St. Ignatius can't solve
IC Catholic Prep keeper in draw
Numerous shots, no goals for Wolfpack in 0-0 tie
By Bobby Narang
ELMHURST – After a long bus ride from Chicago, St. Ignatius was welcomed by an unwanted visitor on Thursday afternoon – Mother Nature.
A late-arriving storm led to a lightning delay against nonconference host IC Catholic Prep. The two teams finally started the game 41 minutes past the scheduled time, leading to a streamlined beginning with no introductions. A few seconds into the game, a sudden, driving rainstorm tormented both teams.
St. Ignatius junior midfielder Nathan Schneider said the rough start affected both teams.
“It was tough to stay ready and in the right mentality after the drive and then sitting in the locker room during the delay,” Schneider said. “We tried to stay stretched but there wasn’t much space to stay warm. It was tough to maintain focus without knowing when or if the game would start.”
With 32:46 left until intermission, the game was halted, leading to more frustration, Schneider said.
“Then, two minutes into the game, it started pouring to the point where it was hard to see,” he said. “The wind pushed the rain into our eyes. The game was very sloppy with a lot of missed headers and scrappy play. It was tough for both teams to adapt to the conditions but we all wanted to keep playing. When we found out there was another delay, we were disappointed.”
After things finally got restarted and then finished, the Wolfpack had to settle for a scoreless draw against the Knights at Lewis Stadium.
St. Ignatius coach Matt Miller joked it seemed like the Wolfpack had 50 shots on goal in the scoreless draw. The Wolfpack closed out the first half with four shots in the final 10 minutes.
“We started off slow for the first 10 minutes, and they got the better of us. But as the first half progressed, we got a good grip on them,” he said. “We created some opportunities and got momentum. It was a narrow field, and we wanted to open up the game and get the ball to the wings.
“In the second half, we had 15 to 20 shots on target, but their goalkeeper had the best game of his life. They also did a good job defending. We applied pressure pretty intensely for two-thirds of the second half and had the better part of the possession. We just couldn’t finish. We created opportunities, and another day we might put them away. We have to do more practicing on finishing and hopefully that confidence will grow into the playoffs.”
The Wolfpack (7-4-4, 2-2-2 Chicago Catholic League Blue Division) failed to score a goal for the third time in their last four games, showing they clearly missed standout senior forward Russell Robertson, who is slated to return from an injury within the next 10 days.
The exact timetable for Robertson to return is unsure, but the Wolfpack will certainly be happy if he’s back by the time the Class AA playoffs start. The Wolfpack, the no. 3 seed in the St. Laurence Sectional, will begin the postseason against Lake View in a regional semifinal on Oct. 18 at 4:30 p.m.
“Having Russell back will be great for us,” Schneider said. “He will be able to help our finishing and is a huge part of the team. He always works hard and knows where to be. The team is ready for Russell to be back, and we know that he’s ready to make an impact for the playoffs.”
Miller said Robertson brings a different dynamic to his team’s ability to attack, especially in the final third.
“He makes a big impact,” he said. “He’s got great speed, high energy, is always breaking lines in the final third and can also finish well. We’re definitely going to lack that dynamic speed and directness up-front.”
The Wolfpack can fix some of their woes and gain a measure of confidence heading into the playoffs on Tuesday, when they host Loyola (5-6-4, 3-1-1) at 6:30 p.m. The game was suspended due to weather Sept. 20.
“Loyola is a huge game for us, and it’s important for us to stay composed,” Schneider said. “In our game that was canceled, we were tied at zero after 25 minutes of tough play. We have to play our strengths and make sure we don’t concede. We have to play hard, and we’re going to need everyone on the team to step up and make a difference.”
Miller said it’s imperative to come out strong against the aggressive Ramblers.
“We had a 25-minute game against them a few weeks ago, so we have a good idea how they play,” Miller said. “They like to get ball into the forwards, find those pockets of space and their strikers. Our objective defensively is to close those gaps and prevent those goals.”
St. Ignatius needs to win to take the league title.
If Loyola wins or ties, it will take the league title in the final Chicago Catholic League Blue Division game of the season.
On Thursday, St. Ignatius wasn’t able to sneak a shot by IC Catholic Prep goalie Adalberto Suarez. The junior locked down the space between the pipes, stopping an overabundance of shots, according to his coach Miguel Garcia.
The Knights (9-6-1, 5-0-x Metro Suburban Conference Red Division champions) matched the bigger class Wolfpack in the first half. The Knights had two quality shots within a 90-second stretch midway through the first half.
But the main star of the game was Suarez, the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match.
“That was his best game of the season,” Garcia said. “He played great, and did a good job stopping them. We were just tired. That was our third game in three days. We were physically (drained), and the weather delays made everything harder.”
Schneider said the positives outweighed the negatives for Loyola. Goalie Liam McConnell recorded a clean-sheet and the backline played solid.
“We were able to create a lot of great chances, especially in the second half when we settled into the game,” Schneider said. “We had many different chances from a variety of players. It wasn’t our day on the finishing aspect, but we played solid throughout the rest of the field and really locked up on the defensive end.”
Miller said Schneider’s play has been instrumental in the Wolfpack avoiding any long stretches of uneven play.
“Nathan has had a turbulent season with (injuries),” he said. “He was out for a few weeks. He’s our tenacious center mid. He wins every ball … shows great effort and has a great attitude.”
Schneider said he’s happy to be healthy and ready to make an impact for the Wolfpack down the stretch.
“I’ve had some ups and downs,” Schneider said. “Everyone has been supportive and not trying to push my injuries.”
Starting lineups
St. Ignatius
GK: Liam McConnell
D: Lucas Hanna
D: Bryce Lynch
D: Brock Richards
D: Leonardo Diaz
MF: Enzo Santilian
MF: Nathan Schneider
MF: Roman Marsh
MF: Colin Chough
F: Nicholas Rezza
F: Oscar Quinn Pasin
IC Catholic Prep
GK: Adalberto Suarez
D: Andy Schueler
D: Jake Sloan
D: Seamus Reilly
D: Ben Leischner
MF: Giovanny Velasquez
MF: Julian Salgado
MF: Jaden Surendran
MF: Tristan Salgado
F: Filip Ciepiela
F: Paul Nelson
Chicagoland Man of the Match:
Adalberto Suarez, jr., GK, IC Catholic Prep
Scoring summary
First half
No scoring
Second half
No scoring
IC Catholic Prep keeper in draw
Numerous shots, no goals for Wolfpack in 0-0 tie
By Bobby Narang
ELMHURST – After a long bus ride from Chicago, St. Ignatius was welcomed by an unwanted visitor on Thursday afternoon – Mother Nature.
A late-arriving storm led to a lightning delay against nonconference host IC Catholic Prep. The two teams finally started the game 41 minutes past the scheduled time, leading to a streamlined beginning with no introductions. A few seconds into the game, a sudden, driving rainstorm tormented both teams.
St. Ignatius junior midfielder Nathan Schneider said the rough start affected both teams.
“It was tough to stay ready and in the right mentality after the drive and then sitting in the locker room during the delay,” Schneider said. “We tried to stay stretched but there wasn’t much space to stay warm. It was tough to maintain focus without knowing when or if the game would start.”
With 32:46 left until intermission, the game was halted, leading to more frustration, Schneider said.
“Then, two minutes into the game, it started pouring to the point where it was hard to see,” he said. “The wind pushed the rain into our eyes. The game was very sloppy with a lot of missed headers and scrappy play. It was tough for both teams to adapt to the conditions but we all wanted to keep playing. When we found out there was another delay, we were disappointed.”
After things finally got restarted and then finished, the Wolfpack had to settle for a scoreless draw against the Knights at Lewis Stadium.
St. Ignatius coach Matt Miller joked it seemed like the Wolfpack had 50 shots on goal in the scoreless draw. The Wolfpack closed out the first half with four shots in the final 10 minutes.
“We started off slow for the first 10 minutes, and they got the better of us. But as the first half progressed, we got a good grip on them,” he said. “We created some opportunities and got momentum. It was a narrow field, and we wanted to open up the game and get the ball to the wings.
“In the second half, we had 15 to 20 shots on target, but their goalkeeper had the best game of his life. They also did a good job defending. We applied pressure pretty intensely for two-thirds of the second half and had the better part of the possession. We just couldn’t finish. We created opportunities, and another day we might put them away. We have to do more practicing on finishing and hopefully that confidence will grow into the playoffs.”
The Wolfpack (7-4-4, 2-2-2 Chicago Catholic League Blue Division) failed to score a goal for the third time in their last four games, showing they clearly missed standout senior forward Russell Robertson, who is slated to return from an injury within the next 10 days.
The exact timetable for Robertson to return is unsure, but the Wolfpack will certainly be happy if he’s back by the time the Class AA playoffs start. The Wolfpack, the no. 3 seed in the St. Laurence Sectional, will begin the postseason against Lake View in a regional semifinal on Oct. 18 at 4:30 p.m.
“Having Russell back will be great for us,” Schneider said. “He will be able to help our finishing and is a huge part of the team. He always works hard and knows where to be. The team is ready for Russell to be back, and we know that he’s ready to make an impact for the playoffs.”
Miller said Robertson brings a different dynamic to his team’s ability to attack, especially in the final third.
“He makes a big impact,” he said. “He’s got great speed, high energy, is always breaking lines in the final third and can also finish well. We’re definitely going to lack that dynamic speed and directness up-front.”
The Wolfpack can fix some of their woes and gain a measure of confidence heading into the playoffs on Tuesday, when they host Loyola (5-6-4, 3-1-1) at 6:30 p.m. The game was suspended due to weather Sept. 20.
“Loyola is a huge game for us, and it’s important for us to stay composed,” Schneider said. “In our game that was canceled, we were tied at zero after 25 minutes of tough play. We have to play our strengths and make sure we don’t concede. We have to play hard, and we’re going to need everyone on the team to step up and make a difference.”
Miller said it’s imperative to come out strong against the aggressive Ramblers.
“We had a 25-minute game against them a few weeks ago, so we have a good idea how they play,” Miller said. “They like to get ball into the forwards, find those pockets of space and their strikers. Our objective defensively is to close those gaps and prevent those goals.”
St. Ignatius needs to win to take the league title.
If Loyola wins or ties, it will take the league title in the final Chicago Catholic League Blue Division game of the season.
On Thursday, St. Ignatius wasn’t able to sneak a shot by IC Catholic Prep goalie Adalberto Suarez. The junior locked down the space between the pipes, stopping an overabundance of shots, according to his coach Miguel Garcia.
The Knights (9-6-1, 5-0-x Metro Suburban Conference Red Division champions) matched the bigger class Wolfpack in the first half. The Knights had two quality shots within a 90-second stretch midway through the first half.
But the main star of the game was Suarez, the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match.
“That was his best game of the season,” Garcia said. “He played great, and did a good job stopping them. We were just tired. That was our third game in three days. We were physically (drained), and the weather delays made everything harder.”
Schneider said the positives outweighed the negatives for Loyola. Goalie Liam McConnell recorded a clean-sheet and the backline played solid.
“We were able to create a lot of great chances, especially in the second half when we settled into the game,” Schneider said. “We had many different chances from a variety of players. It wasn’t our day on the finishing aspect, but we played solid throughout the rest of the field and really locked up on the defensive end.”
Miller said Schneider’s play has been instrumental in the Wolfpack avoiding any long stretches of uneven play.
“Nathan has had a turbulent season with (injuries),” he said. “He was out for a few weeks. He’s our tenacious center mid. He wins every ball … shows great effort and has a great attitude.”
Schneider said he’s happy to be healthy and ready to make an impact for the Wolfpack down the stretch.
“I’ve had some ups and downs,” Schneider said. “Everyone has been supportive and not trying to push my injuries.”
Starting lineups
St. Ignatius
GK: Liam McConnell
D: Lucas Hanna
D: Bryce Lynch
D: Brock Richards
D: Leonardo Diaz
MF: Enzo Santilian
MF: Nathan Schneider
MF: Roman Marsh
MF: Colin Chough
F: Nicholas Rezza
F: Oscar Quinn Pasin
IC Catholic Prep
GK: Adalberto Suarez
D: Andy Schueler
D: Jake Sloan
D: Seamus Reilly
D: Ben Leischner
MF: Giovanny Velasquez
MF: Julian Salgado
MF: Jaden Surendran
MF: Tristan Salgado
F: Filip Ciepiela
F: Paul Nelson
Chicagoland Man of the Match:
Adalberto Suarez, jr., GK, IC Catholic Prep
Scoring summary
First half
No scoring
Second half
No scoring