Plainfield North fights off Oswego East
Tigers remain perfect in Southwest Prairie with 3-1 win
By Chris Walker
PLAINFIELD – Sometimes things go your way.
Sometimes they don’t.
More things went right for Plainfield North then went wrong and that proved to be more than enough for the Tigers to take care of Oswego East during Tuesday’s Southwest Prairie Conference game.
The Tigers (8-4-0, 3-0-0) never trailed and earned a 3-1 victory to snap a three-game losing streak against the Wolves.
“I wasn’t particularly pleased with our speed of play and decision making in the first half, but certainly Avery (Bell) scoring one early was nice,” Tigers coach Dave Brown said. “But maybe it put us to sleep a little bit. ... Maybe we were thinking the game would’ve been easy.”
Bell scored off a throw-in from Lloyd Quezada as he somehow was able to slot it into the back of the net despite having little time or space and a difficult angle to work with once he attained possession.
“It bounced, and because of the wind we got a lucky bounce over the last defender’s head. I just kind of slotted it in,” Bell said. “It was kind of a Hail Mary shot just to put it in. I didn’t want it to go out, so I went top right. I think I was just as surprised as everyone else that was here that it went in. But that was a great way to start.”
When things aren’t going well, you’re often wondering how goals like Bell’s happen, and while the Wolves might’ve felt that way, they didn’t let it drag them down. Earlier this season that may have happened, but now the Wolves seem to be fighting through those adverse moments. It may not always result in come-from-behind victories, but as long as the Wolves can have a positive response and go down fighting, that in itself is a victory of sorts.
“I know it’s cliché, but we’re making strides in the right direction,” Wolves coach Steve Szymanski said. “We’ve been unlucky lately. He makes that shot from an almost impossible angle, and I think we were right there if we finished more opportunities than we did. I know it can be frustrating for the kids because they look at the record and see three wins and eight losses, but I think we’re starting to play better. But we still have got to find a way to finish.”
Oswego East (3-8-0, 1-3-0) had a great opportunity to draw even after a hand ball call awarded Dimitri Huitron a PK chance with 7:46 left before halftime, but Plainfield North senior goalkeeper Marcos Papakostas was able to deny it and hold that 1-0 lead into halftime.
“Once they made the call I got excited,” Papakostas said. “It gave me a chance to really change the game, so that’s why I feel like I was so excited. I knew right when they put the ball down where he was going. I just had to make the dive and then the adrenalin came through me. I was so happy.”
Having made a similar save earlier this season was fresh on the mind of Papakostas who said his hard work and dedication ensure he’s ready for these crucial moments.
“I’m always training hard in practice so I’m ready for this,” he said. “And every chance I get I’m going to make the most of it.”
He was ready again in the 57th minute when he made a pair of saves in a matter of seconds to deny the potential equalizer.
First, Papakostas rejected a bullet from Grant Glorioso. The rebound bounced back to the left where Dacarlos Parodis-Yu was there to fire a shot but once again Papakostas kept his poise and rejected it.
About seven minutes later Shea Bechtel converted a penalty kick just inside the right post to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead.
“Marcos was huge for us today for sure,” Brown said. “We don’t give out game balls after high school soccer games, but if I had one to donate, I would certainly give it to Marcos tonight.”
Don’t worry about it coach. Chicagoland Soccer has the next best thing and named Papakostas as Man of the Match for his dominant performance in helping the Tigers prevail.
“He kept us with the lead in the first half saving the PK,” Brown said. “And in the second half after a few defensive breakdowns he was there for us. He saved the one initial shot and then made the rebound save.”
Oswego East tightened things up with 11:56 left when Andre Casas scored off a set play.
“Ethan (Klosterman) kicked back at it, and it went to back post and I put it in,” Casas said. “We needed that, but we’re still making too many simple mistakes at the end of the day. It’s not like the competition is out of our (league). We just have to patient and keep our heads up.”
It wasn’t necessarily a nerve-wracking final 12 minutes for the Tigers, but they didn’t maintain the cushion that Bechtel has provided, and were fortunate it didn’t come back to bite them.
“Our challenge for the last two days has been that every conference game is going to be a tough match,” Brown said. “Everyone will give everyone their best effort and Oswego East may not have the best record in the area right now, but you know Steve (Szymanski) will get them prepared, and they’ll work hard when they show up, and they did.
“They made the game challenging with their effort. It took us matching their intensity a little bit more into the second half, and into the wind, and maybe waking up a little bit at halftime, but I guess a conference win is a win.”
Dilan Anweiler provided a sigh of relief for the Tigers when he provided an insurance goal with 5:11 left to play. It was a deeply satisfying moment for Anweiler who displayed some nifty dribbling moves before firing his shot just inside the far post. He missed the team’s previous five games due to a suspension.
“Having missed five full games I wanted to show everyone something today,” Anweiler said. “I needed to prove myself this game and saw an opportunity. I took the ball, cut it inside and just split two players and just saw the net and just shot it. That was basically it.”
While the Wolves came up short, Szymanski continues to like what he’s seeing from his backline, including his goalkeeper Owen Kiilsgaard who once again was strong to keep the Wolves battling for the full 80 minutes.
“Owen made some big saves, and Zach (Seidel) and Cael (Cummings) and Ethan (Klosterman) I don’t think those guys ever came out of the game. Those guys don’t get enough credit for all they’ve been doing,” Szymanski said. “Zach has been a good leader and accepted his role and is someone we can count on.
“I know it’s frustrating for these guys because they’re not seeing the results they want, but as coaches we’re seeing the progress. We may not have the best record, but regardless of whom we play we’re going to bring it and keep fighting.”
Oswego East had won the previous three meetings against Plainfield North, including a wild 7-5 game almost three years ago on Sept. 27, 2016.
Michael Waclaw had three goals and Manuel Magana delivered four assists to lead the Wolves in that game.
Plainfield North, which started three freshmen: Cooper Allen, Sean Elster and Brady Harwood, have another big conference game on Thursday that’s also a big rivalry battle as they take on Plainfield South.
“Having coached there for several years, I told the kids after the game was over that one thing Plainfield South does every year is circle Plainfield North on the calendar,” Brown said. “It’s a big one for them because of the crosstown rivalry, so we’ll have our work cut out for us on Thursday too.”
Oswego East also competes inSPC action Thursday when Plainfield Central visits.
Starting lineups
Oswego East
GK Owen Kiilsgaard
D Nathan Czepiel
D Cael Cummings
D Zach Seidel
MF Grant Glorioso
MF Dimitri Huitron
MF Ethan Klosterman
MF Kellen Klosterman
MF Sahil Sethi
F Andre Casas
F Dacarlos Parodis-Yu
Plainfield North
GK Marcos Papakostas
D Lloyd Quezada
D Ryan Kuffel
D John Seeley
D James Vu
MF Cooper Allen
MF Shea Bechtel
MF Sam Dachman
MF Brady Harwood
F Sean Elster
F Avery Bell
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Marcos Papakostas, sr., GK, Plainfield North
Scoring summary
Plainfield North 3, Oswego East 1
Oswego East 0 1 - 1
Plainfield North 1 2 - 3
First half
Plainfield North – Avery Bell (Lloyd Quezada) 37:57
Second half
Plainfield North – Shea Bechtel PK 16:14
Oswego East – Andre Casas (Ethan Klosterman) 11:56
Plainfield North – Dilan Anweiler (u/a) 5:11
Tigers remain perfect in Southwest Prairie with 3-1 win
By Chris Walker
PLAINFIELD – Sometimes things go your way.
Sometimes they don’t.
More things went right for Plainfield North then went wrong and that proved to be more than enough for the Tigers to take care of Oswego East during Tuesday’s Southwest Prairie Conference game.
The Tigers (8-4-0, 3-0-0) never trailed and earned a 3-1 victory to snap a three-game losing streak against the Wolves.
“I wasn’t particularly pleased with our speed of play and decision making in the first half, but certainly Avery (Bell) scoring one early was nice,” Tigers coach Dave Brown said. “But maybe it put us to sleep a little bit. ... Maybe we were thinking the game would’ve been easy.”
Bell scored off a throw-in from Lloyd Quezada as he somehow was able to slot it into the back of the net despite having little time or space and a difficult angle to work with once he attained possession.
“It bounced, and because of the wind we got a lucky bounce over the last defender’s head. I just kind of slotted it in,” Bell said. “It was kind of a Hail Mary shot just to put it in. I didn’t want it to go out, so I went top right. I think I was just as surprised as everyone else that was here that it went in. But that was a great way to start.”
When things aren’t going well, you’re often wondering how goals like Bell’s happen, and while the Wolves might’ve felt that way, they didn’t let it drag them down. Earlier this season that may have happened, but now the Wolves seem to be fighting through those adverse moments. It may not always result in come-from-behind victories, but as long as the Wolves can have a positive response and go down fighting, that in itself is a victory of sorts.
“I know it’s cliché, but we’re making strides in the right direction,” Wolves coach Steve Szymanski said. “We’ve been unlucky lately. He makes that shot from an almost impossible angle, and I think we were right there if we finished more opportunities than we did. I know it can be frustrating for the kids because they look at the record and see three wins and eight losses, but I think we’re starting to play better. But we still have got to find a way to finish.”
Oswego East (3-8-0, 1-3-0) had a great opportunity to draw even after a hand ball call awarded Dimitri Huitron a PK chance with 7:46 left before halftime, but Plainfield North senior goalkeeper Marcos Papakostas was able to deny it and hold that 1-0 lead into halftime.
“Once they made the call I got excited,” Papakostas said. “It gave me a chance to really change the game, so that’s why I feel like I was so excited. I knew right when they put the ball down where he was going. I just had to make the dive and then the adrenalin came through me. I was so happy.”
Having made a similar save earlier this season was fresh on the mind of Papakostas who said his hard work and dedication ensure he’s ready for these crucial moments.
“I’m always training hard in practice so I’m ready for this,” he said. “And every chance I get I’m going to make the most of it.”
He was ready again in the 57th minute when he made a pair of saves in a matter of seconds to deny the potential equalizer.
First, Papakostas rejected a bullet from Grant Glorioso. The rebound bounced back to the left where Dacarlos Parodis-Yu was there to fire a shot but once again Papakostas kept his poise and rejected it.
About seven minutes later Shea Bechtel converted a penalty kick just inside the right post to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead.
“Marcos was huge for us today for sure,” Brown said. “We don’t give out game balls after high school soccer games, but if I had one to donate, I would certainly give it to Marcos tonight.”
Don’t worry about it coach. Chicagoland Soccer has the next best thing and named Papakostas as Man of the Match for his dominant performance in helping the Tigers prevail.
“He kept us with the lead in the first half saving the PK,” Brown said. “And in the second half after a few defensive breakdowns he was there for us. He saved the one initial shot and then made the rebound save.”
Oswego East tightened things up with 11:56 left when Andre Casas scored off a set play.
“Ethan (Klosterman) kicked back at it, and it went to back post and I put it in,” Casas said. “We needed that, but we’re still making too many simple mistakes at the end of the day. It’s not like the competition is out of our (league). We just have to patient and keep our heads up.”
It wasn’t necessarily a nerve-wracking final 12 minutes for the Tigers, but they didn’t maintain the cushion that Bechtel has provided, and were fortunate it didn’t come back to bite them.
“Our challenge for the last two days has been that every conference game is going to be a tough match,” Brown said. “Everyone will give everyone their best effort and Oswego East may not have the best record in the area right now, but you know Steve (Szymanski) will get them prepared, and they’ll work hard when they show up, and they did.
“They made the game challenging with their effort. It took us matching their intensity a little bit more into the second half, and into the wind, and maybe waking up a little bit at halftime, but I guess a conference win is a win.”
Dilan Anweiler provided a sigh of relief for the Tigers when he provided an insurance goal with 5:11 left to play. It was a deeply satisfying moment for Anweiler who displayed some nifty dribbling moves before firing his shot just inside the far post. He missed the team’s previous five games due to a suspension.
“Having missed five full games I wanted to show everyone something today,” Anweiler said. “I needed to prove myself this game and saw an opportunity. I took the ball, cut it inside and just split two players and just saw the net and just shot it. That was basically it.”
While the Wolves came up short, Szymanski continues to like what he’s seeing from his backline, including his goalkeeper Owen Kiilsgaard who once again was strong to keep the Wolves battling for the full 80 minutes.
“Owen made some big saves, and Zach (Seidel) and Cael (Cummings) and Ethan (Klosterman) I don’t think those guys ever came out of the game. Those guys don’t get enough credit for all they’ve been doing,” Szymanski said. “Zach has been a good leader and accepted his role and is someone we can count on.
“I know it’s frustrating for these guys because they’re not seeing the results they want, but as coaches we’re seeing the progress. We may not have the best record, but regardless of whom we play we’re going to bring it and keep fighting.”
Oswego East had won the previous three meetings against Plainfield North, including a wild 7-5 game almost three years ago on Sept. 27, 2016.
Michael Waclaw had three goals and Manuel Magana delivered four assists to lead the Wolves in that game.
Plainfield North, which started three freshmen: Cooper Allen, Sean Elster and Brady Harwood, have another big conference game on Thursday that’s also a big rivalry battle as they take on Plainfield South.
“Having coached there for several years, I told the kids after the game was over that one thing Plainfield South does every year is circle Plainfield North on the calendar,” Brown said. “It’s a big one for them because of the crosstown rivalry, so we’ll have our work cut out for us on Thursday too.”
Oswego East also competes inSPC action Thursday when Plainfield Central visits.
Starting lineups
Oswego East
GK Owen Kiilsgaard
D Nathan Czepiel
D Cael Cummings
D Zach Seidel
MF Grant Glorioso
MF Dimitri Huitron
MF Ethan Klosterman
MF Kellen Klosterman
MF Sahil Sethi
F Andre Casas
F Dacarlos Parodis-Yu
Plainfield North
GK Marcos Papakostas
D Lloyd Quezada
D Ryan Kuffel
D John Seeley
D James Vu
MF Cooper Allen
MF Shea Bechtel
MF Sam Dachman
MF Brady Harwood
F Sean Elster
F Avery Bell
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Marcos Papakostas, sr., GK, Plainfield North
Scoring summary
Plainfield North 3, Oswego East 1
Oswego East 0 1 - 1
Plainfield North 1 2 - 3
First half
Plainfield North – Avery Bell (Lloyd Quezada) 37:57
Second half
Plainfield North – Shea Bechtel PK 16:14
Oswego East – Andre Casas (Ethan Klosterman) 11:56
Plainfield North – Dilan Anweiler (u/a) 5:11