Rochelle Zell stays on roll, tops Holy Trinity
2 goals in first 6 minutes key 3-1 win, maintains undefeated start
By Patrick Z. McGavin
CHICAGO — Even if all the normal standards have been collapsed, Noah Brody is off to a prodigious start.
The junior midfielder registered seven assists in Rochelle Zell’s first two games.
Playing off the dynamic play of junior midfielder Noah Silvers, Brody has unleashed a powerful attack.
Zell has now scored 17 goals in its first three games.
Even with Silvers missing the game Wednesday, Brody and his teammates continued to showcase a glittering offensive attack. The miserable conditions did little to slow them down.
Brody scored a goal in the first two minutes and added two assists as Zell defeated Holy Trinity 3-1 in Chicago Prep Conference action at Humboldt Park.
Brody made clear he is capable of being either the conductor of the attack or the front man.
He plays with enthusiasm and grace, and he showed off both over the rain-streaked surface in heavy winds.
Nothing was going to slow him down.
“I think we are just really excited to be out here, really excited to be having a season in the first place,” Brody said.
“I think that’s why our attack has been so energetic. We are flying numbers forward, and the fact we are playing in the first place is the reason everybody is so pumped up for the season.”
Zell (3-0-0, 2-0-0) dictated the tempo and pace, and looked to knock Holy Trinity off its stride.
They wanted to deprive Holy Trinity of any true breathing space.
Zell coach David Martinez was missing Silvers and two normal defensive starters. A small, private school like Zell already has tight numbers.
It just meant adjusting on the fly.
“Noah Silvers was gone, and we were also missing our left back and center back for various reasons,” Martinez said.
Zell’s mentality is plug and go, and never look back or make excuses.
“Today we were counting on some guys who don’t get a lot of time normally to come in and play the full game, or even play a new position,” Martinez said.
Brody is one of the foundational pieces with Silvers.
They are two of the four returning starters from last year’s team that finished 12-6-3 and played eventual state finalist North Shore Country Day very well in a Class A regional title game.
Liberated by a second chance after he was certain the season was likely to be canceled due to the pandemic, Brody said the team has a new lease on life.
“Our early dynamic is just staying positive,” Brody said. “We did lose a lot of guys from last year, and now we are going with a new player or guys who are playing for the first time.
“We are teaching the guys our culture, working hard, with the idea being no matter how long you are in the game, if it’s five minutes or the whole game, to play really hard.”
Zell plays an aggressive, forward-pushing attack. They make sharp transitions from defense to offense.
Without Silvers in the lineup, Brody jumped up to the forward slot. He set the tone.
“On the first goal, we were sitting back and defending for a little bit, and I got a cross on the left side, and I saw the goalie was a little higher off his line.
“I was able to chip it into the far right post, it nestled in and that jump started our offense.”
Junior forward/midfielder Zach Rosen had the assist. Zell was off and running.
They were also just getting started.
In the sixth minute, applying constant pressure, Zell again found Brody in a favorable matchup as he barreled toward the goal.
He unselfishly slotted the ball to Rosen, who finished the easy put away for the second goal.
“Our coach always says that goals come in pairs,” Brody said
Zach Rosen is part of a deep family tradition at the school. His older brother Ari Rosen was the top player on last year’s team.
Like Ari, Zach is a three-sport athlete. He also plays basketball and baseball.
He made a triumphant start with a strong game Sunday, the day after the basketball season ended.
“I’m a point guard in basketball, and I am used to playing almost the whole game wearing a mask, so I was in phenomenal shape.
“I am not quite in soccer shape, that’s a whole other kind of shape, but I play soccer just like basketball, I am used to passing a lot, and I like to play with my feet and make quick decisions. I am not very skilled at soccer, but I just try to make plays and outhustle people.”
Holy Trinity (0-2-0, 0-2-0) was coming off a 1-0 loss against Hope in its season-opener (Zell beat Hope 6-4 Tuesday).
The team’s best player, Danny Gallegos, was on his spring break. Larry Martin, the longtime girls coach, is now directing the boys program as well, after serving as the lead assistance since 2013.
“I was pleased with the way we tried to overcome a bad start,” Martin said. “Zell is very good, and they had a good strategy of moving down the wings and kicking the ball into the middle.”
The game could have been more lopsided at the start were it not for the excellent play of Holy Trinity keeper Damian Garcia.
He had seven saves in the first half under constant duress with Zell ratcheting up the pressure. The wind and rain probably helped Holy Trinity a couple of times as well.
Holy Trinity regrouped at halftime, and established a more fluid and possessive game at the start of the second half.
Freshman forward Joshua Boahene took advantage of a loose ball and blasted home a volley for the Holy Trinity goal in the 44th minute.
He made his varsity debut after making the quick transition from basketball.
“I just wanted to impress the coach and show that I could get that goal,” he said. “At that point of the game, we were still trying to get back into it.
“We didn’t want to lose.”
Moments later, a Holy Trinity shot blasted off the post.
“He’s just a freshman, 14-years old,” Martin said. “I threw him in there at forward, and he played very aggressively, and he was really hustling.
“I was really happy he joined our team.”
For all its dominance Zell was hanging on through the early stages of the second half.
Rosen put the game away with his second goal in the 60th minute.
“My coach just told me to run to the line, and that’s exactly what I did and the goal was wide open,” Rosen said.
Zell maintained possession and created strong chances the balance of the game as it coasted to the victory.
The win improved Zell’s path to the league title; two-time defending Chicago Prep Conference champion Northtown opted out of the season due to health and safety concerns.
Walther also opted out of playing this spring. The league stands at four teams with Zell, Holy Trinity, Hope and Cristo Rey (Chicago).
Zell sits as the frontrunner, for now.
“A lot of our guys are brand new,” Martinez said. “They’re grinding it out; they’re encouraging each other, and they are playing every play 100 percent.
“That has been the difference so far in every school we have played.”
Starting lineups
Rochelle Zell
GK: Micah Stern
D: Gabe Hirsch
D: Jeremy Budin
D: Shomri Mlotek
D: Eitan Noy
MF: Jesse Shapira
MF: Zach Rosen
MF: Matan Lieberman
MF: Jesse Levitas
F: Oren Nochimowski
F: Noah Brody
Holy Trinity
GK: Damian Garcia
D: Kofi Boakye
D: Elias Lopez
D: Ruben Munoz
D: Jairo Mena
MF: Haziel Sanchez
MF: Alexandre Martinez
MF: Edwin De La Cruz
MF: Sebastian Martinez
F: Walter Adu
F: Joshua Boahene
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Noah Brody, sr., F, Rochelle Zell
Scoring summary
First half
Rochelle Zell—Noah Brody (Zach Rosen), second minute
Rochelle Zell—Rosen (Brody), sixth minute
Second half
Holy Trinity—Joshua Boahene (unassisted), 44th minute
Rochelle Zell—Rosen (Brody), 60th minute
2 goals in first 6 minutes key 3-1 win, maintains undefeated start
By Patrick Z. McGavin
CHICAGO — Even if all the normal standards have been collapsed, Noah Brody is off to a prodigious start.
The junior midfielder registered seven assists in Rochelle Zell’s first two games.
Playing off the dynamic play of junior midfielder Noah Silvers, Brody has unleashed a powerful attack.
Zell has now scored 17 goals in its first three games.
Even with Silvers missing the game Wednesday, Brody and his teammates continued to showcase a glittering offensive attack. The miserable conditions did little to slow them down.
Brody scored a goal in the first two minutes and added two assists as Zell defeated Holy Trinity 3-1 in Chicago Prep Conference action at Humboldt Park.
Brody made clear he is capable of being either the conductor of the attack or the front man.
He plays with enthusiasm and grace, and he showed off both over the rain-streaked surface in heavy winds.
Nothing was going to slow him down.
“I think we are just really excited to be out here, really excited to be having a season in the first place,” Brody said.
“I think that’s why our attack has been so energetic. We are flying numbers forward, and the fact we are playing in the first place is the reason everybody is so pumped up for the season.”
Zell (3-0-0, 2-0-0) dictated the tempo and pace, and looked to knock Holy Trinity off its stride.
They wanted to deprive Holy Trinity of any true breathing space.
Zell coach David Martinez was missing Silvers and two normal defensive starters. A small, private school like Zell already has tight numbers.
It just meant adjusting on the fly.
“Noah Silvers was gone, and we were also missing our left back and center back for various reasons,” Martinez said.
Zell’s mentality is plug and go, and never look back or make excuses.
“Today we were counting on some guys who don’t get a lot of time normally to come in and play the full game, or even play a new position,” Martinez said.
Brody is one of the foundational pieces with Silvers.
They are two of the four returning starters from last year’s team that finished 12-6-3 and played eventual state finalist North Shore Country Day very well in a Class A regional title game.
Liberated by a second chance after he was certain the season was likely to be canceled due to the pandemic, Brody said the team has a new lease on life.
“Our early dynamic is just staying positive,” Brody said. “We did lose a lot of guys from last year, and now we are going with a new player or guys who are playing for the first time.
“We are teaching the guys our culture, working hard, with the idea being no matter how long you are in the game, if it’s five minutes or the whole game, to play really hard.”
Zell plays an aggressive, forward-pushing attack. They make sharp transitions from defense to offense.
Without Silvers in the lineup, Brody jumped up to the forward slot. He set the tone.
“On the first goal, we were sitting back and defending for a little bit, and I got a cross on the left side, and I saw the goalie was a little higher off his line.
“I was able to chip it into the far right post, it nestled in and that jump started our offense.”
Junior forward/midfielder Zach Rosen had the assist. Zell was off and running.
They were also just getting started.
In the sixth minute, applying constant pressure, Zell again found Brody in a favorable matchup as he barreled toward the goal.
He unselfishly slotted the ball to Rosen, who finished the easy put away for the second goal.
“Our coach always says that goals come in pairs,” Brody said
Zach Rosen is part of a deep family tradition at the school. His older brother Ari Rosen was the top player on last year’s team.
Like Ari, Zach is a three-sport athlete. He also plays basketball and baseball.
He made a triumphant start with a strong game Sunday, the day after the basketball season ended.
“I’m a point guard in basketball, and I am used to playing almost the whole game wearing a mask, so I was in phenomenal shape.
“I am not quite in soccer shape, that’s a whole other kind of shape, but I play soccer just like basketball, I am used to passing a lot, and I like to play with my feet and make quick decisions. I am not very skilled at soccer, but I just try to make plays and outhustle people.”
Holy Trinity (0-2-0, 0-2-0) was coming off a 1-0 loss against Hope in its season-opener (Zell beat Hope 6-4 Tuesday).
The team’s best player, Danny Gallegos, was on his spring break. Larry Martin, the longtime girls coach, is now directing the boys program as well, after serving as the lead assistance since 2013.
“I was pleased with the way we tried to overcome a bad start,” Martin said. “Zell is very good, and they had a good strategy of moving down the wings and kicking the ball into the middle.”
The game could have been more lopsided at the start were it not for the excellent play of Holy Trinity keeper Damian Garcia.
He had seven saves in the first half under constant duress with Zell ratcheting up the pressure. The wind and rain probably helped Holy Trinity a couple of times as well.
Holy Trinity regrouped at halftime, and established a more fluid and possessive game at the start of the second half.
Freshman forward Joshua Boahene took advantage of a loose ball and blasted home a volley for the Holy Trinity goal in the 44th minute.
He made his varsity debut after making the quick transition from basketball.
“I just wanted to impress the coach and show that I could get that goal,” he said. “At that point of the game, we were still trying to get back into it.
“We didn’t want to lose.”
Moments later, a Holy Trinity shot blasted off the post.
“He’s just a freshman, 14-years old,” Martin said. “I threw him in there at forward, and he played very aggressively, and he was really hustling.
“I was really happy he joined our team.”
For all its dominance Zell was hanging on through the early stages of the second half.
Rosen put the game away with his second goal in the 60th minute.
“My coach just told me to run to the line, and that’s exactly what I did and the goal was wide open,” Rosen said.
Zell maintained possession and created strong chances the balance of the game as it coasted to the victory.
The win improved Zell’s path to the league title; two-time defending Chicago Prep Conference champion Northtown opted out of the season due to health and safety concerns.
Walther also opted out of playing this spring. The league stands at four teams with Zell, Holy Trinity, Hope and Cristo Rey (Chicago).
Zell sits as the frontrunner, for now.
“A lot of our guys are brand new,” Martinez said. “They’re grinding it out; they’re encouraging each other, and they are playing every play 100 percent.
“That has been the difference so far in every school we have played.”
Starting lineups
Rochelle Zell
GK: Micah Stern
D: Gabe Hirsch
D: Jeremy Budin
D: Shomri Mlotek
D: Eitan Noy
MF: Jesse Shapira
MF: Zach Rosen
MF: Matan Lieberman
MF: Jesse Levitas
F: Oren Nochimowski
F: Noah Brody
Holy Trinity
GK: Damian Garcia
D: Kofi Boakye
D: Elias Lopez
D: Ruben Munoz
D: Jairo Mena
MF: Haziel Sanchez
MF: Alexandre Martinez
MF: Edwin De La Cruz
MF: Sebastian Martinez
F: Walter Adu
F: Joshua Boahene
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Noah Brody, sr., F, Rochelle Zell
Scoring summary
First half
Rochelle Zell—Noah Brody (Zach Rosen), second minute
Rochelle Zell—Rosen (Brody), sixth minute
Second half
Holy Trinity—Joshua Boahene (unassisted), 44th minute
Rochelle Zell—Rosen (Brody), 60th minute