Lincoln-Way Central finishes what
Wheaton Warrenville South unable to start
Espinosa’s brace keys consolation victory; WWS comes up empty
By Patrick Z. McGavin
SCHAUMBURG — Issa Husseini cuts a magnificent profile cutting diagonally across the field.
Even he was reduced in the elements.
On the sodden turf, every movement felt a bit compromised and difficult to negotiate. Very little went according to plan.
The apocalyptic storms and harsh weather threw the ultimate curve. The wind bent everything sideways, and the rain was pretty much incessant.
Pools of water lined the turf surface. It was as if playing the game on an obstacle course.
“The rain really threw us off, and we’re not really used to playing in these kinds of conditions,” he said.
“It was a tough game.”
Wheaton Warrenville South faced a tough bracket here.
Coming off the heartbreak of a penalty shootout loss to Solorio on Saturday, the Tigers had no time to feel sorry for themselves.
Another quality challenger stood in the way.
“That happens in soccer, and you just have to deal with it and move on,” midfielder Gael Alfaro said.
The Tigers were active, hungry and up to the task.
What they lacked was the more accurate touch and ball position of Lincoln-Way Central forward Nico Espinosa.
Wheaton Warrenville South’s difficult weekend concluded with a disappointing 2-0 loss in a consolation bracket game of the BodyArmor event at Olympic Park Sunday.
Heavy rain and wind created brutal conditions that dictated the style and nature of the game.
The Tigers (2-4-2) had a lost weekend and were never quite able to surmount the dual challenges of the weather and the Knights’ defense.
“The game was hard because of the wind and the rain,” Alfaro said. “The ball was skipping a lot. The first touch had to be good.
“That was probably the hardest part about the game.”
Wheaton Warrenville South has some compelling pieces in the attack. Husseini is big and dynamic at the top. His size and looping stride definitely draws defenders and captures the attention of the backline.
Alfaro and Jet Oehrlein are the playmakers and shot-distributors in the middle of the attack.
The BodyArmor games were played under a special format with two 35-minute halves.
The shortened game benefitted the team able to take the lead.
The Knights (6-3-0) struck late in the first half.
The Tigers never really fully recovered.
From the middle of the opening half, Lincoln-Way Central sent its own pincer attack at the Tigers’ goal.
Midfielder Johnny Roussakis hammered several shots that required athletic stops by Tigers’ keeper Jared Ferreyra.
The Knights generated some compelling free kicks and several corners that exerted enormous pressure against the Wheaton Warrenville South back.
The wall held firm, and Ferreyra was solid and effective as the last man.
In the 31st minute, Lincoln-Way Central broke through.
Forward Jamison Stockrahm got the to the right edge, and patiently waited to find a loophole in the Tigers’ back.
He played a ball across the wet surface and the trailing Espinosa preceded to beat the aggressive Ferreyra, who charged off his line, for the crucial first touch.
The ball floated inside the near post from about 13 yards.
“I saw Jamison running in the back, and I just thought to myself I have to be there for the pass,” Espinosa said.
“With the rain and everything, I just tried to make something happen.”
Like Wheaton Warrenville South, the Knights were mitigating the disappointment of an opening round loss. The Knights' defeate came against Elk Grove on Saturday.
“Our coach always says what’s in the past is the past, and it’s about how you bounce back,” Espinosa said.
“That was our mentality. We took the game and this new opportunity, and we didn’t fall down. We just got back up.”
The quick turnaround of games meant there was little time for reflection or getting caught in the past.
Espinoza’s opener sent a message to both sides.
“The goal late in the first half definitely gave us a chip on our shoulders,” Espinosa said.
“We lost yesterday. We got our momentum back, and we kept moving forward. We had that confidence we were missing yesterday.”
Wheaton Warrenville South was a bit unnerved by the late score.
“That goal at the end of the first half really impacted a lot of the game,” Alfaro said.
“They scored on us, and we were not able to finish our chances.”
Wheaton Warrenville South played like a team with something to prove in the second half.
The Tigers worked the field well, finding open routes and clear seams to push the ball wide.
The team was particularly effective getting the ball into the middle and pushing runners on the right flank.
With the greater movement and solidity, the chances started to develop more acutely.
Husseini was clipped from behind in a virtual breakaway. The resulting foul gave him a clean shot on a free kick at the top of the box.
His ball smashed into the Knights’ wall.
“We struggled finishing, and they just punished us after we missed the easy breakaways,” Husseini said.
“They kind of broke us down, and we weren’t prepared. There was a lot of miscommunications in the back and that contributed to some of the confusion.”
The two keepers were outstanding.
Another near breakaway found Oerhlein free on the right wing from about 16 yards.
Marszalek made a spectacular kick save by alertly bending his left foot at the necessary moment.
Wheaton Warrenville South compiled chances; the goals never materialized.
Midfielder Liam Smeir had a ball off a throw he half volleyed with his left foot that never reached the necessary lift and velocity to glide past the keeper.
“We have to play harder and play smarter I guess,” Husseini said. “We have to be ready for everything and fight until the end.”
Lincoln-Way Central put the game away in the 58th minute with the same scoring combination.
This time Stockrahm orchestrated a 3-on-1 and slotted the ball to his left like a crafty point guard.
Espinosa finished inside the far post from about 12 yards.
For his two goals, Nico Espinosa earned the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match distinction.
Wheaton Warrenville South endured a tough and trying week.
The team needs to find its way forward again.
“This first couple of weeks of the season have been very competitive and fun,” Alfaro said.
“It’s hard, and we have to keep fighting until the very end.”
Starting lineups
Lincoln-Way Central
GK: Ryan Marszalek
D: Dale Hauser
D: Drew Schiller
D: Dylan Maksa
D: Josiah Reina
MF: Johnny Roussakis
MF: Connor Pate
MF: Jackson Moran
MF: Matt Bettenhausen
F: Nico Espinosa
F: Jamison Stockrahm
Wheaton Warrenville South
GK: Jared Ferreyra
D: Jerry Cuatzo
D: Aaron Escareno
D: Nikhil Bawa
D: Quentin Oker
MF: Semin Razman
MF: Gael Alfaro
MF: Edgar Guzman
MF: Diego Bautista
F: Jet Oehrlein
F: Issa Husseini
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Nico Espinosa, sr., F, Lincoln-Way Central
Scoring summary
First half
Lincoln-Way Central—Nico Espinosa (Jackson Stockrahm), 31st minute
Second half
Lincoln-Way Central—Espinosa (Stockrahm), 58th minute
Wheaton Warrenville South unable to start
Espinosa’s brace keys consolation victory; WWS comes up empty
By Patrick Z. McGavin
SCHAUMBURG — Issa Husseini cuts a magnificent profile cutting diagonally across the field.
Even he was reduced in the elements.
On the sodden turf, every movement felt a bit compromised and difficult to negotiate. Very little went according to plan.
The apocalyptic storms and harsh weather threw the ultimate curve. The wind bent everything sideways, and the rain was pretty much incessant.
Pools of water lined the turf surface. It was as if playing the game on an obstacle course.
“The rain really threw us off, and we’re not really used to playing in these kinds of conditions,” he said.
“It was a tough game.”
Wheaton Warrenville South faced a tough bracket here.
Coming off the heartbreak of a penalty shootout loss to Solorio on Saturday, the Tigers had no time to feel sorry for themselves.
Another quality challenger stood in the way.
“That happens in soccer, and you just have to deal with it and move on,” midfielder Gael Alfaro said.
The Tigers were active, hungry and up to the task.
What they lacked was the more accurate touch and ball position of Lincoln-Way Central forward Nico Espinosa.
Wheaton Warrenville South’s difficult weekend concluded with a disappointing 2-0 loss in a consolation bracket game of the BodyArmor event at Olympic Park Sunday.
Heavy rain and wind created brutal conditions that dictated the style and nature of the game.
The Tigers (2-4-2) had a lost weekend and were never quite able to surmount the dual challenges of the weather and the Knights’ defense.
“The game was hard because of the wind and the rain,” Alfaro said. “The ball was skipping a lot. The first touch had to be good.
“That was probably the hardest part about the game.”
Wheaton Warrenville South has some compelling pieces in the attack. Husseini is big and dynamic at the top. His size and looping stride definitely draws defenders and captures the attention of the backline.
Alfaro and Jet Oehrlein are the playmakers and shot-distributors in the middle of the attack.
The BodyArmor games were played under a special format with two 35-minute halves.
The shortened game benefitted the team able to take the lead.
The Knights (6-3-0) struck late in the first half.
The Tigers never really fully recovered.
From the middle of the opening half, Lincoln-Way Central sent its own pincer attack at the Tigers’ goal.
Midfielder Johnny Roussakis hammered several shots that required athletic stops by Tigers’ keeper Jared Ferreyra.
The Knights generated some compelling free kicks and several corners that exerted enormous pressure against the Wheaton Warrenville South back.
The wall held firm, and Ferreyra was solid and effective as the last man.
In the 31st minute, Lincoln-Way Central broke through.
Forward Jamison Stockrahm got the to the right edge, and patiently waited to find a loophole in the Tigers’ back.
He played a ball across the wet surface and the trailing Espinosa preceded to beat the aggressive Ferreyra, who charged off his line, for the crucial first touch.
The ball floated inside the near post from about 13 yards.
“I saw Jamison running in the back, and I just thought to myself I have to be there for the pass,” Espinosa said.
“With the rain and everything, I just tried to make something happen.”
Like Wheaton Warrenville South, the Knights were mitigating the disappointment of an opening round loss. The Knights' defeate came against Elk Grove on Saturday.
“Our coach always says what’s in the past is the past, and it’s about how you bounce back,” Espinosa said.
“That was our mentality. We took the game and this new opportunity, and we didn’t fall down. We just got back up.”
The quick turnaround of games meant there was little time for reflection or getting caught in the past.
Espinoza’s opener sent a message to both sides.
“The goal late in the first half definitely gave us a chip on our shoulders,” Espinosa said.
“We lost yesterday. We got our momentum back, and we kept moving forward. We had that confidence we were missing yesterday.”
Wheaton Warrenville South was a bit unnerved by the late score.
“That goal at the end of the first half really impacted a lot of the game,” Alfaro said.
“They scored on us, and we were not able to finish our chances.”
Wheaton Warrenville South played like a team with something to prove in the second half.
The Tigers worked the field well, finding open routes and clear seams to push the ball wide.
The team was particularly effective getting the ball into the middle and pushing runners on the right flank.
With the greater movement and solidity, the chances started to develop more acutely.
Husseini was clipped from behind in a virtual breakaway. The resulting foul gave him a clean shot on a free kick at the top of the box.
His ball smashed into the Knights’ wall.
“We struggled finishing, and they just punished us after we missed the easy breakaways,” Husseini said.
“They kind of broke us down, and we weren’t prepared. There was a lot of miscommunications in the back and that contributed to some of the confusion.”
The two keepers were outstanding.
Another near breakaway found Oerhlein free on the right wing from about 16 yards.
Marszalek made a spectacular kick save by alertly bending his left foot at the necessary moment.
Wheaton Warrenville South compiled chances; the goals never materialized.
Midfielder Liam Smeir had a ball off a throw he half volleyed with his left foot that never reached the necessary lift and velocity to glide past the keeper.
“We have to play harder and play smarter I guess,” Husseini said. “We have to be ready for everything and fight until the end.”
Lincoln-Way Central put the game away in the 58th minute with the same scoring combination.
This time Stockrahm orchestrated a 3-on-1 and slotted the ball to his left like a crafty point guard.
Espinosa finished inside the far post from about 12 yards.
For his two goals, Nico Espinosa earned the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match distinction.
Wheaton Warrenville South endured a tough and trying week.
The team needs to find its way forward again.
“This first couple of weeks of the season have been very competitive and fun,” Alfaro said.
“It’s hard, and we have to keep fighting until the very end.”
Starting lineups
Lincoln-Way Central
GK: Ryan Marszalek
D: Dale Hauser
D: Drew Schiller
D: Dylan Maksa
D: Josiah Reina
MF: Johnny Roussakis
MF: Connor Pate
MF: Jackson Moran
MF: Matt Bettenhausen
F: Nico Espinosa
F: Jamison Stockrahm
Wheaton Warrenville South
GK: Jared Ferreyra
D: Jerry Cuatzo
D: Aaron Escareno
D: Nikhil Bawa
D: Quentin Oker
MF: Semin Razman
MF: Gael Alfaro
MF: Edgar Guzman
MF: Diego Bautista
F: Jet Oehrlein
F: Issa Husseini
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Nico Espinosa, sr., F, Lincoln-Way Central
Scoring summary
First half
Lincoln-Way Central—Nico Espinosa (Jackson Stockrahm), 31st minute
Second half
Lincoln-Way Central—Espinosa (Stockrahm), 58th minute