East Aurora's fast start
stings Wheaton Warrenville South
Hat-trick from Tomcats' Hernandez leads hosts to 4-0 victory
By Dave Owen
AURORA -- The saying ‘Do as the Romans do’ proved a daunting task for Wheaton Warrenville South in Tuesday’s Class 3A East Aurora regional semifinal.
The host Tomcats’ standout forward Roman Hernandez struck for two goals in the first 10:28 of the match, and finished the night with a hat-trick as East Aurora (14-4-4) handed the Tigers (8-8-3) a season-ending 4-0 defeat.
“Giving credit where credit is due,” Wheaton Warrenville South coach Guy Callipari said. “Number 10 (Hernandez) is at a level above everyone else here with his vision and his ability to know when, where and how.”
The when was a particularly unsettling factor for Wheaton Warrenville South.
After giving up a penalty kick goal five minutes into their regular-season ending 1-0 loss to Glenbard North, the Tigers experienced similar misfortune even sooner on Tuesday.
A foul in the box just 1:16 into the match provided East Aurora with a penalty kick, and Hernandez converted for a nearly immediate 1-0 lead.
Nine minutes later, the elusive Hernandez broke free in the box and put away a Rosario Gutierrez cross to put the Tigers (who allowed just 26 goals in 17 regular season games) in an uncustomary 2-0 hole.
“We were very aggressive, got that PK and put the first goal in,” Hernandez said. “Then we started pressuring again, got the second goal and kept going.”
Tigers senior Drew Murman has been part of a stingy back four this fall.
“They (the Tomcats) just got out and attacked first,” Murman said. “We just needed to be in the mindset right off the bat that we need to go win this game. Obviously, we weren't able to do it.”
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match Hernandez saw his team’s great start as a carryover from the Tomcats’ final week of the regular season, when East Aurora posted wins over West Chicago and Bartlett to wrap up an undefeated (7-0-2) Upstate Eight Conference title for the squad.
“We wanted to come out strong,” he said. “We haven't won conference in nine years, and last year we were knocked off by West Chicago.”
The 2-1 loss in the second-to-last game of the shortened season last spring cost East Aurora the conference title by a single point to the Wildcats.
“We wanted to come back with revenge, and we came out strong against them,” Hernandez said. “We beat them (West Chicago), and we took it on to this game. We came out strong here too.”
Said Callipari: “It didn't help giving up a penalty (kick) in the first two minutes. That gets you on your heels. But I thought we responded well. We had a couple chances to equalize (down 1-0), but then he (Hernandez) came inside again, and we were a little soft on him (on the second goal).”
After the early jolt, Wheaton Warrenville South regrouped to play East Aurora to a standstill or better the remainder of the first half.
An attack in the 17th minute produced shots by Gael Alfaro and Edgar Guzman, both blocked by East Aurora defenders.
In the 29th minute, Wheaton Warrenville South’s Jason Weisheit, Patrick Brocious and Brooks Becker nicely broke up a two-man rush by East Aurora.
The ensuing counterattack produced a Brocious pass to Weisheit to set up a Tigers corner kick. Tim Foley’s header of an Alfaro corner send to the back post went just wide.
The momentum tilt continued in the 33rd minute, when East Aurora goalkeeper Efrain Rosales barely beat Nikhil Bawa to Brocious’ 45-yard free kick sent just right of the crease.
“We saw it as any other game, that we can compete with any team,” Tigers senior Cristian Munoz said of his team’s nice response to the 2-0 deficit. “Their number 10 (Hernandez) was able to distribute the ball wide and find their players all the time, but we were able to look forward and recover.
“It's our last game and everyone was able to give it their all. It's not the result we wanted, but I'm glad we were able to respond somehow.”
The response and bid to cut into the deficit continued to the end of the first half.
In the 37th minute, a Weisheit throw-in led to an Issa Husseini header to Marco Gonzalez. His right side shot was deflected wide for a corner kick. Foley’s far-side chip off the ensuing corner landed atop the net.
The push continued with 1:30 left in the half, when Weisheit’s 1-v-2 right-side attack and cross was barely denied when Rosales just beat two charging Tigers to the ball 12 yards off his line.
A Chase Kedzior free kick with 35 seconds left initiated a final first half threat, as Husseini’s header to the front was cleared by East Aurora defender Nico Magallon.
“We just really had to keep our heads up and keep going forward,” Alfaro said. “And keep on attacking and attacking until one goes in and have momentum after that.”
Unfortunately for the Tigers, their attacks never could net a momentum-turning goal.
Five minutes into the second half, Munoz was fouled and powered an ensuing 30-yard free kick towards frame. But Rosales responded with a low catch to keep the score 2-0.
Then just 40 seconds later, East Aurora’s Jael Chavez won a ball near midfield, raced up the middle and found Hernandez speeding up the right side. A low line drive inside the left post later, Hernandez had his hat-trick, and the Tomcats were in command at 3-0.
He's a heck of a player,” Tomcats coach Jason Parry said of Hernandez. “Getting honored as all-state, he really proved it tonight.
“He definitely is the catalyst of our team. Everything goes through him. He's a quiet leader. He doesn't say much, but as he goes the team goes. He's a joy to have.”
Weisheit was impressed by East Aurora’s entire offensive package.
“It was their movement off the ball. And on the ball their dribbling was just incredible,” he said. “And their finishing.”
Said Alfaro: “They moved the ball really well. That really gave us a hard time processing what they were doing. The plays they were doing were just unpredictable.”
The Tigers were both impressed by their foes, and increasingly frustrated. After Wheaton Warrenville South responded well to a 2-0 deficit but had no finishing luck, Hernandez struck again.
“He took the opportunities, and that's what you have to do,” Callipari said. “Put (shots) on frame and make the opposition take care of it.
“When we got those chances, they got a foot in front, and they deflected things over. Not one bounce went our way. And that's unfortunate.”
Hernandez threatened to build on his big night with 27:10 to play with an offensive third steal and burst into the box. But Tigers second half goalkeeper Owen Haas’ save denied that chance.
Haas then followed four minutes later with a great leaping deflection over the crossbar of a Javier Aguirre 20-yard shot.
Wheaton Warrenville South answered those plays with more scoring chances but even less luck.
With 20:02 to play, Alfaro’s cross was headed into the net by Edgar Guzman – only to be nullified by an offside call.
Alfaro’s corner kick three minutes later just missed connection with Gonzalez racing in at the back post. Then with 11:15 left, Weisheit’s hustling block of a clearing attempt in the box went just wide of the left post.
“I know they (our players) were frustrated,” Callipari said, “and we had to remain focused with intent and purpose. That's something we've been able to do all year, but perhaps being the last game and on our heels a little bit, the level of pressure was maybe a little too much.”
East Aurora withstood it all, and would respond with another goal with 6:06 on the clock when Chavez took a Josue Gutierrez pass and fired a 12-yard shot into the upper left corner.
“We were stretched at that point,” Callipari said, “pushing people forward and taking necessary risks. They capitalized at the end there. I thought it was a pretty good game otherwise.”
The Tigers closed with good defense: Murman’s nice 1-v-1 defensive third steal with 4:15 left; and senior reserve Andrew Walker’s nice clear of a Tomcats attack to the top of the box with 1:40 to play.
While Tuesday was East Aurora’s night, seniors like Munoz wouldn’t change much about their experiences in the Wheaton Warrenville South program.
“I've enjoyed every second of it,” Munoz said. “There's ups and downs, but our coach taught us integrity and showing respect, being the bigger person. Sure there are times when we lose focus, but I believe we bring pride to the game every time we step on the field.”
For East Aurora, grabbing a quick 2-0 lead and withstanding the Tigers’ best shots earned the sixth-seeded Tomcats a regional final showdown Friday with no. 3 -seed Naperville Central.
“I always get nervous scoring early,” Parry said, “because then sometimes teams get kind of complacent. That's one thing we've been stressing this year, to play a full 80 minutes. And I think tonight we did that. I was proud of the way everyone played.”
Starting lineups
Wheaton Warrenville South
GK Jared Ferreya
D Tim Foley
D Brian Tunney
D Nikhil Bawa
D Drew Murman
M Gael Alfaro
M Gabe Waszak
M Chase Kedzior
F Christian Munoz
F Jason Weisheit
F Marco Gonzalez
East Aurora
GK Efrain Rosales
D Nico Magallon
D Jose Marin
D Jose Garcia
D Isaac Escobar
M Javier Aguirre
M Jael Chavez
M Rosario Gutierrez
M Eduardo Simental
F Roman Hernandez
F Brandon Perea
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Roman Hernandez, sr. F, East Aurora
Scoring summary
First half
EA- Roman Hernandez (PK), 2’
EA- Hernandez (Rosario Gutierrez assist), 11’
Second half
EA- Hernandez (Jael Chavez), 46’
EA- Chavez (Josue Gutierrez), 74’
stings Wheaton Warrenville South
Hat-trick from Tomcats' Hernandez leads hosts to 4-0 victory
By Dave Owen
AURORA -- The saying ‘Do as the Romans do’ proved a daunting task for Wheaton Warrenville South in Tuesday’s Class 3A East Aurora regional semifinal.
The host Tomcats’ standout forward Roman Hernandez struck for two goals in the first 10:28 of the match, and finished the night with a hat-trick as East Aurora (14-4-4) handed the Tigers (8-8-3) a season-ending 4-0 defeat.
“Giving credit where credit is due,” Wheaton Warrenville South coach Guy Callipari said. “Number 10 (Hernandez) is at a level above everyone else here with his vision and his ability to know when, where and how.”
The when was a particularly unsettling factor for Wheaton Warrenville South.
After giving up a penalty kick goal five minutes into their regular-season ending 1-0 loss to Glenbard North, the Tigers experienced similar misfortune even sooner on Tuesday.
A foul in the box just 1:16 into the match provided East Aurora with a penalty kick, and Hernandez converted for a nearly immediate 1-0 lead.
Nine minutes later, the elusive Hernandez broke free in the box and put away a Rosario Gutierrez cross to put the Tigers (who allowed just 26 goals in 17 regular season games) in an uncustomary 2-0 hole.
“We were very aggressive, got that PK and put the first goal in,” Hernandez said. “Then we started pressuring again, got the second goal and kept going.”
Tigers senior Drew Murman has been part of a stingy back four this fall.
“They (the Tomcats) just got out and attacked first,” Murman said. “We just needed to be in the mindset right off the bat that we need to go win this game. Obviously, we weren't able to do it.”
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match Hernandez saw his team’s great start as a carryover from the Tomcats’ final week of the regular season, when East Aurora posted wins over West Chicago and Bartlett to wrap up an undefeated (7-0-2) Upstate Eight Conference title for the squad.
“We wanted to come out strong,” he said. “We haven't won conference in nine years, and last year we were knocked off by West Chicago.”
The 2-1 loss in the second-to-last game of the shortened season last spring cost East Aurora the conference title by a single point to the Wildcats.
“We wanted to come back with revenge, and we came out strong against them,” Hernandez said. “We beat them (West Chicago), and we took it on to this game. We came out strong here too.”
Said Callipari: “It didn't help giving up a penalty (kick) in the first two minutes. That gets you on your heels. But I thought we responded well. We had a couple chances to equalize (down 1-0), but then he (Hernandez) came inside again, and we were a little soft on him (on the second goal).”
After the early jolt, Wheaton Warrenville South regrouped to play East Aurora to a standstill or better the remainder of the first half.
An attack in the 17th minute produced shots by Gael Alfaro and Edgar Guzman, both blocked by East Aurora defenders.
In the 29th minute, Wheaton Warrenville South’s Jason Weisheit, Patrick Brocious and Brooks Becker nicely broke up a two-man rush by East Aurora.
The ensuing counterattack produced a Brocious pass to Weisheit to set up a Tigers corner kick. Tim Foley’s header of an Alfaro corner send to the back post went just wide.
The momentum tilt continued in the 33rd minute, when East Aurora goalkeeper Efrain Rosales barely beat Nikhil Bawa to Brocious’ 45-yard free kick sent just right of the crease.
“We saw it as any other game, that we can compete with any team,” Tigers senior Cristian Munoz said of his team’s nice response to the 2-0 deficit. “Their number 10 (Hernandez) was able to distribute the ball wide and find their players all the time, but we were able to look forward and recover.
“It's our last game and everyone was able to give it their all. It's not the result we wanted, but I'm glad we were able to respond somehow.”
The response and bid to cut into the deficit continued to the end of the first half.
In the 37th minute, a Weisheit throw-in led to an Issa Husseini header to Marco Gonzalez. His right side shot was deflected wide for a corner kick. Foley’s far-side chip off the ensuing corner landed atop the net.
The push continued with 1:30 left in the half, when Weisheit’s 1-v-2 right-side attack and cross was barely denied when Rosales just beat two charging Tigers to the ball 12 yards off his line.
A Chase Kedzior free kick with 35 seconds left initiated a final first half threat, as Husseini’s header to the front was cleared by East Aurora defender Nico Magallon.
“We just really had to keep our heads up and keep going forward,” Alfaro said. “And keep on attacking and attacking until one goes in and have momentum after that.”
Unfortunately for the Tigers, their attacks never could net a momentum-turning goal.
Five minutes into the second half, Munoz was fouled and powered an ensuing 30-yard free kick towards frame. But Rosales responded with a low catch to keep the score 2-0.
Then just 40 seconds later, East Aurora’s Jael Chavez won a ball near midfield, raced up the middle and found Hernandez speeding up the right side. A low line drive inside the left post later, Hernandez had his hat-trick, and the Tomcats were in command at 3-0.
He's a heck of a player,” Tomcats coach Jason Parry said of Hernandez. “Getting honored as all-state, he really proved it tonight.
“He definitely is the catalyst of our team. Everything goes through him. He's a quiet leader. He doesn't say much, but as he goes the team goes. He's a joy to have.”
Weisheit was impressed by East Aurora’s entire offensive package.
“It was their movement off the ball. And on the ball their dribbling was just incredible,” he said. “And their finishing.”
Said Alfaro: “They moved the ball really well. That really gave us a hard time processing what they were doing. The plays they were doing were just unpredictable.”
The Tigers were both impressed by their foes, and increasingly frustrated. After Wheaton Warrenville South responded well to a 2-0 deficit but had no finishing luck, Hernandez struck again.
“He took the opportunities, and that's what you have to do,” Callipari said. “Put (shots) on frame and make the opposition take care of it.
“When we got those chances, they got a foot in front, and they deflected things over. Not one bounce went our way. And that's unfortunate.”
Hernandez threatened to build on his big night with 27:10 to play with an offensive third steal and burst into the box. But Tigers second half goalkeeper Owen Haas’ save denied that chance.
Haas then followed four minutes later with a great leaping deflection over the crossbar of a Javier Aguirre 20-yard shot.
Wheaton Warrenville South answered those plays with more scoring chances but even less luck.
With 20:02 to play, Alfaro’s cross was headed into the net by Edgar Guzman – only to be nullified by an offside call.
Alfaro’s corner kick three minutes later just missed connection with Gonzalez racing in at the back post. Then with 11:15 left, Weisheit’s hustling block of a clearing attempt in the box went just wide of the left post.
“I know they (our players) were frustrated,” Callipari said, “and we had to remain focused with intent and purpose. That's something we've been able to do all year, but perhaps being the last game and on our heels a little bit, the level of pressure was maybe a little too much.”
East Aurora withstood it all, and would respond with another goal with 6:06 on the clock when Chavez took a Josue Gutierrez pass and fired a 12-yard shot into the upper left corner.
“We were stretched at that point,” Callipari said, “pushing people forward and taking necessary risks. They capitalized at the end there. I thought it was a pretty good game otherwise.”
The Tigers closed with good defense: Murman’s nice 1-v-1 defensive third steal with 4:15 left; and senior reserve Andrew Walker’s nice clear of a Tomcats attack to the top of the box with 1:40 to play.
While Tuesday was East Aurora’s night, seniors like Munoz wouldn’t change much about their experiences in the Wheaton Warrenville South program.
“I've enjoyed every second of it,” Munoz said. “There's ups and downs, but our coach taught us integrity and showing respect, being the bigger person. Sure there are times when we lose focus, but I believe we bring pride to the game every time we step on the field.”
For East Aurora, grabbing a quick 2-0 lead and withstanding the Tigers’ best shots earned the sixth-seeded Tomcats a regional final showdown Friday with no. 3 -seed Naperville Central.
“I always get nervous scoring early,” Parry said, “because then sometimes teams get kind of complacent. That's one thing we've been stressing this year, to play a full 80 minutes. And I think tonight we did that. I was proud of the way everyone played.”
Starting lineups
Wheaton Warrenville South
GK Jared Ferreya
D Tim Foley
D Brian Tunney
D Nikhil Bawa
D Drew Murman
M Gael Alfaro
M Gabe Waszak
M Chase Kedzior
F Christian Munoz
F Jason Weisheit
F Marco Gonzalez
East Aurora
GK Efrain Rosales
D Nico Magallon
D Jose Marin
D Jose Garcia
D Isaac Escobar
M Javier Aguirre
M Jael Chavez
M Rosario Gutierrez
M Eduardo Simental
F Roman Hernandez
F Brandon Perea
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Roman Hernandez, sr. F, East Aurora
Scoring summary
First half
EA- Roman Hernandez (PK), 2’
EA- Hernandez (Rosario Gutierrez assist), 11’
Second half
EA- Hernandez (Jael Chavez), 46’
EA- Chavez (Josue Gutierrez), 74’