Barrington's new senior starters
on point versus Palatine
Group making most of opportunity, leads Broncos to 2-0 win
By Bobby Narang
BARRINGTON — David Gomez is trying to find his place on an old but young team.
The Barrington senior midfielder is playing his first season on the varsity after spending last season competing in a soccer league in Mexico. Before that, Gomez played on the lower levels in the Broncos’ highly competitive program.
After the Broncos suffered heavy graduation losses, Gomez is among a number of seniors on the Broncos getting their first significant varsity playing
time.
So far, Gomez has made the most of his opportunity. He scored his fourth goal of the season in Barrington’s 2-0 win over Palatine in Mid-Suburban League West Division action Wednesday night.
The Broncos, ranked 21st in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, scored a goal in each half to knock off the Pirates (1-4-1, 1-1-0).
Gomez said he’s adapting to playing for Barrington after spending several months in Mexico during his junior season, playing for an academy to better his skills.
“I didn’t play for Barrington in the spring,” Gomez said. “I was playing in Mexico with this academy. I didn’t adjust, and I got homesick and things were not going my way, so I came back. I feel great now.”
A starting midfielder, Gomez said his brief time playing soccer abroad gave him a new perspective and also showed him a different style of soccer.
“I’ve noticed a lot of changes since I’ve come back,” he said. “I just have to work hard. Some days I know things are not going to come my way. I have to stay focused and determined.
“I learned a lot in Mexico playing soccer. It was a good experience. I got to see my family and visit them and experience a different (style) of soccer. It was faster and dirtier. They play very physical. I got used to playing that way and with the (hot) weather. Right here, it’s a bit slower.”
Gomez is one of a handful of first-time starters on the Broncos’ varsity roster. Barrington (5-1-0, 2-0-0) has posted two-straight shutout wins since dropping a 3-1 decision on Sept. 2 in Barrington Classic pool play to eventual runnerup Lake Zurich.
Barrington coach Scott Steib said Gomez is part of a new wave of talented, upperclassmen hungry to put their own mark on the program.
“This has been an interesting window of time for us,” Steib said. “We had a senior class last year where we had nine starters. Seven of them started for me as sophomores, juniors and seniors. We never have had that.
“If you were stuck behind that, there were good players there, but you could’ve been a good player stuck behind that. It’s very interesting to have a team where you lose nine starters. So we have like five first-year players on the varsity. David would’ve been with us in his junior year if he was here.
“But we’re doing fine, because the group behind them were not on the varsity because of a lack of talent, but because they had talent ahead of them. David would’ve been up as a sophomore but there was too much talent and depth ahead of him.”
The Broncos were hit with some bad luck early in Wednesday’s match, when starting defender Adam Walocha left the game and did not return with a lower leg injury in the 11th minute. Soon after, defender Mattie Vitale suffered a game-ending injury in the 16th minute, wiping out two 6-foot-2 defenders from the Broncos’ lineup.
In total, the game featured six injury timeouts. The Broncos have already lost Ben Yaney to a broken foot for the rest of the season. Matthew Christensen played only a few minutes against the Pirates before leaving due to illness. Kyle Horak also remains sidelined with an injury, but is day-to-day.
“It was a sloppy game,” Steib said. “In terms of injuries, we have a lot of them, even David has not been training and nursing an injury. Our training staff has been fantastic, and been incredible and been as good as I’ve had in my 29 years of coaching.
“We lose two left backs in the first 15 or so minutes, but one of our strengths is good depth. That showed. Kyle Wanca came off the bench and played great. Kyle was rock steady solid in the air, snuffed out Palatine’s set pieces. That’s great depth to have a kid come off the bench and be our Man of the Match. David is probably our most polished player. Jeremiah Gascho played great in the second half. ... Hopefully we can survive these injuries, and we get them back soon.”
Once he entered the game, senior Kyle Wanca helped steady the Broncos with his anticipation and energy against a Palatine squad that tallied just seven total shots.
“It’s early in the season, but we’re really hungry and have a lot of seniors,” Wanca said. “We’re really motivated. We’re taking it practice by practice and want to win every day. I’m proud of how the team played today against a very physical team.”
In the 28th minute, Barrington’s Michael Vitale opened up the scoring. He knocked in his first goal of the season off a corner kick. The forward also has two assists.
“That goal was a product of hard work in the box,” Vitale said. “That goal felt great, especially since it was such a crucial goal in the game.
“It was tough to have three injuries in the game. Those are trees in the back; both of them are very physical and have a presence in the back.
“One thing we have at Barrington is a ton of depth -- kids hungry to play minutes and help the team. We have more to show that what we did today. We could’ve played better.”
Gomez gave the hosts a badly needed insurance goal in the 53rd minute, finishing a beautiful cross from Gascho right in front of the box and accomplishing his goal for the game.
“I was hungry,” Gomez said. “I told myself before (the game), and even my parents, that I’m going to score a goal today. I was hungry for it. I was looking for it in the first half but didn’t get it.
“In the second half, I was more desperate to score. I tried to go more in the six, in the box. I saw one of my teammates get the ball. I had a perfect chance, was open. And I screamed his name, and he passed it. It was incredible to score.”
Palatine senior defender Chris Mejia said his team showed some positive glimpses against Barrington but must work on consistency.
“I just feel it was a lack of communication on those two goals,” Mejia said. “We had a great game but just couldn’t sneak in a few goals. We have a pretty good team. We have to communicate better.”
Palatine junior backliner Liam Rhattigan, a first-time varsity starter, agreed with Mejia’s assessment.
“We just have a few moments of a lack of focus, here and there,” Rhattigan said. “We lose our marks. They play a good game and switch the field. (Barrington) is the best team we’ve played so far.”
After the two-goal shutout loss, Palatine coach Willie Filian reflected on his many experiences battling the Broncos, both home and away. The Pirates mentor is slated to retire at the end of the season after 31 years leading the program.
The fixture on the Palatine sidelines since 1991 guided the Pirates to a state championship in 1994 and a third place finish in 1995 — the golden years of the program.
“This is my last time here at least as a head coach, but I’ll be back here to watch games,” Filian said. “This field brings back a lot of memories, even before the turf.
“Barrington always been a class program, so it’s always been a pleasure to come here. Most of the time, we’ve had some (losing) results. We’ve won here for a couple of playoff games, mainly in the 90s when we made some long playoff runs.
“But they’ve mainly had the better of us here. At home, we’ve gotten them about half the time. It’s been a pleasure coaching against Scott. He’s a very good coach, and he always has his guys ready. They have some great talent.
“You want to play against the best teams. This is one of the best teams in our conference, so it’s kind of cool that we don’t have to schedule them.”
Steib, who took the Barrington head coach job in 1999, said he’s enjoyed his many battles trying to match wits against Filian.
“I’m three years behind Willie in coaching; I came here in 1994,” Steib said. “I’ve been competing against him for 28 years.
“He’s got a state title in the bag and been a leader among the Mid-Suburban League coaches in terms of the way you conduct your business. Palatine will lose a lot at the end of the year when he retires, but the Mid-Suburban League loses a legend.
“It’s been an honor. I have so much respect for him and the Palatine program. Willie has been the face of the program for a long time.”
Starting lineups
Palatine
GK Diego Maradiaga
D Kristian Hernandez
D Liam Rhattigan
D Osvaldo Navarrette
D Chris Mejia
M Zachary Sondergaard
M Aaron Garcia
M Jesus Leyva
M Dennis Valle Rauda
F Isaac Lara
F Tony Milenkov
Barrington
GK Alex Hackney
D Matthew Christensen
D Mathew Klujian
D Ryan Change
D Adam Walocha
M Jonathan Li
M Jeremiah Gascho
M David Gomez
M Jack Peterson
F Kieren Londergan
F Chris Kilayko
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Kyle Wanca, sr., D, Barrington
Scoring summary
First half
Barrington: Michael Vitale (Kyle Wanca) 28th minute
Second half
Barrington: David Gomez (Jeremiah Gascho) 53rd minute
on point versus Palatine
Group making most of opportunity, leads Broncos to 2-0 win
By Bobby Narang
BARRINGTON — David Gomez is trying to find his place on an old but young team.
The Barrington senior midfielder is playing his first season on the varsity after spending last season competing in a soccer league in Mexico. Before that, Gomez played on the lower levels in the Broncos’ highly competitive program.
After the Broncos suffered heavy graduation losses, Gomez is among a number of seniors on the Broncos getting their first significant varsity playing
time.
So far, Gomez has made the most of his opportunity. He scored his fourth goal of the season in Barrington’s 2-0 win over Palatine in Mid-Suburban League West Division action Wednesday night.
The Broncos, ranked 21st in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, scored a goal in each half to knock off the Pirates (1-4-1, 1-1-0).
Gomez said he’s adapting to playing for Barrington after spending several months in Mexico during his junior season, playing for an academy to better his skills.
“I didn’t play for Barrington in the spring,” Gomez said. “I was playing in Mexico with this academy. I didn’t adjust, and I got homesick and things were not going my way, so I came back. I feel great now.”
A starting midfielder, Gomez said his brief time playing soccer abroad gave him a new perspective and also showed him a different style of soccer.
“I’ve noticed a lot of changes since I’ve come back,” he said. “I just have to work hard. Some days I know things are not going to come my way. I have to stay focused and determined.
“I learned a lot in Mexico playing soccer. It was a good experience. I got to see my family and visit them and experience a different (style) of soccer. It was faster and dirtier. They play very physical. I got used to playing that way and with the (hot) weather. Right here, it’s a bit slower.”
Gomez is one of a handful of first-time starters on the Broncos’ varsity roster. Barrington (5-1-0, 2-0-0) has posted two-straight shutout wins since dropping a 3-1 decision on Sept. 2 in Barrington Classic pool play to eventual runnerup Lake Zurich.
Barrington coach Scott Steib said Gomez is part of a new wave of talented, upperclassmen hungry to put their own mark on the program.
“This has been an interesting window of time for us,” Steib said. “We had a senior class last year where we had nine starters. Seven of them started for me as sophomores, juniors and seniors. We never have had that.
“If you were stuck behind that, there were good players there, but you could’ve been a good player stuck behind that. It’s very interesting to have a team where you lose nine starters. So we have like five first-year players on the varsity. David would’ve been with us in his junior year if he was here.
“But we’re doing fine, because the group behind them were not on the varsity because of a lack of talent, but because they had talent ahead of them. David would’ve been up as a sophomore but there was too much talent and depth ahead of him.”
The Broncos were hit with some bad luck early in Wednesday’s match, when starting defender Adam Walocha left the game and did not return with a lower leg injury in the 11th minute. Soon after, defender Mattie Vitale suffered a game-ending injury in the 16th minute, wiping out two 6-foot-2 defenders from the Broncos’ lineup.
In total, the game featured six injury timeouts. The Broncos have already lost Ben Yaney to a broken foot for the rest of the season. Matthew Christensen played only a few minutes against the Pirates before leaving due to illness. Kyle Horak also remains sidelined with an injury, but is day-to-day.
“It was a sloppy game,” Steib said. “In terms of injuries, we have a lot of them, even David has not been training and nursing an injury. Our training staff has been fantastic, and been incredible and been as good as I’ve had in my 29 years of coaching.
“We lose two left backs in the first 15 or so minutes, but one of our strengths is good depth. That showed. Kyle Wanca came off the bench and played great. Kyle was rock steady solid in the air, snuffed out Palatine’s set pieces. That’s great depth to have a kid come off the bench and be our Man of the Match. David is probably our most polished player. Jeremiah Gascho played great in the second half. ... Hopefully we can survive these injuries, and we get them back soon.”
Once he entered the game, senior Kyle Wanca helped steady the Broncos with his anticipation and energy against a Palatine squad that tallied just seven total shots.
“It’s early in the season, but we’re really hungry and have a lot of seniors,” Wanca said. “We’re really motivated. We’re taking it practice by practice and want to win every day. I’m proud of how the team played today against a very physical team.”
In the 28th minute, Barrington’s Michael Vitale opened up the scoring. He knocked in his first goal of the season off a corner kick. The forward also has two assists.
“That goal was a product of hard work in the box,” Vitale said. “That goal felt great, especially since it was such a crucial goal in the game.
“It was tough to have three injuries in the game. Those are trees in the back; both of them are very physical and have a presence in the back.
“One thing we have at Barrington is a ton of depth -- kids hungry to play minutes and help the team. We have more to show that what we did today. We could’ve played better.”
Gomez gave the hosts a badly needed insurance goal in the 53rd minute, finishing a beautiful cross from Gascho right in front of the box and accomplishing his goal for the game.
“I was hungry,” Gomez said. “I told myself before (the game), and even my parents, that I’m going to score a goal today. I was hungry for it. I was looking for it in the first half but didn’t get it.
“In the second half, I was more desperate to score. I tried to go more in the six, in the box. I saw one of my teammates get the ball. I had a perfect chance, was open. And I screamed his name, and he passed it. It was incredible to score.”
Palatine senior defender Chris Mejia said his team showed some positive glimpses against Barrington but must work on consistency.
“I just feel it was a lack of communication on those two goals,” Mejia said. “We had a great game but just couldn’t sneak in a few goals. We have a pretty good team. We have to communicate better.”
Palatine junior backliner Liam Rhattigan, a first-time varsity starter, agreed with Mejia’s assessment.
“We just have a few moments of a lack of focus, here and there,” Rhattigan said. “We lose our marks. They play a good game and switch the field. (Barrington) is the best team we’ve played so far.”
After the two-goal shutout loss, Palatine coach Willie Filian reflected on his many experiences battling the Broncos, both home and away. The Pirates mentor is slated to retire at the end of the season after 31 years leading the program.
The fixture on the Palatine sidelines since 1991 guided the Pirates to a state championship in 1994 and a third place finish in 1995 — the golden years of the program.
“This is my last time here at least as a head coach, but I’ll be back here to watch games,” Filian said. “This field brings back a lot of memories, even before the turf.
“Barrington always been a class program, so it’s always been a pleasure to come here. Most of the time, we’ve had some (losing) results. We’ve won here for a couple of playoff games, mainly in the 90s when we made some long playoff runs.
“But they’ve mainly had the better of us here. At home, we’ve gotten them about half the time. It’s been a pleasure coaching against Scott. He’s a very good coach, and he always has his guys ready. They have some great talent.
“You want to play against the best teams. This is one of the best teams in our conference, so it’s kind of cool that we don’t have to schedule them.”
Steib, who took the Barrington head coach job in 1999, said he’s enjoyed his many battles trying to match wits against Filian.
“I’m three years behind Willie in coaching; I came here in 1994,” Steib said. “I’ve been competing against him for 28 years.
“He’s got a state title in the bag and been a leader among the Mid-Suburban League coaches in terms of the way you conduct your business. Palatine will lose a lot at the end of the year when he retires, but the Mid-Suburban League loses a legend.
“It’s been an honor. I have so much respect for him and the Palatine program. Willie has been the face of the program for a long time.”
Starting lineups
Palatine
GK Diego Maradiaga
D Kristian Hernandez
D Liam Rhattigan
D Osvaldo Navarrette
D Chris Mejia
M Zachary Sondergaard
M Aaron Garcia
M Jesus Leyva
M Dennis Valle Rauda
F Isaac Lara
F Tony Milenkov
Barrington
GK Alex Hackney
D Matthew Christensen
D Mathew Klujian
D Ryan Change
D Adam Walocha
M Jonathan Li
M Jeremiah Gascho
M David Gomez
M Jack Peterson
F Kieren Londergan
F Chris Kilayko
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Kyle Wanca, sr., D, Barrington
Scoring summary
First half
Barrington: Michael Vitale (Kyle Wanca) 28th minute
Second half
Barrington: David Gomez (Jeremiah Gascho) 53rd minute