Loyola win over Ignatius worth the wait
Gripman scores twice to lead Ramblers to Catholic Blue title
By Patrick Z. McGavin
GLENVIEW -- Given everything that preceded it, the chance of a typical or standard narrative in the latest iteration of the St. Ignatius and Loyola game was, in soccer parlance, likely nil.
Twice delayed, and played on the unusual stage of the Sunday afternoon after the quarterfinal round of the Class 3A state tournament, the battle for the Chicago Catholic League Blue Division title contained the typical charge of energy, emotion and volatility.
Loyola played nearly the final 30 minutes down a field player after standout senior David Gripman was issued a red card for allegedly taunting the St. Ignatius keeper he scored a goal against.
“Before the game I was jumping around, I could not stand still,” Loyola sophomore midfielder Tommy Zipprich said. “This is the most excited I’ve been since the New Trier game at the start of the season. We are very similar. We are the two biggest Jesuit schools around. It’s like this for every sport.
“We were all so frustrated the first day we were supposed to play. We were all ready to go, and the game got cancelled. Then again, the day before we were supposed to play, the game got cancelled.
“Finally we got to play, and you felt like an animal let out of the cage.”
Gripman scored two goals and the Ramblers, then ranked 23rd in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, kept the gifted 25th-ranked Wolfpack off rhythm just enough to pull out the 2-1 victory and capture the prestigious conference title at the Munz Athletic Campus on Sunday afternoon.
Part of a gifted sophomore class, Zipprich helped the Ramblers maintain its shape in the surreal aftermath of Gripman being ejected in the 51st minute after he chased down a through-ball from midfielder Daniel Montaquila that pulled Wolfpack keeper Alexander Beckwith off the line.
“When we went down a man once Gripman got his red card, my responsibility became whichever side the ball was on, I had to get there,” Zipprich said. “It’s a lot of work, and I had to be able to make the runs into the channel and recover when the ball was played into the back. It was definitely a step up in the work rate.
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“We had to do whatever we could to hold the lead.”
Zipprich was a defining figure the final 30 minutes. He was also a key player in the Ramblers’ play throughout with his ability to pressure the ball and create dangerous runs. He earned the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honor for his extraordinary effort.
The original date for the game, Sept. 25, saw the chance for play wiped out by torrential rains. The original rescheduled date, Oct. 11, was canceled due to safety concerns about the possible aftermath from the trial of Chicago police office Jason VanDyke.
The delays only magnified the anxiety given both teams realized the enormity of the stakes. Coming into the game, Loyola held a one-point advantage in the conference race.
St. Ignatius was also eager to get back on the right side of the scoreboard. The Wolfpack suffered two excruciating one-goal losses at home to then no. 6 New Trier on Tuesday and previusly ranked Evanston on Senior Night on Friday.
“The team morale is not super high,” St. Ignatius forward Keith Bevans said. “Obviously the three-straight losses that we have taken is not the result we wanted. With playoffs coming up, we hope to play some tough opponents. We are going to take these losses as a learning opportunity and grow as a team.”
The Wolfpack started the game playing with urgency and a cool dispassion. St. Ignatius generated four corner kick opportunities in the first seven minutes of the match. The Wolfpack dictated the early tempo and rhythm.
“We didn’t take advantage out of those at all,” St. Ignatius coach Ryan Kearns said. “Only once was there a good corner. We have to take advantage of those. We know Gripman can finish. He scored both of their goals, so we have to take advantage of those opportunities.”
What made the game so riveting was not just the magnitude but the contrasting styles of the speed and open field quickness of St. Ignatius against the precise and physical play of Loyola.
The Ramblers (15-1-3, 5-0-1) entered the game riding a 13-game unbeaten streak.
Despite the back-to-back one-goal defeats, St. Ignatius (11-7-0, 4-2-0) also came in strong, coming off a stretch of skillful and opportunistic soccer.
Loyola set the trap about midway through the first half as midfielder Brady Reichert undermined the Wolfpack high pressure and blasted a through ball down the right flank that Gripman raced into with full, jet speed. The senior made a quick juke move and blasted a short volley left-footer from about eight yards that Beckwith got a hand on though could not fully stop.
“Ever since the streak started, at the end of August, it’s really about team spirit and camaraderie,” Loyola midfielder Nick Roscoe said. “We are friends on and off the field. The communication and the friendship really helps. The backline has been doing a great job defending, and our attack as a group has been very solid.”
St. Ignatius maintained its composure and staged its own forays toward the Ramblers’ end. Defender Christian Telles, probably the Wolfpack’s best server, drilled a beautiful free kick that Bevans played for a header that just bounded wide. Midfielder Daniel Fernandez and forward Matthew Griffin also created some dangerous opportunities.
“It’s been a team problem of putting the ball in the back of the net,” Bevans said. “We have been working hard on figuring it out. Hopefully in the playoffs we are going to figure that out, because once we do we are going to be a very dangerous team to beat.”
In the 37th minute, Telles eviscerated those frustrations with a fantastic goal off another free kick from about 30 yards that was beautifully and perfectly positioned inside the far post for a textbook goal.
The second half turned more tactical and strategic. Going down a player was difficult for Loyola. Having the lead balanced out the equation and allowed the Ramblers to play behind the ball.
“Obviously we had to be a little bit more conservative, and we didn’t want to give them too much room,” Roscoe said. “We defended very well. We did what we could. We hope to keep the momentum rolling and keep going from this game.”
Loyola’s other top offensive standout, senior midfielder Collin Leider, held the attack together in the absence of Gripman. Beckwith made two spectacular saves to hold the score. The threat of the Loyola counter was enough to fluster the Wolfpack attack.
“We sat back completely, and I told the guys they needed to work as a group and defend extra hard together, especially against a really talented Ignatius team,” Loyola coach Baer Fisher said. “We did that. We were committed; they communicated very well.”
St. Ignatius was also unlucky. Griffin had a volley off a service go just wide of the near post. Loyola freshman keeper Alex Ainsworth had four saves.
“It was hard fought play,” Kearns said. “We were in every one of these games this week, but we just couldn’t get over the hump. We are going to have to put in a session that challenges them mentally so that we are ready for Tuesday.”
The Wolves are a sectional and regional Class AA host. They open the tournament at 6:30 p.m. against Health Science in the team’s playoff opener.
“I am not worried about our inability to score. We just have to be more consistent.”
The start of the state tournament means the ultimate blank slate. Records are suddenly secondary.
“I told these guys after the game some teams can go into the tournament riding a high, and that can sometimes mean having too much confidence,” Kearns said. “We have to be able use that to our advantage for this week so we can get a regional championship and get into a sectional.”
After the game was removed from the control of either side, every play this day mattered.
“The way it worked out, it turned out to be the [conference] championship game, and the energy felt like a championship game,” Fisher said. “There were tons of fans, great atmosphere and very exciting.”
Starting lineups
St. Ignatius
GK: Alexander Beckwith
D: Talcott Malven
D: Jack Galante
D: Christian Telles
D: Ethan Belnap
MF: Aidan Hurst
MF: Maxmillian Hanlon
MF: Daniel Fernandez
MF: Jaden Rice
F: Matthew Griffin
F: Keith Bevans
Loyola
GK: Alex Ainsworth
D: John Wilson
D: Michael Sullivan
D: Christian Jimenez
D: Daniel Montaquila
MF: Tommy Zipprich
MF: Nick Roscoe
MF: Mario Hrvojevic
MF: Brady Reichert
MF: Collin Leiden
F: Austin Agyemang
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Tommy Zipprich, so., MF, Loyola
Scoring summary
First half
Loyola—David Gripman (Brady Reichert), 23rd minute
St. Ignatius—Christian Telles (free kick), 37th minute
Second half
Loyola—Gripman (Daniel Montaquila), 51st minute
Gripman scores twice to lead Ramblers to Catholic Blue title
By Patrick Z. McGavin
GLENVIEW -- Given everything that preceded it, the chance of a typical or standard narrative in the latest iteration of the St. Ignatius and Loyola game was, in soccer parlance, likely nil.
Twice delayed, and played on the unusual stage of the Sunday afternoon after the quarterfinal round of the Class 3A state tournament, the battle for the Chicago Catholic League Blue Division title contained the typical charge of energy, emotion and volatility.
Loyola played nearly the final 30 minutes down a field player after standout senior David Gripman was issued a red card for allegedly taunting the St. Ignatius keeper he scored a goal against.
“Before the game I was jumping around, I could not stand still,” Loyola sophomore midfielder Tommy Zipprich said. “This is the most excited I’ve been since the New Trier game at the start of the season. We are very similar. We are the two biggest Jesuit schools around. It’s like this for every sport.
“We were all so frustrated the first day we were supposed to play. We were all ready to go, and the game got cancelled. Then again, the day before we were supposed to play, the game got cancelled.
“Finally we got to play, and you felt like an animal let out of the cage.”
Gripman scored two goals and the Ramblers, then ranked 23rd in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, kept the gifted 25th-ranked Wolfpack off rhythm just enough to pull out the 2-1 victory and capture the prestigious conference title at the Munz Athletic Campus on Sunday afternoon.
Part of a gifted sophomore class, Zipprich helped the Ramblers maintain its shape in the surreal aftermath of Gripman being ejected in the 51st minute after he chased down a through-ball from midfielder Daniel Montaquila that pulled Wolfpack keeper Alexander Beckwith off the line.
“When we went down a man once Gripman got his red card, my responsibility became whichever side the ball was on, I had to get there,” Zipprich said. “It’s a lot of work, and I had to be able to make the runs into the channel and recover when the ball was played into the back. It was definitely a step up in the work rate.
f
“We had to do whatever we could to hold the lead.”
Zipprich was a defining figure the final 30 minutes. He was also a key player in the Ramblers’ play throughout with his ability to pressure the ball and create dangerous runs. He earned the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honor for his extraordinary effort.
The original date for the game, Sept. 25, saw the chance for play wiped out by torrential rains. The original rescheduled date, Oct. 11, was canceled due to safety concerns about the possible aftermath from the trial of Chicago police office Jason VanDyke.
The delays only magnified the anxiety given both teams realized the enormity of the stakes. Coming into the game, Loyola held a one-point advantage in the conference race.
St. Ignatius was also eager to get back on the right side of the scoreboard. The Wolfpack suffered two excruciating one-goal losses at home to then no. 6 New Trier on Tuesday and previusly ranked Evanston on Senior Night on Friday.
“The team morale is not super high,” St. Ignatius forward Keith Bevans said. “Obviously the three-straight losses that we have taken is not the result we wanted. With playoffs coming up, we hope to play some tough opponents. We are going to take these losses as a learning opportunity and grow as a team.”
The Wolfpack started the game playing with urgency and a cool dispassion. St. Ignatius generated four corner kick opportunities in the first seven minutes of the match. The Wolfpack dictated the early tempo and rhythm.
“We didn’t take advantage out of those at all,” St. Ignatius coach Ryan Kearns said. “Only once was there a good corner. We have to take advantage of those. We know Gripman can finish. He scored both of their goals, so we have to take advantage of those opportunities.”
What made the game so riveting was not just the magnitude but the contrasting styles of the speed and open field quickness of St. Ignatius against the precise and physical play of Loyola.
The Ramblers (15-1-3, 5-0-1) entered the game riding a 13-game unbeaten streak.
Despite the back-to-back one-goal defeats, St. Ignatius (11-7-0, 4-2-0) also came in strong, coming off a stretch of skillful and opportunistic soccer.
Loyola set the trap about midway through the first half as midfielder Brady Reichert undermined the Wolfpack high pressure and blasted a through ball down the right flank that Gripman raced into with full, jet speed. The senior made a quick juke move and blasted a short volley left-footer from about eight yards that Beckwith got a hand on though could not fully stop.
“Ever since the streak started, at the end of August, it’s really about team spirit and camaraderie,” Loyola midfielder Nick Roscoe said. “We are friends on and off the field. The communication and the friendship really helps. The backline has been doing a great job defending, and our attack as a group has been very solid.”
St. Ignatius maintained its composure and staged its own forays toward the Ramblers’ end. Defender Christian Telles, probably the Wolfpack’s best server, drilled a beautiful free kick that Bevans played for a header that just bounded wide. Midfielder Daniel Fernandez and forward Matthew Griffin also created some dangerous opportunities.
“It’s been a team problem of putting the ball in the back of the net,” Bevans said. “We have been working hard on figuring it out. Hopefully in the playoffs we are going to figure that out, because once we do we are going to be a very dangerous team to beat.”
In the 37th minute, Telles eviscerated those frustrations with a fantastic goal off another free kick from about 30 yards that was beautifully and perfectly positioned inside the far post for a textbook goal.
The second half turned more tactical and strategic. Going down a player was difficult for Loyola. Having the lead balanced out the equation and allowed the Ramblers to play behind the ball.
“Obviously we had to be a little bit more conservative, and we didn’t want to give them too much room,” Roscoe said. “We defended very well. We did what we could. We hope to keep the momentum rolling and keep going from this game.”
Loyola’s other top offensive standout, senior midfielder Collin Leider, held the attack together in the absence of Gripman. Beckwith made two spectacular saves to hold the score. The threat of the Loyola counter was enough to fluster the Wolfpack attack.
“We sat back completely, and I told the guys they needed to work as a group and defend extra hard together, especially against a really talented Ignatius team,” Loyola coach Baer Fisher said. “We did that. We were committed; they communicated very well.”
St. Ignatius was also unlucky. Griffin had a volley off a service go just wide of the near post. Loyola freshman keeper Alex Ainsworth had four saves.
“It was hard fought play,” Kearns said. “We were in every one of these games this week, but we just couldn’t get over the hump. We are going to have to put in a session that challenges them mentally so that we are ready for Tuesday.”
The Wolves are a sectional and regional Class AA host. They open the tournament at 6:30 p.m. against Health Science in the team’s playoff opener.
“I am not worried about our inability to score. We just have to be more consistent.”
The start of the state tournament means the ultimate blank slate. Records are suddenly secondary.
“I told these guys after the game some teams can go into the tournament riding a high, and that can sometimes mean having too much confidence,” Kearns said. “We have to be able use that to our advantage for this week so we can get a regional championship and get into a sectional.”
After the game was removed from the control of either side, every play this day mattered.
“The way it worked out, it turned out to be the [conference] championship game, and the energy felt like a championship game,” Fisher said. “There were tons of fans, great atmosphere and very exciting.”
Starting lineups
St. Ignatius
GK: Alexander Beckwith
D: Talcott Malven
D: Jack Galante
D: Christian Telles
D: Ethan Belnap
MF: Aidan Hurst
MF: Maxmillian Hanlon
MF: Daniel Fernandez
MF: Jaden Rice
F: Matthew Griffin
F: Keith Bevans
Loyola
GK: Alex Ainsworth
D: John Wilson
D: Michael Sullivan
D: Christian Jimenez
D: Daniel Montaquila
MF: Tommy Zipprich
MF: Nick Roscoe
MF: Mario Hrvojevic
MF: Brady Reichert
MF: Collin Leiden
F: Austin Agyemang
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Tommy Zipprich, so., MF, Loyola
Scoring summary
First half
Loyola—David Gripman (Brady Reichert), 23rd minute
St. Ignatius—Christian Telles (free kick), 37th minute
Second half
Loyola—Gripman (Daniel Montaquila), 51st minute