St. Ignatius’ fast start continues vs. Jones
Quinn-Pasin leads young Wolfpack to 4-0 win
By Patrick Z. McGavin
CHICAGO -- St. Ignatius is ostensibly a new team, liberated from the past and ready to make a mark on the new season.
With just three returning players and one rotation player back, the Wolfpack have the freedom to do what they want. The past is unbeholden to them.
“We are just trying to start off the season strong,” midfielder Oscar Quinn-Pasin said. “Last year we had a couple of rough patches in the beginning of the season.”
A Chicagoland Soccer All-State Watch List player last year, Quinn-Pasin showed tremendous promise with his combination of size, presence on the ball and ability to finish through contact.
“I think my role this year is both an evolution and a continuation from last year,” he said. “I think I am continuing to have a big role on the team.
“As I’m getting older, now that I am a junior, my role is even bigger.”
Quinn-Pasin had a goal and assist as the Wolfpack demonstrated chemistry, balance and an aggressive style in the 4-0 victory over Jones in the Chinatown neighborhood Thursday afternoon.
“We lost to this team 2-0 last year,” Quinn-Pasin said. “So far we are looking good.”
The Wolfpack (2-0-0) scored two goals in each half. Quinn-Pasin and midfielder Carter Harris have been the early catalysts for the attack. The two scored a goal apiece in the 2-1 season-opening victory Tuesday against Parker.
The two had a goal and assist Thursday.
Quinn-Pasin, defender Lucas Hanna, keeper Liam McConnell and midfielders Colin Chough are the only experienced players from a team that showed rapid improvement by the end of the season in qualifying for a Class AA sectional semifinal.
“The boys are buzzing to get started,” coach Matt Miller said.
Jones’ coach Paul Zubb is also experiencing a radically new squad after he graduated 14 players from last year’s team. He had an ominous sense about the game from the start.
“When I was walking through the line and I saw their whole team, I saw that they were very active. They had a lot more energy than us,” he said. “They caught us on a day, and they did well.”
The Wolfpack demonstrated toughness and grace in building out the attack. From the start they were the more aggressive team and created numerous chances in the opening stretches of play. St. Ignatius moved the ball quickly from side to side and pushed numbers forward.
Midfielder David Jacobo said the team’s mentality is different.
“We’re more of a direct style of people and players,” he said. “We try to move it back and forth into the middle and get forward with the ball as fast as possible. We like to hold it, and seek out our opportunities.
“That’s what we did in the first half.”
The Wolfpack broke through just inside the midway juncture of the opening half. In the 22nd minute, forward Russell Robertson got loose with the ball at the top of the attack and played the ball wide.
Harris controlled the ball from the right wing and played a ball into the box that Jacobo smashed home from about 11 yards for his first goal of the year.
“All the drills we do in practice, we try to go side to side, get our left and right midfielders involved and cross the ball in,” Jacobo said. “That’s what we were able to do. We were all in their half, just pressing and playing all out.
“We came from the right side, crossed it right into the middle, fumbled a bit and I got the last touch in.”
The season is early. St. Ignatius is playing a hybrid style of being relaxed and comfortable though aggressive with the ball. It is an infectious and open style.
Players are discovering new actions and possibilities about themselves.
“I grew up being more of a passive player, and playing the ball from the back and through the middle and just seeking opportunities,” Jacobo said. “It’s a big difference this year being more straight-forward and playing more direct.
“I’m looking forward this season to the new ways that we are playing.”
Quinn-Pasin is both a playmaker and catalyst. His play stands out, his creativity and shot-making put the defense under constant duress.
He put the game out of reach during a dominant stretch at the end of the first half and the beginning of the second half.
In the 30th minute, Quinn-Pasin pushed the ball down the right edge and hammered a ball that Eagles’ keeper Simon Isaac deflected. Harris was the beneficiary, perfectly positioned for the rebound finish from about eight yards.
“I just try to play direct and take guys on one on one, create off the dribble and score goals,” Quinn-Pasin said.
His mastery continued into the second half with a picture-perfect goal in the 45th minute. Off a corner opportunity, set piece specialist Enzo Santillan noticed the open space the Eagles conceded on the left edge.
He played the short ball to Quinn-Pass, who faced no resistance in playing a howitzer ball from about 22 yards from the left wing.
Simon had no shot at stopping the rocket ball that curled inside the far post for the 3-0 lead.
“We spend a lot of time during practice on set pieces,” Santillan said. “We try to get them down really nicely. Coming off those corners, I think it worked really well with me and Oscar.
“We started the season together working the left side. That showed today. We have good chemistry together, and it’s easy to work on that side of the field and see if we can create something.”
The goal from Quinn-Pasin, who earned the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honor for his play, was game, set and match.
Robertson converted a late penalty kick for the final margin.
Jones (1-1-0) had some half-chances, and generated a couple of decent corner set pieces and free kicks of their own.
St. Ignatius’ athletic and rangy 6-foot-2 keeper McConnell posted three saves for his first shutout this season.
The home team was left to regroup.
“As a team, Jones’ effort was not good enough,” Zubb said. “First half when Max Castro came in, he played well on the wing. Otherwise, we have maybe one or two guys who really saw a lot of minutes last year.
“Once again, no excuses. These guys have trained and practiced really hard. They put in a lot of effort. They’ve been here, and been committed. I don’t have an answer.”
Starting lineups
St. Ignatius
GK: Liam McConnell
D: Enzo Santillan
D: Lucas Hanna
D: Bryce Lynch
D: Leonardo Diaz
MF: Oscar Quinn-Pasin
MF: Colin Chough
MF: David Jacobo
MF: Nathan Schneider
MF: Roman Marsh
F: Russell Robertson
Jones
GK: Isaac Simon
D: Andrew Meints
D: Martin Clements
D: Dario Nardini
D: Stefan Dabic
MF: Brenden Dons
MF: Robert Griffith
MF: Paxton Hengesbach
MF: Ricardo Fonseca
MF: Hector Jimenez
F: Kofi Bugyei
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Oscar Quinn-Pasin, jr., MF, St. Ignatius
Scoring summary
First half
St. Ignatius—David Jacobo (Carter Harris), 22nd minute
St. Ignatius—Harris (Oscar Quinn-Pasin), 30th minute
Second half
St. Ignatius—Quinn-Pasin (Enzo Santillan), 45th minute
St. Ignatius—Russell Robertson (penalty kick), 79th minute
Quinn-Pasin leads young Wolfpack to 4-0 win
By Patrick Z. McGavin
CHICAGO -- St. Ignatius is ostensibly a new team, liberated from the past and ready to make a mark on the new season.
With just three returning players and one rotation player back, the Wolfpack have the freedom to do what they want. The past is unbeholden to them.
“We are just trying to start off the season strong,” midfielder Oscar Quinn-Pasin said. “Last year we had a couple of rough patches in the beginning of the season.”
A Chicagoland Soccer All-State Watch List player last year, Quinn-Pasin showed tremendous promise with his combination of size, presence on the ball and ability to finish through contact.
“I think my role this year is both an evolution and a continuation from last year,” he said. “I think I am continuing to have a big role on the team.
“As I’m getting older, now that I am a junior, my role is even bigger.”
Quinn-Pasin had a goal and assist as the Wolfpack demonstrated chemistry, balance and an aggressive style in the 4-0 victory over Jones in the Chinatown neighborhood Thursday afternoon.
“We lost to this team 2-0 last year,” Quinn-Pasin said. “So far we are looking good.”
The Wolfpack (2-0-0) scored two goals in each half. Quinn-Pasin and midfielder Carter Harris have been the early catalysts for the attack. The two scored a goal apiece in the 2-1 season-opening victory Tuesday against Parker.
The two had a goal and assist Thursday.
Quinn-Pasin, defender Lucas Hanna, keeper Liam McConnell and midfielders Colin Chough are the only experienced players from a team that showed rapid improvement by the end of the season in qualifying for a Class AA sectional semifinal.
“The boys are buzzing to get started,” coach Matt Miller said.
Jones’ coach Paul Zubb is also experiencing a radically new squad after he graduated 14 players from last year’s team. He had an ominous sense about the game from the start.
“When I was walking through the line and I saw their whole team, I saw that they were very active. They had a lot more energy than us,” he said. “They caught us on a day, and they did well.”
The Wolfpack demonstrated toughness and grace in building out the attack. From the start they were the more aggressive team and created numerous chances in the opening stretches of play. St. Ignatius moved the ball quickly from side to side and pushed numbers forward.
Midfielder David Jacobo said the team’s mentality is different.
“We’re more of a direct style of people and players,” he said. “We try to move it back and forth into the middle and get forward with the ball as fast as possible. We like to hold it, and seek out our opportunities.
“That’s what we did in the first half.”
The Wolfpack broke through just inside the midway juncture of the opening half. In the 22nd minute, forward Russell Robertson got loose with the ball at the top of the attack and played the ball wide.
Harris controlled the ball from the right wing and played a ball into the box that Jacobo smashed home from about 11 yards for his first goal of the year.
“All the drills we do in practice, we try to go side to side, get our left and right midfielders involved and cross the ball in,” Jacobo said. “That’s what we were able to do. We were all in their half, just pressing and playing all out.
“We came from the right side, crossed it right into the middle, fumbled a bit and I got the last touch in.”
The season is early. St. Ignatius is playing a hybrid style of being relaxed and comfortable though aggressive with the ball. It is an infectious and open style.
Players are discovering new actions and possibilities about themselves.
“I grew up being more of a passive player, and playing the ball from the back and through the middle and just seeking opportunities,” Jacobo said. “It’s a big difference this year being more straight-forward and playing more direct.
“I’m looking forward this season to the new ways that we are playing.”
Quinn-Pasin is both a playmaker and catalyst. His play stands out, his creativity and shot-making put the defense under constant duress.
He put the game out of reach during a dominant stretch at the end of the first half and the beginning of the second half.
In the 30th minute, Quinn-Pasin pushed the ball down the right edge and hammered a ball that Eagles’ keeper Simon Isaac deflected. Harris was the beneficiary, perfectly positioned for the rebound finish from about eight yards.
“I just try to play direct and take guys on one on one, create off the dribble and score goals,” Quinn-Pasin said.
His mastery continued into the second half with a picture-perfect goal in the 45th minute. Off a corner opportunity, set piece specialist Enzo Santillan noticed the open space the Eagles conceded on the left edge.
He played the short ball to Quinn-Pass, who faced no resistance in playing a howitzer ball from about 22 yards from the left wing.
Simon had no shot at stopping the rocket ball that curled inside the far post for the 3-0 lead.
“We spend a lot of time during practice on set pieces,” Santillan said. “We try to get them down really nicely. Coming off those corners, I think it worked really well with me and Oscar.
“We started the season together working the left side. That showed today. We have good chemistry together, and it’s easy to work on that side of the field and see if we can create something.”
The goal from Quinn-Pasin, who earned the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honor for his play, was game, set and match.
Robertson converted a late penalty kick for the final margin.
Jones (1-1-0) had some half-chances, and generated a couple of decent corner set pieces and free kicks of their own.
St. Ignatius’ athletic and rangy 6-foot-2 keeper McConnell posted three saves for his first shutout this season.
The home team was left to regroup.
“As a team, Jones’ effort was not good enough,” Zubb said. “First half when Max Castro came in, he played well on the wing. Otherwise, we have maybe one or two guys who really saw a lot of minutes last year.
“Once again, no excuses. These guys have trained and practiced really hard. They put in a lot of effort. They’ve been here, and been committed. I don’t have an answer.”
Starting lineups
St. Ignatius
GK: Liam McConnell
D: Enzo Santillan
D: Lucas Hanna
D: Bryce Lynch
D: Leonardo Diaz
MF: Oscar Quinn-Pasin
MF: Colin Chough
MF: David Jacobo
MF: Nathan Schneider
MF: Roman Marsh
F: Russell Robertson
Jones
GK: Isaac Simon
D: Andrew Meints
D: Martin Clements
D: Dario Nardini
D: Stefan Dabic
MF: Brenden Dons
MF: Robert Griffith
MF: Paxton Hengesbach
MF: Ricardo Fonseca
MF: Hector Jimenez
F: Kofi Bugyei
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Oscar Quinn-Pasin, jr., MF, St. Ignatius
Scoring summary
First half
St. Ignatius—David Jacobo (Carter Harris), 22nd minute
St. Ignatius—Harris (Oscar Quinn-Pasin), 30th minute
Second half
St. Ignatius—Quinn-Pasin (Enzo Santillan), 45th minute
St. Ignatius—Russell Robertson (penalty kick), 79th minute