North Shore Country Day
has a day vs. University (Chicago)
Raiders bolt from the gate with early 4-goal lead in an 8-1 win
By Gary Larsen
WINNETKA — The sun shone, the birds chirped, and all was right with the world for North Shore Country Day on Saturday. If players’ parents tossed confetti and broke into song from the stands, it would have fit right in with the Raiders’ day on the field.
And when a coach sees scoring come early and often that puts his team up 4-0 by the game’s seventh minute en route to an 8-1 win, it’s difficult to nit-pick any flaws in the performance of his team.
“No complaints. Not one,” North Shore Country Day coach Kyle Jones said. “Life is good today.”
A savvy, experienced side took the pitch for the Raiders in Winnetka, pitted against a young team from the program that won the Class A state title last season.
North Shore Country Day finished fourth among Illinois' small schools, and it was University that beat the Raiders 3-0 in a state semifinal game.
North Shore Country (6-1-0, 4-0-0) didn’t need any more motivation than that to bring high energy from the opening whistle of the Independent School League tilt.
“When we walked on the field we got into our huddle, and we were all super-fired up -- ready to go and ready to score,” senior defender Augie Gallun said. “We were talking more on the field, passing it better, and we could tell that got (University) a little timid on the ball.”
Gallun, who struck twice in the win, opened the scoring by hammering home a rebound shot near the goalmouth after Mason Roberts-Jones sent a corner kick into the mixer. 2019 Chicagoland Soccer All-Stater Vince Luglio assisted on the third-minute goal.
Luglio followed at five minutes, crashing to the net and burying a follow-up goal on an initial shot from Garcia. Garcia scored one minute later on assist from John Sprenger and when Luglio struck again on a Jacob Sherman assist at seven minutes, North Shore had four goals in a five-minute span.
Sometimes when a team get a large early lead, complacency can begin to seep in. North Shore Country Day avoided that tendency and even though the Raiders went scoreless for the next 49 minutes, they kept a high energy level and continued to play unselfish attacking soccer.
“After every goal we got together on the field and said ‘It’s nil-nil, and we’ve got to stay focused on playing our game,’” North Shore senior defender Ethan Stump said. “If you get overconfident in that situation, bad things can happen.”
The Raiders also had to contend with a 2019 Chicagoland Soccer All-State player in University senior midfielder Alex Bal, who had 16 goals and 12 assists in the Maroons' state championship season.
That’s where Axel Garcia grabbed the game’s spotlight.
North Shore Country Day names a player of the game after each contest, with the previous game’s honoree bestowing the award to his deserving teammate. Jack Sprenger, who had three assists Saturday, was the reigning player of the game after a fine performance in the Raiders’ previous 8-0 nonconference win over Phoenix on March 31.
There was no shortage of potential player-of-the-game candidates after the game but for Sprenger the choice was clear.
“We talked yesterday in practice about shutting down (Bal), and he got frustrated early. Axel (Garcia) did a great job,” Sprenger said. “He holds the team down. He can shoot; he can pass; he can defend — he can literally do everything in the middle. Axel led the way, and then we literally had three guys around (Bal) all the time."
Jones agreed with Sprenger’s choice.
“Axel had one goal and one assist, and he was around (Bal) all day,” Jones said. “He didn’t get many looks, and you could see Bal was getting a little frustrated because Axel didn’t give him any time or space. Axel does all the tough, dirty work that a team needs.”
After giving up an early barrage of goals, University battled well to hold North Shore Country Day out of its net for the next 49 minutes. Maroons keeper Hunter Heyman made several quality saves and did all he could directing traffic, cutting off crosses and staying aggressive throughout the game.
But a keeper can only do so much.
“He’s a phenomenal goalkeeper, and it’s just unfortunate today that he was taking point-blank shots,” University coach Josh Potter said.
“We had a great season last year, and a lot of these guys have that expectation. But we have a lot of freshmen and sophomores, and we’re trying to mesh them together. It’s a hard process. You saw that product today, and these are just the growing pains that a program goes through.”
North Shore Country Day’s workmanlike approach paid off with a Danny Becker goal at 56 minutes on a Leif Steele feed, and the Raiders scored again at 60 minutes when Gallun headed a shot home on a Sprenger cross.
University made it 6-1 on a Kaden Moubayed goal at 76 minutes but North Shore struck twice more down the stretch on goals from Sherman and Steele, off respective deliveries from Stump and Sprenger.
There’s pain among seniors across Illinois in a COVID-shortened season devoid of a state tournament. That pain can be particularly acute for seniors playing on a team like North Shore Country Day, which is loaded with returning and young talent and built for postseason success.
This year’s nine seniors won’t get the chance at another deep run in a state tournament, but they’re making the best of things in a 13-game season.
“I’m loving the season so far, even with no state tournament,” Stump said. “We have good chemistry on the field, and we’re all really close.”
Jones appreciates the approach his boys are taking in what is likely the strangest high school sports year in Illinois history.
“We’re just determined and happy we’re out here,” Jones said. “And (University) has been a big competition in our league, beat us in the Final Four last season, and they were state champs. If you can’t get up for this one, you can’t get up for any game.
“I’ve been here thirteen years and if there’s a group capable of winning the state title it would have been this one. We’re better than we were last year, no question, across the board.”
Not to be overlooked in the win for North Shore Country Day was the consistent leg of Mason Roberts-Jones, who takes the majority of free and corner kicks for the Raiders.
Roberts-Jones’ leg got a workout on Saturday for a team that has feasted on restarts this season.
“This year we’ve done a really good job on set pieces,” Gallun said. “Last year we didn’t score as many on those, but this year we’ve been getting early goals with set pieces. We’ve done that a lot this year.”
Roberts-Jones has been a chief component in the rise of the Raiders’ set piece threat.
“Mason is brilliant. He can put it where he wants,” Jones said. “You’ve got to be able to drive it low, drive it high, have accuracy, pick out the right guy, and he can do all of that.”
University (0-4-2, 0-2-1) aims to rebound and continue to groom a large core of underclassmen. The Maroons entered Saturday’s game missing a few key players and had a few more playing injured, but Potter expects his upperclassmen to carry more of a load down the season’s stretch.
“Overall, I’m pleased with the guys but not with our leadership,” Potter said. “As coaches we’re trying to develop young people and young leaders and that’s why I’m not pleased with our leadership, because I know they can do better. But we’ll get them on the right track.”
Starting lineups
North Shore Country Day
GK Nick Potter
D Augie Gallun
D Tae Won Lillig
D Finn Doornweerd
D Ethan Stump
M John Sprenger
M Mason Roberts-Jones
M Jacob Sherman
M Axel Garcia
F Vincent Luglio
F Danny Becker
University
GK Hunter Heyman
D Cole MacSwain
D Julian Mondragon
D Antonio Gracias
D Miles Warshauer
M Luca Todorov
M Milo Jarard
M Joseph Wanner
M Alex Bal
F Phillip Kellermeier
F Charlie Young
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Axel Garcia, sr., M, North Shore Country Day
Scoring summary
First half
NSCD — Gallun (V. Luglio) 3 minutes
NSCD — V. Luglio (Garcia) 5 minutes
NSCD — Garcia (Sprenger) 6 minutes
NSCD — V. Luglio (Sherman) 7 minutes
Second half
NSCD — Becker (Steele) 56 minutes
NSCD — Gallun (Sprenger) 60 minutes
University — Moubayed (UA) 76 minutes
NSCD — Sherman (Stump) 77 minutes
NSCD — Steele (Sprenger) 79 minutes
has a day vs. University (Chicago)
Raiders bolt from the gate with early 4-goal lead in an 8-1 win
By Gary Larsen
WINNETKA — The sun shone, the birds chirped, and all was right with the world for North Shore Country Day on Saturday. If players’ parents tossed confetti and broke into song from the stands, it would have fit right in with the Raiders’ day on the field.
And when a coach sees scoring come early and often that puts his team up 4-0 by the game’s seventh minute en route to an 8-1 win, it’s difficult to nit-pick any flaws in the performance of his team.
“No complaints. Not one,” North Shore Country Day coach Kyle Jones said. “Life is good today.”
A savvy, experienced side took the pitch for the Raiders in Winnetka, pitted against a young team from the program that won the Class A state title last season.
North Shore Country Day finished fourth among Illinois' small schools, and it was University that beat the Raiders 3-0 in a state semifinal game.
North Shore Country (6-1-0, 4-0-0) didn’t need any more motivation than that to bring high energy from the opening whistle of the Independent School League tilt.
“When we walked on the field we got into our huddle, and we were all super-fired up -- ready to go and ready to score,” senior defender Augie Gallun said. “We were talking more on the field, passing it better, and we could tell that got (University) a little timid on the ball.”
Gallun, who struck twice in the win, opened the scoring by hammering home a rebound shot near the goalmouth after Mason Roberts-Jones sent a corner kick into the mixer. 2019 Chicagoland Soccer All-Stater Vince Luglio assisted on the third-minute goal.
Luglio followed at five minutes, crashing to the net and burying a follow-up goal on an initial shot from Garcia. Garcia scored one minute later on assist from John Sprenger and when Luglio struck again on a Jacob Sherman assist at seven minutes, North Shore had four goals in a five-minute span.
Sometimes when a team get a large early lead, complacency can begin to seep in. North Shore Country Day avoided that tendency and even though the Raiders went scoreless for the next 49 minutes, they kept a high energy level and continued to play unselfish attacking soccer.
“After every goal we got together on the field and said ‘It’s nil-nil, and we’ve got to stay focused on playing our game,’” North Shore senior defender Ethan Stump said. “If you get overconfident in that situation, bad things can happen.”
The Raiders also had to contend with a 2019 Chicagoland Soccer All-State player in University senior midfielder Alex Bal, who had 16 goals and 12 assists in the Maroons' state championship season.
That’s where Axel Garcia grabbed the game’s spotlight.
North Shore Country Day names a player of the game after each contest, with the previous game’s honoree bestowing the award to his deserving teammate. Jack Sprenger, who had three assists Saturday, was the reigning player of the game after a fine performance in the Raiders’ previous 8-0 nonconference win over Phoenix on March 31.
There was no shortage of potential player-of-the-game candidates after the game but for Sprenger the choice was clear.
“We talked yesterday in practice about shutting down (Bal), and he got frustrated early. Axel (Garcia) did a great job,” Sprenger said. “He holds the team down. He can shoot; he can pass; he can defend — he can literally do everything in the middle. Axel led the way, and then we literally had three guys around (Bal) all the time."
Jones agreed with Sprenger’s choice.
“Axel had one goal and one assist, and he was around (Bal) all day,” Jones said. “He didn’t get many looks, and you could see Bal was getting a little frustrated because Axel didn’t give him any time or space. Axel does all the tough, dirty work that a team needs.”
After giving up an early barrage of goals, University battled well to hold North Shore Country Day out of its net for the next 49 minutes. Maroons keeper Hunter Heyman made several quality saves and did all he could directing traffic, cutting off crosses and staying aggressive throughout the game.
But a keeper can only do so much.
“He’s a phenomenal goalkeeper, and it’s just unfortunate today that he was taking point-blank shots,” University coach Josh Potter said.
“We had a great season last year, and a lot of these guys have that expectation. But we have a lot of freshmen and sophomores, and we’re trying to mesh them together. It’s a hard process. You saw that product today, and these are just the growing pains that a program goes through.”
North Shore Country Day’s workmanlike approach paid off with a Danny Becker goal at 56 minutes on a Leif Steele feed, and the Raiders scored again at 60 minutes when Gallun headed a shot home on a Sprenger cross.
University made it 6-1 on a Kaden Moubayed goal at 76 minutes but North Shore struck twice more down the stretch on goals from Sherman and Steele, off respective deliveries from Stump and Sprenger.
There’s pain among seniors across Illinois in a COVID-shortened season devoid of a state tournament. That pain can be particularly acute for seniors playing on a team like North Shore Country Day, which is loaded with returning and young talent and built for postseason success.
This year’s nine seniors won’t get the chance at another deep run in a state tournament, but they’re making the best of things in a 13-game season.
“I’m loving the season so far, even with no state tournament,” Stump said. “We have good chemistry on the field, and we’re all really close.”
Jones appreciates the approach his boys are taking in what is likely the strangest high school sports year in Illinois history.
“We’re just determined and happy we’re out here,” Jones said. “And (University) has been a big competition in our league, beat us in the Final Four last season, and they were state champs. If you can’t get up for this one, you can’t get up for any game.
“I’ve been here thirteen years and if there’s a group capable of winning the state title it would have been this one. We’re better than we were last year, no question, across the board.”
Not to be overlooked in the win for North Shore Country Day was the consistent leg of Mason Roberts-Jones, who takes the majority of free and corner kicks for the Raiders.
Roberts-Jones’ leg got a workout on Saturday for a team that has feasted on restarts this season.
“This year we’ve done a really good job on set pieces,” Gallun said. “Last year we didn’t score as many on those, but this year we’ve been getting early goals with set pieces. We’ve done that a lot this year.”
Roberts-Jones has been a chief component in the rise of the Raiders’ set piece threat.
“Mason is brilliant. He can put it where he wants,” Jones said. “You’ve got to be able to drive it low, drive it high, have accuracy, pick out the right guy, and he can do all of that.”
University (0-4-2, 0-2-1) aims to rebound and continue to groom a large core of underclassmen. The Maroons entered Saturday’s game missing a few key players and had a few more playing injured, but Potter expects his upperclassmen to carry more of a load down the season’s stretch.
“Overall, I’m pleased with the guys but not with our leadership,” Potter said. “As coaches we’re trying to develop young people and young leaders and that’s why I’m not pleased with our leadership, because I know they can do better. But we’ll get them on the right track.”
Starting lineups
North Shore Country Day
GK Nick Potter
D Augie Gallun
D Tae Won Lillig
D Finn Doornweerd
D Ethan Stump
M John Sprenger
M Mason Roberts-Jones
M Jacob Sherman
M Axel Garcia
F Vincent Luglio
F Danny Becker
University
GK Hunter Heyman
D Cole MacSwain
D Julian Mondragon
D Antonio Gracias
D Miles Warshauer
M Luca Todorov
M Milo Jarard
M Joseph Wanner
M Alex Bal
F Phillip Kellermeier
F Charlie Young
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Axel Garcia, sr., M, North Shore Country Day
Scoring summary
First half
NSCD — Gallun (V. Luglio) 3 minutes
NSCD — V. Luglio (Garcia) 5 minutes
NSCD — Garcia (Sprenger) 6 minutes
NSCD — V. Luglio (Sherman) 7 minutes
Second half
NSCD — Becker (Steele) 56 minutes
NSCD — Gallun (Sprenger) 60 minutes
University — Moubayed (UA) 76 minutes
NSCD — Sherman (Stump) 77 minutes
NSCD — Steele (Sprenger) 79 minutes