Oak Park and River Forest needs
extra time to fend off Maine South
Bogard’s 87th-minute goal secures Leyden Regional title
By Patrick Z. McGavin
FRANKLIN PARK — Easton Bogard has been an electric, high-scoring forward the last two years.
Even the top players have moments of regret, confusion or thwarted ambition.
“As a striker you always look back at the ones you should have put away,” he said.
A tantalizing moment played out for him in the first half of the regional championship game between Oak Park and River Forest and Maine South.
Bogard, who leads the Huskies in scoring, broke free down the middle and collected a cross.
The goal seemed imminent and inevitable.
“Part of finishing is getting the ball away from the goalie so he can’t touch it,” he said.
“But ultimately you have to hit it on target.”
That try didn't work out for the 2021 Chicagoland Soccer all-stater.
Bogard took his own advice later in the game and allowed the Huskies to live another day.
He blasted a short ball off a beautiful through-ball from Jayden Hsieh-Bailey in the 87th minute for the Huskies’ 2-1 double-overtime victory in the Class 3A Leyden Regional championship game.
Oak Park and River Forest (16-3-0) won its second-consecutive regional championship.
The third-seeded Huskies captured their 10th-consecutive game, and now advance to the sectional complex at Glenbrook South on Tuesday against the winner of second-seeded Evanston and eighth-seed Lane.
Hsieh-Bailey nearly lost his balance on the pass. He kept upright long enough to cut the ball through the Hawks’ middle interior and placed a perfect left-footed ball that Bogard collected in space.
“Jadyn did a great job,” Bogard said. “We talked about where he receives the ball is that place where we like him to have the ball. He is really creative going forward.
“We have played long enough where we know the right connections and make sure he plays that ball. I had to make sure I blocked out the moment and just hit that corner.”
Maine South (11-6-4) had the Huskies on the ropes for much of the second half.
A penalty kick by midfielder Nino Grimaldi in the 64th minute wiped out the Huskies’ 1-0 first half lead, and forced the extra time.
Junior keeper Christian Dussias made two spectacular stops right at the start of the first overtime, elevating for a one-handed stab that punched a volley by Zach Malinsky over the bar.
He also made a diving stop on a shot by forward Pawel Bochnia.
“After those saves, it gave me a lot of energy, and it got me back into the game and made me more focused,” Dussias said.
“They changed up their strategy in the second half, and they had a lot more pressure. We struggled at first, but then we found a way to build out of it.”
It was the pressure generated by Malinsky that created the foul inside the box that yielded the penalty kick.
Malinsky had three other solid shots in the two overtime periods. His final volley in the 100th minute just skipped off the top of the bar.
“We’ve been a second half team all season,” Maine South coach Dan States said.
“Our players have always been very good at taking instructions and making adjustments at halftime in terms of what we want to do.”
The crucial move was changing the top of the attack.
“We inverted the middle of the park, and pushed a guy higher up the field,” States said. “That gave us a lot more opportunities moving forward.
“We were moving bodies in and out to make that work. We created opportunities, but unfortunately we just couldn’t capitalize on some of the crosses.”
Oak Park and River Forest illustrated their six-week rampage that has left multiple teams in their wake.
Since a stretch of losing three out of four in mid-September, the Huskies have been unstoppable.
All their losses have come against ranked teams: 2-1 at no. 2 York; a straight-to-shootout defeat against no. 3 Naperville Central; and 3-2 at no. 19 Hinsdale Central.
Since the loss to the Red Devils on Sept. 13, Oak Park and River Forest has won 10-straight with a goal differential of 43-5.
The Huskies showcased their speed, athleticism, depth and sterling passing capabilities during a remarkable first half.
Sophomore forward Bryce Richards was a constant threat on the perimeter, repeatedly breaking down the Hawks’ backline.
Defender Diego Zarate brilliantly built the attack, creating a dominant forward momentum that had Maine South out of joint for much of the half.
Forward Colin Hayes delivered in the 27th minute by crashing to the ball and knocking home a short volley off a feed from Ezra Plotkin.
The goal was his 14th of the year.
“We put together a really quality first 40 minutes,” Oak Park and River Forest coach Jason Fried said.
“We were winning every first ball, every second ball. We had great shape and presence. We were building very well, and they couldn’t get the ball. They were chasing, which is what we wanted.”
Despite the dominant performance, the Huskies held the tenuous one-goal lead into the break.
Then the wheels came off. Maine South altered its look, and forced the Huskies to react to the game rather than influence it.
“I think we were just too confident going into the second half,” Hayes said. “We kind of stepped off the gas. They didn’t.
"We make a stupid foul in the box, and that makes it a close game.”
The Huskies played a discordant tune throughout the second half. The energy flagged, and the decision-making was exceptionally poor.
“They came out with a totally high tempo against us that second half,” Fried said. “We got sloppier and started missing passes and making bad clearances, stuff we don’t usually do.
“We kept them in the game a little too long, and they did a good job of taking away the tempo. We got away from what we like to do.”
Few things sharpen the mind like the prospect of defeat, and a lost season.
“You don’t want to have a bad day, and today was almost looking like it,” Bogard said.
“You have to do what you need in order to get the job done. I think today showed our character, drive and real scrappiness.”
The Dussias’ saves settled the team.
Bogard did his magic.
For his outstanding play and game-winning goal, Bogard earned the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honor.
The defense held during the somewhat tumultuous second 10-minute overtime.
“They had a couple of chances, but I thought in the overtime, we completely took over again,” Fried said.
“We probably should have put two away, but we got the one we needed and finished the game off. You have to find a way to win, and we did that today against a tough team.”
Starting lineups
Maine South
GK: Jakub Wiktorczyk
D: Luca Canetta
D: Ethan Kasicki
D: Sam Middendorf
D: Sam Cohen
MF: Tahar El Metennani
MF: Nino Grimaldi
MF: Mateja Radosavljevic
MF: Liam Sultana
F: Patel Bochnia
F: Zach Malinsky
Oak Park and River Forest
GK: Christian Dussias
D: Ezra Plotkin
D: Tukura Hess
D: Charlie Maguire
D: Diego Zarate
D: Isaac Felder
MF: Isaac Cummings
MF: Jadyn Hsieh-Bailey
F: Colin Hayes
F: Easton Bogart
F: Bryce Richards
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match:
Easton Bogard, jr., F, Oak Park and River Forest
Scoring summary
First half
OPRF: Colin Hayes (Ezra Plotkin), 27th minute
Second half
MS: Nino Grimaldi (penalty kick), 66th minute
First overtime
OPRF: Easton Bogard (Jadyn Hsieh-Bailey), 87th minute
Second overtime
No scoring
extra time to fend off Maine South
Bogard’s 87th-minute goal secures Leyden Regional title
By Patrick Z. McGavin
FRANKLIN PARK — Easton Bogard has been an electric, high-scoring forward the last two years.
Even the top players have moments of regret, confusion or thwarted ambition.
“As a striker you always look back at the ones you should have put away,” he said.
A tantalizing moment played out for him in the first half of the regional championship game between Oak Park and River Forest and Maine South.
Bogard, who leads the Huskies in scoring, broke free down the middle and collected a cross.
The goal seemed imminent and inevitable.
“Part of finishing is getting the ball away from the goalie so he can’t touch it,” he said.
“But ultimately you have to hit it on target.”
That try didn't work out for the 2021 Chicagoland Soccer all-stater.
Bogard took his own advice later in the game and allowed the Huskies to live another day.
He blasted a short ball off a beautiful through-ball from Jayden Hsieh-Bailey in the 87th minute for the Huskies’ 2-1 double-overtime victory in the Class 3A Leyden Regional championship game.
Oak Park and River Forest (16-3-0) won its second-consecutive regional championship.
The third-seeded Huskies captured their 10th-consecutive game, and now advance to the sectional complex at Glenbrook South on Tuesday against the winner of second-seeded Evanston and eighth-seed Lane.
Hsieh-Bailey nearly lost his balance on the pass. He kept upright long enough to cut the ball through the Hawks’ middle interior and placed a perfect left-footed ball that Bogard collected in space.
“Jadyn did a great job,” Bogard said. “We talked about where he receives the ball is that place where we like him to have the ball. He is really creative going forward.
“We have played long enough where we know the right connections and make sure he plays that ball. I had to make sure I blocked out the moment and just hit that corner.”
Maine South (11-6-4) had the Huskies on the ropes for much of the second half.
A penalty kick by midfielder Nino Grimaldi in the 64th minute wiped out the Huskies’ 1-0 first half lead, and forced the extra time.
Junior keeper Christian Dussias made two spectacular stops right at the start of the first overtime, elevating for a one-handed stab that punched a volley by Zach Malinsky over the bar.
He also made a diving stop on a shot by forward Pawel Bochnia.
“After those saves, it gave me a lot of energy, and it got me back into the game and made me more focused,” Dussias said.
“They changed up their strategy in the second half, and they had a lot more pressure. We struggled at first, but then we found a way to build out of it.”
It was the pressure generated by Malinsky that created the foul inside the box that yielded the penalty kick.
Malinsky had three other solid shots in the two overtime periods. His final volley in the 100th minute just skipped off the top of the bar.
“We’ve been a second half team all season,” Maine South coach Dan States said.
“Our players have always been very good at taking instructions and making adjustments at halftime in terms of what we want to do.”
The crucial move was changing the top of the attack.
“We inverted the middle of the park, and pushed a guy higher up the field,” States said. “That gave us a lot more opportunities moving forward.
“We were moving bodies in and out to make that work. We created opportunities, but unfortunately we just couldn’t capitalize on some of the crosses.”
Oak Park and River Forest illustrated their six-week rampage that has left multiple teams in their wake.
Since a stretch of losing three out of four in mid-September, the Huskies have been unstoppable.
All their losses have come against ranked teams: 2-1 at no. 2 York; a straight-to-shootout defeat against no. 3 Naperville Central; and 3-2 at no. 19 Hinsdale Central.
Since the loss to the Red Devils on Sept. 13, Oak Park and River Forest has won 10-straight with a goal differential of 43-5.
The Huskies showcased their speed, athleticism, depth and sterling passing capabilities during a remarkable first half.
Sophomore forward Bryce Richards was a constant threat on the perimeter, repeatedly breaking down the Hawks’ backline.
Defender Diego Zarate brilliantly built the attack, creating a dominant forward momentum that had Maine South out of joint for much of the half.
Forward Colin Hayes delivered in the 27th minute by crashing to the ball and knocking home a short volley off a feed from Ezra Plotkin.
The goal was his 14th of the year.
“We put together a really quality first 40 minutes,” Oak Park and River Forest coach Jason Fried said.
“We were winning every first ball, every second ball. We had great shape and presence. We were building very well, and they couldn’t get the ball. They were chasing, which is what we wanted.”
Despite the dominant performance, the Huskies held the tenuous one-goal lead into the break.
Then the wheels came off. Maine South altered its look, and forced the Huskies to react to the game rather than influence it.
“I think we were just too confident going into the second half,” Hayes said. “We kind of stepped off the gas. They didn’t.
"We make a stupid foul in the box, and that makes it a close game.”
The Huskies played a discordant tune throughout the second half. The energy flagged, and the decision-making was exceptionally poor.
“They came out with a totally high tempo against us that second half,” Fried said. “We got sloppier and started missing passes and making bad clearances, stuff we don’t usually do.
“We kept them in the game a little too long, and they did a good job of taking away the tempo. We got away from what we like to do.”
Few things sharpen the mind like the prospect of defeat, and a lost season.
“You don’t want to have a bad day, and today was almost looking like it,” Bogard said.
“You have to do what you need in order to get the job done. I think today showed our character, drive and real scrappiness.”
The Dussias’ saves settled the team.
Bogard did his magic.
For his outstanding play and game-winning goal, Bogard earned the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honor.
The defense held during the somewhat tumultuous second 10-minute overtime.
“They had a couple of chances, but I thought in the overtime, we completely took over again,” Fried said.
“We probably should have put two away, but we got the one we needed and finished the game off. You have to find a way to win, and we did that today against a tough team.”
Starting lineups
Maine South
GK: Jakub Wiktorczyk
D: Luca Canetta
D: Ethan Kasicki
D: Sam Middendorf
D: Sam Cohen
MF: Tahar El Metennani
MF: Nino Grimaldi
MF: Mateja Radosavljevic
MF: Liam Sultana
F: Patel Bochnia
F: Zach Malinsky
Oak Park and River Forest
GK: Christian Dussias
D: Ezra Plotkin
D: Tukura Hess
D: Charlie Maguire
D: Diego Zarate
D: Isaac Felder
MF: Isaac Cummings
MF: Jadyn Hsieh-Bailey
F: Colin Hayes
F: Easton Bogart
F: Bryce Richards
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match:
Easton Bogard, jr., F, Oak Park and River Forest
Scoring summary
First half
OPRF: Colin Hayes (Ezra Plotkin), 27th minute
Second half
MS: Nino Grimaldi (penalty kick), 66th minute
First overtime
OPRF: Easton Bogard (Jadyn Hsieh-Bailey), 87th minute
Second overtime
No scoring