Rochelle Zell makes
history with win over Cristo Rey
Tigers claim 1undefeated conference title after 6-0 victory
By Patrick Z. McGavin
CHICAGO -- Noah Brody knew four years ago the soccer program at Rochelle Zell had little historical distinction.
“When I came in my freshman year I heard we only won a few games the three previous years combined,” Brody said.
“I definitely came in wanting to change that.”
His first year the Tigers won seven games.
“That doesn’t seem like a lot, but that was more games than we won combined the previous four years,” Brody said. “I think I wanted to bring a sense of togetherness, a sense of community our small school instills and bring that to the soccer team.”
On a gloriously beautiful day Wednesday, Brody took a massive step forward. He embodies the work, toughness and solidarity of a 170-student school that has rewritten its history.
“Brody is our main guy, and we always play through him,” junior midfielder Zach Rosen said. “We all know our roles. I know I should outrun people and just fight for every single ball.
“Our defenders get those steps every time.”
Rosen scored two goals and added an assist as the Tigers cruised past Cristo Rey 6-0 in their Chicago Prep Conference regular season finale at Harrison Park in the Pilsen neighborhood.
Zell won its second conference championship in the last three years.
By sweeping the Cristeros this season series (they won 5-1 on March 22), Rochelle Zell set a new level of accomplishment.
The Tigers (10-1-0, 6-0-0) captured their first ever undefeated conference title.
“They have really continued pressing as a program,” Cristo Rey coach Manuel Chavez said. “They’re attacking, and they have some really nice set plays.
“You can tell they really work on those.”
Brody is one of the few players with a deep background in club and elite competition. Most of the players are multiple-sport athletes who play to stay in shape and have fun with their friends.
Zell accomplished its feat with a revamped cast.
“We have probably five or six starters from last year,” said Rosen, whose brother Ari was in that group. “It’s a very new team, maybe less skilled than the past, but we really hustle and play hard.
“We just outrun teams.”
The start of the abbreviated spring season collided with the end of the boys basketball season.
“Half of our team is on the basketball team,” Rochelle Zell coach David Martinez said.
“Initially they were not really coming to practice until the end of their season. At the beginning we were just working on skills and technique. When everybody joined us, we started to work on our tactical actions.”
Rochelle Zell was a model of consistency, scoring three goals in each half. The team shared the ball and multiple players contributed to the attack.
The Tigers showed some nerves and anxiousness early. The timing was a little off.
“At the beginning of the game, we were getting all of these crosses, but we weren’t really capitalizing on them,” Rosen said. “I had a couple of kicks I missed to start the game.
“In those five minutes or so, we could not really finish.”
Rochelle Zell broke through with a three-goal onslaught in 11 minutes.
Rosen kicked things off by smashing home a short volley off a feed from midfielder Jesse Shapira. The team got loose. Once they had their legs underneath them, Rochelle Zell found their natural rhythm and stride.
Midfielder Noah Silvers got a deflected touch off the Cristeros’ keeper in the 30th minute to extend the margins to 2-0.
Less than a minute later, Shapira blasted a left-footed rocket for the 3-0 lead at the halftime break.
The Tigers demonstrated an acute awareness of where all the players are on the field. The symmetry of their movements and the cutting and runs broke down Cristo Rey.
The camaraderie is a natural outgrowth of the school’s culture.
“I’d say going to a small, private high school, we are all so together during the day,” Shapira said. “Even on the bus, there is plenty to get to know about each other, spend time together and really form a bond.”
The school size matters in this context.
The best part about going to a small school, most of them play sports together,” Martinez said. “A lot of them live near each other, or go to the same synagogues together. A lot of them grew up and went to the same summer camps together.
“That’s what made this team.”
Cristo Rey, a Jesuit school in the deeply traditional Pilsen neighborhood, Cristo Rey has gone through a different experience during the pandemic.
Chavez said the normal numbers are way down. Some families held their kids out over fears about the virus. Several other players have had to take jobs in order to support their families.
“We have a lot of work to do,” he said. “I liked the fact that our kids did not give up, and they kept fighting. The inconsistency with practice has been messing us up.
“It’s hard to work as a full team trying to iron out all the mistakes. We do what we can.”
Fernando Sotelo started at keeper. He switched to the field in the second half in an attempt to enliven the Cristeros’ attack. He managed some sharp balls at the goal that Tigers’ keeper Micah Stern repelled.
Rosen, Shapira and Brody scored in the second half. Shapira finished with a goal and two assists. His corner set up Rosen’s second goal.
Zach Rosen earned the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match distinction for his outstanding play.
The field here at Harrison Park is also the location of the conference tournament, which starts with the semifinals Tuesday. The third place game will be followed by the title game at 7 p.m. Thursday.
Rochelle Zell is the top-seed.
“This is the only way I wanted to go out,” Brody said. “I was talking to our coach about who’d ever have thought we’d be in this situation four years ago.
“I wasn’t even sure we’d have a season this year. I was really thankful. We’ve never won the conference tournament before, and we are definitely looking forward to that.”
Starting lineups
Rochelle Zell
GK: Micah Stern
D: Shomri Mlotek
D: Daniel Taitz
D: Jeremy Budin
D: Gabe Gruenberg
MF: Harrison Harkavy
MF: Noah Silvers
MF: Jesse Levitas
F: Noah Brody
F: Jesse Shapira
F: Zach Rosen
Cristo Rey
GK: Fernando Sotelo
D: Valentin De La Cruz
D: Erik Gutierrez
D: Kevin Guzman
D: Jesus Jimenez
D: Jesus Martinez
MF: Salvador Medrano
MF: Brian Rodriguez
MF: Alessandro Gonzalez
F: Angel Dominguez
F: Luis Romero
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Zach Rosen, jr., MF, Rochelle Zell
Scoring summary
First half
Rochelle Zell—Zach Rosen (Jesse Shapira), 20th minute
Rochelle Zell—Noah Silvers (unassisted), 30th minute
Rochelle Zell—Shapira (Matan Lieberman), 31st minute
Second half
Rochelle Zell—Rosen (Shapira), 45th minute
Rochelle Zell—Noah Brody (Rosen), 52nd minute
Rochelle Zell—Shapira (Silvers), 76th minute
history with win over Cristo Rey
Tigers claim 1undefeated conference title after 6-0 victory
By Patrick Z. McGavin
CHICAGO -- Noah Brody knew four years ago the soccer program at Rochelle Zell had little historical distinction.
“When I came in my freshman year I heard we only won a few games the three previous years combined,” Brody said.
“I definitely came in wanting to change that.”
His first year the Tigers won seven games.
“That doesn’t seem like a lot, but that was more games than we won combined the previous four years,” Brody said. “I think I wanted to bring a sense of togetherness, a sense of community our small school instills and bring that to the soccer team.”
On a gloriously beautiful day Wednesday, Brody took a massive step forward. He embodies the work, toughness and solidarity of a 170-student school that has rewritten its history.
“Brody is our main guy, and we always play through him,” junior midfielder Zach Rosen said. “We all know our roles. I know I should outrun people and just fight for every single ball.
“Our defenders get those steps every time.”
Rosen scored two goals and added an assist as the Tigers cruised past Cristo Rey 6-0 in their Chicago Prep Conference regular season finale at Harrison Park in the Pilsen neighborhood.
Zell won its second conference championship in the last three years.
By sweeping the Cristeros this season series (they won 5-1 on March 22), Rochelle Zell set a new level of accomplishment.
The Tigers (10-1-0, 6-0-0) captured their first ever undefeated conference title.
“They have really continued pressing as a program,” Cristo Rey coach Manuel Chavez said. “They’re attacking, and they have some really nice set plays.
“You can tell they really work on those.”
Brody is one of the few players with a deep background in club and elite competition. Most of the players are multiple-sport athletes who play to stay in shape and have fun with their friends.
Zell accomplished its feat with a revamped cast.
“We have probably five or six starters from last year,” said Rosen, whose brother Ari was in that group. “It’s a very new team, maybe less skilled than the past, but we really hustle and play hard.
“We just outrun teams.”
The start of the abbreviated spring season collided with the end of the boys basketball season.
“Half of our team is on the basketball team,” Rochelle Zell coach David Martinez said.
“Initially they were not really coming to practice until the end of their season. At the beginning we were just working on skills and technique. When everybody joined us, we started to work on our tactical actions.”
Rochelle Zell was a model of consistency, scoring three goals in each half. The team shared the ball and multiple players contributed to the attack.
The Tigers showed some nerves and anxiousness early. The timing was a little off.
“At the beginning of the game, we were getting all of these crosses, but we weren’t really capitalizing on them,” Rosen said. “I had a couple of kicks I missed to start the game.
“In those five minutes or so, we could not really finish.”
Rochelle Zell broke through with a three-goal onslaught in 11 minutes.
Rosen kicked things off by smashing home a short volley off a feed from midfielder Jesse Shapira. The team got loose. Once they had their legs underneath them, Rochelle Zell found their natural rhythm and stride.
Midfielder Noah Silvers got a deflected touch off the Cristeros’ keeper in the 30th minute to extend the margins to 2-0.
Less than a minute later, Shapira blasted a left-footed rocket for the 3-0 lead at the halftime break.
The Tigers demonstrated an acute awareness of where all the players are on the field. The symmetry of their movements and the cutting and runs broke down Cristo Rey.
The camaraderie is a natural outgrowth of the school’s culture.
“I’d say going to a small, private high school, we are all so together during the day,” Shapira said. “Even on the bus, there is plenty to get to know about each other, spend time together and really form a bond.”
The school size matters in this context.
The best part about going to a small school, most of them play sports together,” Martinez said. “A lot of them live near each other, or go to the same synagogues together. A lot of them grew up and went to the same summer camps together.
“That’s what made this team.”
Cristo Rey, a Jesuit school in the deeply traditional Pilsen neighborhood, Cristo Rey has gone through a different experience during the pandemic.
Chavez said the normal numbers are way down. Some families held their kids out over fears about the virus. Several other players have had to take jobs in order to support their families.
“We have a lot of work to do,” he said. “I liked the fact that our kids did not give up, and they kept fighting. The inconsistency with practice has been messing us up.
“It’s hard to work as a full team trying to iron out all the mistakes. We do what we can.”
Fernando Sotelo started at keeper. He switched to the field in the second half in an attempt to enliven the Cristeros’ attack. He managed some sharp balls at the goal that Tigers’ keeper Micah Stern repelled.
Rosen, Shapira and Brody scored in the second half. Shapira finished with a goal and two assists. His corner set up Rosen’s second goal.
Zach Rosen earned the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match distinction for his outstanding play.
The field here at Harrison Park is also the location of the conference tournament, which starts with the semifinals Tuesday. The third place game will be followed by the title game at 7 p.m. Thursday.
Rochelle Zell is the top-seed.
“This is the only way I wanted to go out,” Brody said. “I was talking to our coach about who’d ever have thought we’d be in this situation four years ago.
“I wasn’t even sure we’d have a season this year. I was really thankful. We’ve never won the conference tournament before, and we are definitely looking forward to that.”
Starting lineups
Rochelle Zell
GK: Micah Stern
D: Shomri Mlotek
D: Daniel Taitz
D: Jeremy Budin
D: Gabe Gruenberg
MF: Harrison Harkavy
MF: Noah Silvers
MF: Jesse Levitas
F: Noah Brody
F: Jesse Shapira
F: Zach Rosen
Cristo Rey
GK: Fernando Sotelo
D: Valentin De La Cruz
D: Erik Gutierrez
D: Kevin Guzman
D: Jesus Jimenez
D: Jesus Martinez
MF: Salvador Medrano
MF: Brian Rodriguez
MF: Alessandro Gonzalez
F: Angel Dominguez
F: Luis Romero
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Zach Rosen, jr., MF, Rochelle Zell
Scoring summary
First half
Rochelle Zell—Zach Rosen (Jesse Shapira), 20th minute
Rochelle Zell—Noah Silvers (unassisted), 30th minute
Rochelle Zell—Shapira (Matan Lieberman), 31st minute
Second half
Rochelle Zell—Rosen (Shapira), 45th minute
Rochelle Zell—Noah Brody (Rosen), 52nd minute
Rochelle Zell—Shapira (Silvers), 76th minute