco said. “They had (Luglio), and we had to keep him on lock. We prepared for him to cut in on the right side, and we had to prepare for long balls over the top. I just want to give props for our defense. They stepped up. I feel we just need to work on our offense.”
Notre Dame coach Michael Smith said his team had a minor letdown during the penalty kicks due to the point structure of the tournament.
“We knew we had to win this game regardless if we tied or went into penalty kicks. Coming into today, they had 19 points and we had 18 (per tournament rules),” Smith said. “A little bit of steam was let out when our guys realized, regardless of the penalty shootout, that we had lost the tournament.
“In the second half, we created chances but finishing has been an issue for us early this season. We lost some big pieces, and our makeup is different. We need some guys to step up and put the ball in the net. Our goalie had a good game. We had some chances but needed to find the good pass.
“We didn’t test their keeper enough, so that was disappointing. This was a good experience for our guys to feel the magnitude of playing for a cup. We will learn from this experience.
“Ante Basan was a stud locking down on Luglio. That was our game plan. We were missing one of our captains due to an injury in Francesco DiFilippo, but we have to take care of business. We need other guys to step up, and we’ve got to finish.”
Notre Dame senior Daniel Deano had two late free kick attempts to break the shutout, but the North Shore Country Day backline stopped each threat.
“In the first half, we had a lot of chances and didn’t take advantage of them,” Deano said. “We had the same thing in the second half. We just got unlucky in the finishing part.
“We’re a young team. For the first week, I’m pretty proud of the guys. They played pretty hard. I think next week we’re going to build off this and get more goals.”
Starting lineups
North Shore Country Day
GK Evan Fortier
D Kyle Banner
D Teddy Gallun
D Tae Won Lillig
D Buckley Oelerich
M Sam Fielder
M Smith Flickinger
M Henry Gallun
M Benji Leonetti
F Daniel Becker
F Walter Luglio
Notre Dame
GK Luca Lobianco
D Max Stalencyzk
D Andrew Nika
D Ante Basan
D Ian Martinez
M Joey Sorce
M Danny Deano
M Jack McNamara
M Danny England
F Ryan Shanahan
F Sebastian Dzierzanowski
Chicagoland soccer Man of the Match: Evan Fortier, sr., GK, North Shore Country Day
Scoring summary
First half
No scoring
Second half
No scoring
Penalty kicks
North Shore Country Day: 1, Benji Leonetti, goal; 2, Walter Luglio, goal; 3, Evan Fortier, goal
Notre Dame: 1, Danny Deano, saved; 2, Max Stalencyzk, saved; 3, Jake Schmucker, saved