Oak Park and River Forest edges
Fenwick for village bragging rights
Huskies earn 7th shutout of season with Prevail Cup win
By Curt Herron
RIVER FOREST -- Whenever two schools from the same community meet, there's a good possibility that there won't be much separating them after the final horn.
That's just what happened Saturday when Oak Park and River Forest met Fenwick in the crosstown rivalry battle for the Prevail Cup, which took place at Fenwick’s Priory Field.
Although Oak Park and River Forest, ranked 12th in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, had a lot more scoring chances than the Friars, the visitors only put away one late in the opening half. It held up for a 1-0 nonconference victory.
In the 36th minute, senior Josh Dennis sent a pass in front of the net, and sophomore Easton Bogard connected to improve the Huskies to 9-2-0 on the season.
"Every year it's a really good game, and it's always very intense, but at the end of the day we respect each other," Dennis said.
"This is the best team that I've been a part of in my life. I think we have a good balance of our mids, and our mids and our defense play together so well. Our strikers are insane at scoring, so that's really good. We only want people on the field who care about winning, not about themselves."
Senior Clark Turk recorded the seventh shutout for the Huskies. The team has allowed just six goals and yielded more than one goal only in their two defeats. The 2-1 losses came against defending state Class 3A champ West Chicago and West Suburban Conference Silver Division foe Hinsdale Central.
With seniors Eric Jackson, David Schalich-Ayllon and Ben Nisbet leading the way along the backline, and seniors Alex Hauck, Lindsey Foster and Dennis, junior Isaac Cummings and sophomore Charlie Maguire getting starts in the midfield, the Huskies did a good job of limiting scoring chances for the Friars.
"We came in knowing who they were going to try to force it to so we made sure that we locked them down," said Jackson, who earned Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honors. "It shows that we really have the ability to lock down some of the top attackers in the state. So I'm excited to keep on rolling.
"It's been really weird since we switched to a 3-5-2. Today it was Ben, David and me (in back). We started doing it about two or three weeks ago, but it's been working really well. We're all lock-down defenders with a lot of trust in each other since we've been together since freshman year.
"We're able to possess in the back and build in the middle. But we also have the outside options that are flying up. I like the fact that we have no room for error. We practice every day to perfect our craft, and we play a certain style of soccer. This season has shown that it works."
There were definitely concerns on defense for Fenwick because sophomore James Zimmer was unable to suit up. Sophomore Ian MacKinnon stepped in for him and played well along with the rest of the starting backline of senior Zach Hernandez and juniors Max Ballarin and Ian Martinello.
Despite their efforts, Friars keeper Greg Price still faced a lot of dangerous shots. However the senior was definitely up to the challenge and made many impressive saves to keep his team's hopes alive.
"It was a great game, and both teams played amazing," Price said. "This was great. I grew up in Oak Park so all of the kids on the other team, I grew up playing against them.
"We played really well, especially with one of our center backs out, but I thought Ian MacKinnon filled that left center back role well. My right back was Max Ballarin, my right center back was Ian Martinello and my left back was Zach Hernandez."
The Friars (6-5-2) went 5-1-2 during a recent stretch but now have lost three in a row and have been shut out in the last two shutouts. After playing at Saint Ignatius on Tuesday, Fenwick has a five-game home stretch that it hopes will help to get it back on the right track.
Despite the setback, Friars coach Craig Blazer saw a lot of positives from his squad.
"This is a credit to both programs," Blazer said. "There's a lot of good coaches, players and families who have been part of it. Whether it's soccer or whatever sport, the rivalry is fantastic. And I thought that today really brought out the best of both programs.
"Our guys competed on every single play, so that was great and a couple of our players had their best games. It was good to see Greg have a great game and really do well. So hopefully we can build on this and keep playing some good soccer.
"Our seniors are getting better, and it was a quick turnaround from last spring after graduating a large group. Today, Ian MacKinnon started at left center back, and he was great. So there are some neat things looking forward. On Tuesday, hopefully we can put together a complete game."
Oak Park and River Forest started the match by getting a pair of good scoring chances from Bogard and Hauck before Price deflected a liner from Maguire. The keeper then pulled in a free kick that was sent in by Hauck, who shared the captain duties along Dennis and Jackson.
After Oak Park and River Forest scored, Fenwick had two of its best first half scoring chances shortly before the break from senior Jack Powers, who leads his team in
goals.
In the 40th minute, Turk stopped a shot from the side by Powers, who then fired in a long free kick just before the halftime whistle blew that was also hauled in by the Huskies' keeper.
"The difference between them and us was that they finished. They put away a goal," said Powers, who joined seniors Ryan Bero and Luigi Mollo as captains. "I missed two, but that's how it goes sometimes.
"We only have five returning players, so it's a very young team. The thing that I've noticed about our team is that every day, at every practice and in every drill, we get better. I like that we work hard, and we work together."
Early in the final half, Oak Park and River Forest’s Bogard and Hauck were denied by Price while Bero put one just outside of the post for the hosts. After Price made a diving stop on a liner from Dennis, Powers went just wide on a free kick and then had another good attempt hauled in by Turk.
"OPRF and Fenwick has always been such a big rivalry, so we really put our all into the game," Turk said. "If it's 1-0 or 2-0, you still just have to go out and get the win, no matter how close it is.
"I think what's special about us is how close we all are, on and off the field. We're all brothers. We treat each other with respect, but we also hold each other accountable. This is the closest group of guys that I've ever been around in my life. and you can see that. Once we're on the field, we're locked in, and that chemistry really plays a big part in how good we can be. "
After the hour mark, Dennis and Jadyn Hsieh-Bailey each tried to add to the Oak Park and River Forest lead, but Price was again up to the challenge. In the late stages, MacKinnon sent in a header that was cleared. Fenwick's Powers had one final attempt headed away by Nisbet.
Oak Park and River Forest coach Jason Fried, whose team hosts Downers Grove North,
Willowbrook and Lyons in their next three matches, likes how his squad performed in order to reclaim the trophy against their village rivals.
"It makes the games close since a lot of emotion goes into it," Fried said. "You try to play it down and tell the guys to play soccer, but this is a good rivalry with a history to it. So you can't ignore that.
"The nice thing is that if you keep possession, then it will limit their possibilities. I thought that our guys did a good job today. They (Fenwick) did a good job of kind of changing the way that they came at us. Their keeper made some huge saves, and their defenders made some amazing blocks. It wasn't like we were missing, they just did an extremely good job in the back."
There was an impressive display of the unity between the two programs shortly after the match ended. Approximately 50 players from both squads crossed Harlem Avenue and headed down Division Street for several blocks to attend a ceremony that was part of a special event Saturday.
The Run Tough for Owen 2021 event is a 5-km virtual race named for Owen Petrzelka, a six-year old Oak Park resident who passed away on October 6, 2020, after a battle with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glomina (DIPG). The rare brain tumor affects children and is incurable.
Fenwick junior Ethan Briggs is the cousin of Amanda Shaker, Owen's mother. Owen's father is Adam Petrzelka. Briggs and some of his Friars teammates visited Owen during his battle and decided to do the walk. Friars coach Craig Blazer asked Huskies coach Jason Fried if his team would also like to join in for the walk, which they did.
The parents welcomed the players, who wore T-shirts that read “Defeat DIPG”, and they posed for pictures. Owen was a member of the Chicago Edge Soccer Club, which is located in the village. The proceeds of the event go to the ChadTough Defeat DIPG Foundation, which funds research for pediatric brain cancer treatment with the hopes of finding a cure for the disease.
Starting lineups
Oak Park and River Forest
G Clark Turk
D Eric Jackson
D David Schalich-Ayllon
D Ben Nisbet
M Josh Dennis
M Isaac Cummings
M Alex Hauck
M Lindsey Foster
M Charlie Maguire
F Jadyn Hsieh-Bailey
F Easton Bogard
Fenwick
G Greg Price
D Ian Martinello
D Max Ballarin
D Ian MacKinnon
D Zach Hernandez
M Lucas Garcia
M Frank Felice
M Will Jancewicz
M Luigi Mollo
M Jack Powers
F Ryan Bero
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Eric Jackson, sr., D, Oak Park and River Forest
Scoring summary
First half
OPRF: Bogard (Dennis), 36th minute
Second half
No scoring
Fenwick for village bragging rights
Huskies earn 7th shutout of season with Prevail Cup win
By Curt Herron
RIVER FOREST -- Whenever two schools from the same community meet, there's a good possibility that there won't be much separating them after the final horn.
That's just what happened Saturday when Oak Park and River Forest met Fenwick in the crosstown rivalry battle for the Prevail Cup, which took place at Fenwick’s Priory Field.
Although Oak Park and River Forest, ranked 12th in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, had a lot more scoring chances than the Friars, the visitors only put away one late in the opening half. It held up for a 1-0 nonconference victory.
In the 36th minute, senior Josh Dennis sent a pass in front of the net, and sophomore Easton Bogard connected to improve the Huskies to 9-2-0 on the season.
"Every year it's a really good game, and it's always very intense, but at the end of the day we respect each other," Dennis said.
"This is the best team that I've been a part of in my life. I think we have a good balance of our mids, and our mids and our defense play together so well. Our strikers are insane at scoring, so that's really good. We only want people on the field who care about winning, not about themselves."
Senior Clark Turk recorded the seventh shutout for the Huskies. The team has allowed just six goals and yielded more than one goal only in their two defeats. The 2-1 losses came against defending state Class 3A champ West Chicago and West Suburban Conference Silver Division foe Hinsdale Central.
With seniors Eric Jackson, David Schalich-Ayllon and Ben Nisbet leading the way along the backline, and seniors Alex Hauck, Lindsey Foster and Dennis, junior Isaac Cummings and sophomore Charlie Maguire getting starts in the midfield, the Huskies did a good job of limiting scoring chances for the Friars.
"We came in knowing who they were going to try to force it to so we made sure that we locked them down," said Jackson, who earned Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honors. "It shows that we really have the ability to lock down some of the top attackers in the state. So I'm excited to keep on rolling.
"It's been really weird since we switched to a 3-5-2. Today it was Ben, David and me (in back). We started doing it about two or three weeks ago, but it's been working really well. We're all lock-down defenders with a lot of trust in each other since we've been together since freshman year.
"We're able to possess in the back and build in the middle. But we also have the outside options that are flying up. I like the fact that we have no room for error. We practice every day to perfect our craft, and we play a certain style of soccer. This season has shown that it works."
There were definitely concerns on defense for Fenwick because sophomore James Zimmer was unable to suit up. Sophomore Ian MacKinnon stepped in for him and played well along with the rest of the starting backline of senior Zach Hernandez and juniors Max Ballarin and Ian Martinello.
Despite their efforts, Friars keeper Greg Price still faced a lot of dangerous shots. However the senior was definitely up to the challenge and made many impressive saves to keep his team's hopes alive.
"It was a great game, and both teams played amazing," Price said. "This was great. I grew up in Oak Park so all of the kids on the other team, I grew up playing against them.
"We played really well, especially with one of our center backs out, but I thought Ian MacKinnon filled that left center back role well. My right back was Max Ballarin, my right center back was Ian Martinello and my left back was Zach Hernandez."
The Friars (6-5-2) went 5-1-2 during a recent stretch but now have lost three in a row and have been shut out in the last two shutouts. After playing at Saint Ignatius on Tuesday, Fenwick has a five-game home stretch that it hopes will help to get it back on the right track.
Despite the setback, Friars coach Craig Blazer saw a lot of positives from his squad.
"This is a credit to both programs," Blazer said. "There's a lot of good coaches, players and families who have been part of it. Whether it's soccer or whatever sport, the rivalry is fantastic. And I thought that today really brought out the best of both programs.
"Our guys competed on every single play, so that was great and a couple of our players had their best games. It was good to see Greg have a great game and really do well. So hopefully we can build on this and keep playing some good soccer.
"Our seniors are getting better, and it was a quick turnaround from last spring after graduating a large group. Today, Ian MacKinnon started at left center back, and he was great. So there are some neat things looking forward. On Tuesday, hopefully we can put together a complete game."
Oak Park and River Forest started the match by getting a pair of good scoring chances from Bogard and Hauck before Price deflected a liner from Maguire. The keeper then pulled in a free kick that was sent in by Hauck, who shared the captain duties along Dennis and Jackson.
After Oak Park and River Forest scored, Fenwick had two of its best first half scoring chances shortly before the break from senior Jack Powers, who leads his team in
goals.
In the 40th minute, Turk stopped a shot from the side by Powers, who then fired in a long free kick just before the halftime whistle blew that was also hauled in by the Huskies' keeper.
"The difference between them and us was that they finished. They put away a goal," said Powers, who joined seniors Ryan Bero and Luigi Mollo as captains. "I missed two, but that's how it goes sometimes.
"We only have five returning players, so it's a very young team. The thing that I've noticed about our team is that every day, at every practice and in every drill, we get better. I like that we work hard, and we work together."
Early in the final half, Oak Park and River Forest’s Bogard and Hauck were denied by Price while Bero put one just outside of the post for the hosts. After Price made a diving stop on a liner from Dennis, Powers went just wide on a free kick and then had another good attempt hauled in by Turk.
"OPRF and Fenwick has always been such a big rivalry, so we really put our all into the game," Turk said. "If it's 1-0 or 2-0, you still just have to go out and get the win, no matter how close it is.
"I think what's special about us is how close we all are, on and off the field. We're all brothers. We treat each other with respect, but we also hold each other accountable. This is the closest group of guys that I've ever been around in my life. and you can see that. Once we're on the field, we're locked in, and that chemistry really plays a big part in how good we can be. "
After the hour mark, Dennis and Jadyn Hsieh-Bailey each tried to add to the Oak Park and River Forest lead, but Price was again up to the challenge. In the late stages, MacKinnon sent in a header that was cleared. Fenwick's Powers had one final attempt headed away by Nisbet.
Oak Park and River Forest coach Jason Fried, whose team hosts Downers Grove North,
Willowbrook and Lyons in their next three matches, likes how his squad performed in order to reclaim the trophy against their village rivals.
"It makes the games close since a lot of emotion goes into it," Fried said. "You try to play it down and tell the guys to play soccer, but this is a good rivalry with a history to it. So you can't ignore that.
"The nice thing is that if you keep possession, then it will limit their possibilities. I thought that our guys did a good job today. They (Fenwick) did a good job of kind of changing the way that they came at us. Their keeper made some huge saves, and their defenders made some amazing blocks. It wasn't like we were missing, they just did an extremely good job in the back."
There was an impressive display of the unity between the two programs shortly after the match ended. Approximately 50 players from both squads crossed Harlem Avenue and headed down Division Street for several blocks to attend a ceremony that was part of a special event Saturday.
The Run Tough for Owen 2021 event is a 5-km virtual race named for Owen Petrzelka, a six-year old Oak Park resident who passed away on October 6, 2020, after a battle with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glomina (DIPG). The rare brain tumor affects children and is incurable.
Fenwick junior Ethan Briggs is the cousin of Amanda Shaker, Owen's mother. Owen's father is Adam Petrzelka. Briggs and some of his Friars teammates visited Owen during his battle and decided to do the walk. Friars coach Craig Blazer asked Huskies coach Jason Fried if his team would also like to join in for the walk, which they did.
The parents welcomed the players, who wore T-shirts that read “Defeat DIPG”, and they posed for pictures. Owen was a member of the Chicago Edge Soccer Club, which is located in the village. The proceeds of the event go to the ChadTough Defeat DIPG Foundation, which funds research for pediatric brain cancer treatment with the hopes of finding a cure for the disease.
Starting lineups
Oak Park and River Forest
G Clark Turk
D Eric Jackson
D David Schalich-Ayllon
D Ben Nisbet
M Josh Dennis
M Isaac Cummings
M Alex Hauck
M Lindsey Foster
M Charlie Maguire
F Jadyn Hsieh-Bailey
F Easton Bogard
Fenwick
G Greg Price
D Ian Martinello
D Max Ballarin
D Ian MacKinnon
D Zach Hernandez
M Lucas Garcia
M Frank Felice
M Will Jancewicz
M Luigi Mollo
M Jack Powers
F Ryan Bero
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Eric Jackson, sr., D, Oak Park and River Forest
Scoring summary
First half
OPRF: Bogard (Dennis), 36th minute
Second half
No scoring