Pitts double for Wheaton Academy
does in Timothy
Warriors convert late PK, beat Trojans in Metro Blue showdown
By Curt Herron
WEST CHICAGO -- Thursday's Metro Suburban Conference Blue Division showdown between host Wheaton Academy and Timothy certainly was an emotional roller coaster for the competitors and spectators at Performance Trust Field.
In a clash of the 2021 Class A Final Four teams, defending champion Wheaton Academy and the fourth place Trojans battled in a scoreless struggle for over an hour. In stark contrast the game finished in a wild fashion as the teams combined to score three goals in the final 10:34 with the final two in the last three minutes. Wheaton Academy got its goals 8 minutes, 40 seconds apart to capture a 2-1 victory.
Senior Josiah Pitts earned Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honors after scoring both goals for Wheaton Academy (5-2-3, 3-0-x).
The midfielder recorded the winning goal on a penalty kick in the 79th. He scored the match's initial goal in the 70th minute following an assist from senior Joshua Mariotti.
Timothy fought to a tie when sophomore Cooper Rainone connected in the 78th. But the Trojans (5-5-0, 3-1-x) were back chasing a goal less than a half minute later.
The contest was another rivalry classic.
"This team is always tough to play," Pitts said. "We know that when we match up against them it's going to be a great match that's very physical and really competitive.
“We were just glad that we were able to fight the battle and endure it. We're just happy to come out with the result. The first goal was really important, especially when it's been tied the whole game.
“I just trust in my teammates, and Joshua is very skilled and a great player. The moment that he got the ball, I was just confident that he was going to get that across.
“I was glad that I was just able to tap it in. I get all the glory but he really did all of the work, pushing it down the line and crossing it in.
"The pressure of going up one and then conceding a goal a couple of minutes later, all of the momentum completely shifted back in their direction. But our coaching staff does a really great job of just allowing us to be prepared for situations like that.
“I'm really glad that we were able to just come out of that and keep forcing it. I'm grateful that we were able to face adversity against a great team. We're not going to see many people like them and their coaching staff does an amazing job of equipping them to play tough teams.
“I truly believe that this matchup is one of the ones that we're going to remember for the rest of the season. And we may see them later down the line."
Wheaton Academy got its first goal when Mariotti sent in a great cross, and Pitts was right in front to put in the close-range shot.
Timothy fought back.
Sophomore Owen Wise was fouled just beyond the top of the box and lined the subsequent free kick to Wheaton Academy senior goalkeeper Declan Finnegan. The Chicagoland Soccer all-stater also hauled in a long attempt from junior Caleb Bode a short time later.
Things finally clicked for Timothy in the 78th minute. Junior Hendrik DeVries started things with a pass inside. Rainone got to the loose ball and put in a short shot to pull the teams even again.
But Wheaton Academy quickly countered. Junior Asher Barton sent in a free kick from 40 yards that deflected off of a defender and was hauled in by senior goalkeeper Kyle Steiner. But the referee ruled that there was a hand ball in the box, and Pitts calmly put away the subsequent penalty in the 79th minute to cap a hard-fought match with a wild conclusion.
"We have a target on our back after winning state last year and beating them in the semifinals," Barton said of Timothy. "We've always had a lot of competition with them, and we knew that they were going to come out strong.
“The goal they scored was unfortunate, but we picked our heads up right away and then we scored another one.
"What our coach says is don't get too high or get too low. When you score a goal, don't get too high since you have to stay focused. If you get scored on, don't get too low. Pick your head up and try to find another one, and we did just that.
“The quality I like most about us is our ability to overcome adversity, which we did today. We're a really close-knit group of guys, and we do a really good job of overcoming anything that comes our way."
Last season Timothy coach Joel Zielke watched his team edge Wheaton Academy on penalties in a regular-season match that contributed to an undefeated conference championship. Later, Zielke saw Wheaton Academy turn the tables, and how, in the Warriors’ 6-1 state semifinal victory.
With a bevy of returning players from last year's state squad, Zielke is excited about his team's potential. He believes that the Thursday performance was one of the Trojans best this season and will be a catalyst for the club to make another run in state competition.
"I'm super proud of our boys," Zielke said. "They executed our game plan exactly like we wanted. We had several good quality chances in the first half, as did they, but we couldn't put one in the net.
“I thought we came out stronger in the second half and again had a couple of really good, solid opportunities, but couldn't find the back of the net. We had one breakdown defensively that they punished us on. They beat a couple of defenders and slipped a nice ball through, and it was hard for us to pick up the men in the box.
"We've been playing from behind all season. Our boys are going… to play to the final whistle. That's the group that we have here, really gritty. We came back a few minutes later and equalized. But then there was an unfortunate moment in the last two minutes of the game.
"We've been looking for consistency. We've played games where we played 15 minutes, 20 minutes, one half of soccer. And I thought tonight that we played pretty close to 80 solid minutes.
“This one hurts, because we wanted the win to allow us to stay in first in conference. But we're still looking ahead. We have bigger goals as we move throughout the season.
“If we can get our guys to play consistent at this level, I think we'll find ourselves in a spot where we want to be come October."
Wheaton Academy has 12 players from last year's championship squad. The Warriors are excited about the opportunity to try to put together another memorable season. Warriors’ coach Cody Snouffer was very pleased that his team not only didn't get down after seeing their late lead disappear, but quickly looked to score another goal.
"I was really proud of our guys for kind of sticking to our game plan and trying to run an offense that we've been working on," Snouffer said. "It was great to see us finally get a goal. We had a little bit of luck on the dribble through, but a lot of credit to Josh finding the end line and finding the good cross with multiple guys in the box. I was really proud of that.
“I would love to not give up a goal shortly after scoring, but in high school soccer, it happens. But then for us to respond by getting another goal, that was great.
"One of the challenges that we've been working through all year is that half of our starters are new to varsity. A lot of them were on the sideline last year, and they were watching seniors play. Half of our starters are new, … and we have new rotation players on varsity.
“We've felt young at times and make young mistakes. What I wrote on the board for them was to enjoy the moment today. The moment is an opponent who really wants to beat you, and the moment is a lot of emotion,
“Timothy and Wheaton Academy go back-and-forth on everything. It's going to be physical, and it's going to take a long time. Matches like this prepare both schools for deep postseason runs.
"The whole goal is to experience nothing for the first time in the playoffs. We want to score some penalty kicks, and we want to give up some late ones. … Come postseason, we can say that we've been here before and know what to do. So, getting a win tonight was just kind of a little extra treat."
Both squads started strong in the final half.
Timothy began things with a short shot by senior Cam Baker that was deflected by junior Scotty Murray. After Pitts was thwarted by a defender and then bounced a header off of the post, Mariotti fired in a liner from that side that was hauled in by starting sophomore goalkeeper Peter Buikema. DeVries had a shot stopped by Finnegan and Bode got to the loose ball and sent in another attempt, which also was halted.
Just past the midpoint of the final half, Wheaton Academy senior Tengisbolor Shinetulga got free and drove to the net. Buikema had to come out to shut down the play. A collision followed, and the Trojans keeper had to be helped off the field and was replaced by Steiner.
Mariotti promptly lined a shot to the new keeper before Wise sent in a dangerous throw that bounced off a defender and was grabbed by Finnegan.
Timothy’s Baker then sent in a free kick from 40 yards that was deflected by a defender. A bit later, Wheaton Academy senior Troy Erickson fired in a shot that deflected off a defender. The play resulted in a corner kick that didn't lead to much.
The next time that Wheaton Academy was on the attack, Mariotti found Pitts for the initial score in the 70th minute to begin the late-match drama.
"It was a really strong effort, especially from our midfield," Erickson said. "We just kept up our intensity and kept our press. We made something dangerous out of it and it ended up as a PK and we converted.
“We talked at halftime that we knew that goals were coming, so we just wanted to keep our heads emotionally-balanced. We know that the opportunities will come if we just play them in.
“We know that there will be tough opponents down the line, and we know that we might go down. So we have to bounce back if we want to succeed this season in conference and in the postseason.
"It’s great to see guys who hadn't played varsity minutes at all … really adapt and grow with us. It's really going to be an exciting year for the program, and there will be exciting years to come, too. I like our perseverance, and I think we showed that tonight. And you can see it in the way we train, we don't lower our intensity."
The Warriors had the first two good chances of the opening half as seniors Joshua and Caleb Mariotti were both turned away before freshman Marc Gamble, Jr., sent a long free kick to senior Jake Firnsin, who headed it to Finnegan. Shortly after the Warriors keeper stopped a header by Bode, junior Jakob Karlson sent a header to Buikema.
There were several threatening opportunities by the Warriors in the final 15 minutes of the first half. Pitts and Joshua Mariotti got things started, Karlson and Murray both had good chances and sophomore Sam Brown and Joshua Mariotti also looked to put the hosts up at the break but Buikema was up to the challenge on all the attempts.
Wheaton Academy plays its final three MSC Blue matches during an eight-day stretch beginning on Tuesday when it travels to Ridgewood. Two days later it hosts Riverside-Brookfield in its Homecoming match. The Warriors complete league play on September 27 with a match at St. Francis.
Timothy returns to action Saturday in a 7 p.m. clash of Elmhurst schools when it hosts league cross-over rival IC Catholic Prep in the first game on its new turf field.
The Trojans return to MSC Blue play on Tuesday at Riverside-Brookfield and conclude their conference schedule at Elmwood Park on September 24.
Starting lineups
Timothy
GK: Peter Buikema
D: Carter Day
D: Ethan Munk
D: Wesley Huber
D: Trevor Munk
M: Jake Firnsin
M: Cam Baker
M: Caleb Bode
M: Marc Gamble Jr.
F: Owen Wise
F: Hendrik DeVries
Wheaton Academy
GK: Declan Finnegan
D: Asher Barton
D: Scotty Murray
D: Troy Erickson
D: Logan Bates
MF: Sam Brown
MF: Josiah Pitts
MF: Joshua Mariotti
MF: Caleb Mariotti
F: Jakob Karlson
F: Lucas Landstrom
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match:
Josiah Pitts, sr., MF, Wheaton Academy
Scoring summary
First half
No scoring
Second half
Wheaton Academy: Josiah Pitts (Joshua Mariotti), 70'
Timothy Christian: Cooper Rainone, 78'
Wheaton Academy: Josiah Pitts (PK), 79'
does in Timothy
Warriors convert late PK, beat Trojans in Metro Blue showdown
By Curt Herron
WEST CHICAGO -- Thursday's Metro Suburban Conference Blue Division showdown between host Wheaton Academy and Timothy certainly was an emotional roller coaster for the competitors and spectators at Performance Trust Field.
In a clash of the 2021 Class A Final Four teams, defending champion Wheaton Academy and the fourth place Trojans battled in a scoreless struggle for over an hour. In stark contrast the game finished in a wild fashion as the teams combined to score three goals in the final 10:34 with the final two in the last three minutes. Wheaton Academy got its goals 8 minutes, 40 seconds apart to capture a 2-1 victory.
Senior Josiah Pitts earned Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honors after scoring both goals for Wheaton Academy (5-2-3, 3-0-x).
The midfielder recorded the winning goal on a penalty kick in the 79th. He scored the match's initial goal in the 70th minute following an assist from senior Joshua Mariotti.
Timothy fought to a tie when sophomore Cooper Rainone connected in the 78th. But the Trojans (5-5-0, 3-1-x) were back chasing a goal less than a half minute later.
The contest was another rivalry classic.
"This team is always tough to play," Pitts said. "We know that when we match up against them it's going to be a great match that's very physical and really competitive.
“We were just glad that we were able to fight the battle and endure it. We're just happy to come out with the result. The first goal was really important, especially when it's been tied the whole game.
“I just trust in my teammates, and Joshua is very skilled and a great player. The moment that he got the ball, I was just confident that he was going to get that across.
“I was glad that I was just able to tap it in. I get all the glory but he really did all of the work, pushing it down the line and crossing it in.
"The pressure of going up one and then conceding a goal a couple of minutes later, all of the momentum completely shifted back in their direction. But our coaching staff does a really great job of just allowing us to be prepared for situations like that.
“I'm really glad that we were able to just come out of that and keep forcing it. I'm grateful that we were able to face adversity against a great team. We're not going to see many people like them and their coaching staff does an amazing job of equipping them to play tough teams.
“I truly believe that this matchup is one of the ones that we're going to remember for the rest of the season. And we may see them later down the line."
Wheaton Academy got its first goal when Mariotti sent in a great cross, and Pitts was right in front to put in the close-range shot.
Timothy fought back.
Sophomore Owen Wise was fouled just beyond the top of the box and lined the subsequent free kick to Wheaton Academy senior goalkeeper Declan Finnegan. The Chicagoland Soccer all-stater also hauled in a long attempt from junior Caleb Bode a short time later.
Things finally clicked for Timothy in the 78th minute. Junior Hendrik DeVries started things with a pass inside. Rainone got to the loose ball and put in a short shot to pull the teams even again.
But Wheaton Academy quickly countered. Junior Asher Barton sent in a free kick from 40 yards that deflected off of a defender and was hauled in by senior goalkeeper Kyle Steiner. But the referee ruled that there was a hand ball in the box, and Pitts calmly put away the subsequent penalty in the 79th minute to cap a hard-fought match with a wild conclusion.
"We have a target on our back after winning state last year and beating them in the semifinals," Barton said of Timothy. "We've always had a lot of competition with them, and we knew that they were going to come out strong.
“The goal they scored was unfortunate, but we picked our heads up right away and then we scored another one.
"What our coach says is don't get too high or get too low. When you score a goal, don't get too high since you have to stay focused. If you get scored on, don't get too low. Pick your head up and try to find another one, and we did just that.
“The quality I like most about us is our ability to overcome adversity, which we did today. We're a really close-knit group of guys, and we do a really good job of overcoming anything that comes our way."
Last season Timothy coach Joel Zielke watched his team edge Wheaton Academy on penalties in a regular-season match that contributed to an undefeated conference championship. Later, Zielke saw Wheaton Academy turn the tables, and how, in the Warriors’ 6-1 state semifinal victory.
With a bevy of returning players from last year's state squad, Zielke is excited about his team's potential. He believes that the Thursday performance was one of the Trojans best this season and will be a catalyst for the club to make another run in state competition.
"I'm super proud of our boys," Zielke said. "They executed our game plan exactly like we wanted. We had several good quality chances in the first half, as did they, but we couldn't put one in the net.
“I thought we came out stronger in the second half and again had a couple of really good, solid opportunities, but couldn't find the back of the net. We had one breakdown defensively that they punished us on. They beat a couple of defenders and slipped a nice ball through, and it was hard for us to pick up the men in the box.
"We've been playing from behind all season. Our boys are going… to play to the final whistle. That's the group that we have here, really gritty. We came back a few minutes later and equalized. But then there was an unfortunate moment in the last two minutes of the game.
"We've been looking for consistency. We've played games where we played 15 minutes, 20 minutes, one half of soccer. And I thought tonight that we played pretty close to 80 solid minutes.
“This one hurts, because we wanted the win to allow us to stay in first in conference. But we're still looking ahead. We have bigger goals as we move throughout the season.
“If we can get our guys to play consistent at this level, I think we'll find ourselves in a spot where we want to be come October."
Wheaton Academy has 12 players from last year's championship squad. The Warriors are excited about the opportunity to try to put together another memorable season. Warriors’ coach Cody Snouffer was very pleased that his team not only didn't get down after seeing their late lead disappear, but quickly looked to score another goal.
"I was really proud of our guys for kind of sticking to our game plan and trying to run an offense that we've been working on," Snouffer said. "It was great to see us finally get a goal. We had a little bit of luck on the dribble through, but a lot of credit to Josh finding the end line and finding the good cross with multiple guys in the box. I was really proud of that.
“I would love to not give up a goal shortly after scoring, but in high school soccer, it happens. But then for us to respond by getting another goal, that was great.
"One of the challenges that we've been working through all year is that half of our starters are new to varsity. A lot of them were on the sideline last year, and they were watching seniors play. Half of our starters are new, … and we have new rotation players on varsity.
“We've felt young at times and make young mistakes. What I wrote on the board for them was to enjoy the moment today. The moment is an opponent who really wants to beat you, and the moment is a lot of emotion,
“Timothy and Wheaton Academy go back-and-forth on everything. It's going to be physical, and it's going to take a long time. Matches like this prepare both schools for deep postseason runs.
"The whole goal is to experience nothing for the first time in the playoffs. We want to score some penalty kicks, and we want to give up some late ones. … Come postseason, we can say that we've been here before and know what to do. So, getting a win tonight was just kind of a little extra treat."
Both squads started strong in the final half.
Timothy began things with a short shot by senior Cam Baker that was deflected by junior Scotty Murray. After Pitts was thwarted by a defender and then bounced a header off of the post, Mariotti fired in a liner from that side that was hauled in by starting sophomore goalkeeper Peter Buikema. DeVries had a shot stopped by Finnegan and Bode got to the loose ball and sent in another attempt, which also was halted.
Just past the midpoint of the final half, Wheaton Academy senior Tengisbolor Shinetulga got free and drove to the net. Buikema had to come out to shut down the play. A collision followed, and the Trojans keeper had to be helped off the field and was replaced by Steiner.
Mariotti promptly lined a shot to the new keeper before Wise sent in a dangerous throw that bounced off a defender and was grabbed by Finnegan.
Timothy’s Baker then sent in a free kick from 40 yards that was deflected by a defender. A bit later, Wheaton Academy senior Troy Erickson fired in a shot that deflected off a defender. The play resulted in a corner kick that didn't lead to much.
The next time that Wheaton Academy was on the attack, Mariotti found Pitts for the initial score in the 70th minute to begin the late-match drama.
"It was a really strong effort, especially from our midfield," Erickson said. "We just kept up our intensity and kept our press. We made something dangerous out of it and it ended up as a PK and we converted.
“We talked at halftime that we knew that goals were coming, so we just wanted to keep our heads emotionally-balanced. We know that the opportunities will come if we just play them in.
“We know that there will be tough opponents down the line, and we know that we might go down. So we have to bounce back if we want to succeed this season in conference and in the postseason.
"It’s great to see guys who hadn't played varsity minutes at all … really adapt and grow with us. It's really going to be an exciting year for the program, and there will be exciting years to come, too. I like our perseverance, and I think we showed that tonight. And you can see it in the way we train, we don't lower our intensity."
The Warriors had the first two good chances of the opening half as seniors Joshua and Caleb Mariotti were both turned away before freshman Marc Gamble, Jr., sent a long free kick to senior Jake Firnsin, who headed it to Finnegan. Shortly after the Warriors keeper stopped a header by Bode, junior Jakob Karlson sent a header to Buikema.
There were several threatening opportunities by the Warriors in the final 15 minutes of the first half. Pitts and Joshua Mariotti got things started, Karlson and Murray both had good chances and sophomore Sam Brown and Joshua Mariotti also looked to put the hosts up at the break but Buikema was up to the challenge on all the attempts.
Wheaton Academy plays its final three MSC Blue matches during an eight-day stretch beginning on Tuesday when it travels to Ridgewood. Two days later it hosts Riverside-Brookfield in its Homecoming match. The Warriors complete league play on September 27 with a match at St. Francis.
Timothy returns to action Saturday in a 7 p.m. clash of Elmhurst schools when it hosts league cross-over rival IC Catholic Prep in the first game on its new turf field.
The Trojans return to MSC Blue play on Tuesday at Riverside-Brookfield and conclude their conference schedule at Elmwood Park on September 24.
Starting lineups
Timothy
GK: Peter Buikema
D: Carter Day
D: Ethan Munk
D: Wesley Huber
D: Trevor Munk
M: Jake Firnsin
M: Cam Baker
M: Caleb Bode
M: Marc Gamble Jr.
F: Owen Wise
F: Hendrik DeVries
Wheaton Academy
GK: Declan Finnegan
D: Asher Barton
D: Scotty Murray
D: Troy Erickson
D: Logan Bates
MF: Sam Brown
MF: Josiah Pitts
MF: Joshua Mariotti
MF: Caleb Mariotti
F: Jakob Karlson
F: Lucas Landstrom
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match:
Josiah Pitts, sr., MF, Wheaton Academy
Scoring summary
First half
No scoring
Second half
Wheaton Academy: Josiah Pitts (Joshua Mariotti), 70'
Timothy Christian: Cooper Rainone, 78'
Wheaton Academy: Josiah Pitts (PK), 79'