Variety carries Rochelle Zell past Sullivan
'Magical' 2nd half leads to 5-2 Class A regional semi win
By Gary Larsen
CHICAGO — Imagine every possible way that a goal can be scored in a soccer game. Next, imagine a team scoring in almost every way to win a regional game.
That exact scenario played out in the second half for Rochelle Zell in Wednesday’s 5-2 win over Sullivan in a Class A North Shore Country Day Regional semifinal game.
With three goals scored in the run of play and two scored on set pieces, coach David Martinez’s boys essentially put on an offensive clinic in the second half.
“Those were great goals and for that to happen in a (regional) semifinal, it’s magical,” Martinez said. “To have it happen that way in order to get to a regional championship, you couldn’t have it happen any better.”
Wednesday’s win sent Rochelle Zell (12-5-3) to today’s regional title game against host North Shore Country Day (14-5-1) in Winnetka.
The mix of goals earned in a diverse day of scoring all came after a scoreless first half between the member of the Chicago Prep Conference and its Chicago Public League foe Sullivan (6-6-0).
First came an Isaac Levitan free kick from 30 yards that hit both the crossbar and the far post of the upper ninety before landing behind the goal line.
Next came a pure-hustle goal from Ari Rosen. That was followed by a perfect Eli Gurin corner kick that set up a no-doubt-about-it header goal by Sammy Korol that stretched the back netting.
The variety show continued when Korol sent the sweetest of through-balls ahead to spring Gurin for a goal.
The final tally came when Yabi Silvers reached the endline on the left side and crossed into the box to Gurin, who took a touch and finished to complete one heck of a day of scoring .
“We just finished our conference tournament, and I think we’re rolling high,” Rosen said. “Our defense is playing really well, our offense is clicking, and Sammy (Korol) is finally back after breaking his foot in the first game of the season. We’re really putting it together now.”
Wednesday’s first half featured a fine possession game displayed by Sullivan against an airtight defensive effort by Rochelle Zell's backline of Adam Budin, Evan Dayan, and Gabe Gruenberg.
Korol also dropped back from midfield to help out defensively. Add a steady showing and a few quality saves from keeper Jonah Hammel, and Rochelle Zell was exceptional in defending against a dangerous Sullivan attack.
Talented Sullivan midfielder Erick Morquecho was particularly worrisome.
“(Morquecho) was getting by two or three of us,” Budin said. “But today, specifically, we really stepped it up. We kept the line exactly where it needed to be, and we were able to get the ball forward.”
Though Sullivan’s possession game was prominent in the first half, it was Rochelle Zell that had the two best scoring chances of the first half.
Noah Brody forced a diving stop by Sullivan keeper Niyomutabazi Gille with a shot from 10 yards at 37 minutes. Then Gurin went in alone on Gille one minute later only to be stopped with a sprawling save to keep the game scoreless through 40 minutes.
“Going into the first half we knew Sullivan was a tough team and coach impressed on us that defense would be key,” Gurin said. “We knew if we could go zero-zero at halftime that we could pull it off.”
Four minutes into the second half, Sullivan scored the game’s first goal on a Morquecho penalty kick conversion. How Rochelle Zell would react to going down a goal in a big game was anyone’s guess.
That reaction was swift. Chasing a goal, the Deerfield-school upped its intensity and began making runs into its attacking third. A free kick was earned near the right-side touchline 30 yards from the Sullivan goal at 49 minutes.
Levitan lined it up and placed it perfectly to the upper ninety at the far post. Sullivan’s keeper dove and got a piece of Levitan’s shot before it rattled at the intersection of the bar and the post and into the goal to tie the game at 1-1.
“Isaac’s free kick was just unbelievable,” Rosen said. “That was beautiful.”
A game-tying goal scored quickly after a deficit was a good sign.
“Throughout the season, (Martinez) has told us that goals can come in pairs, and at the beginning of the season we might have gotten down when we got scored on first,” Gurin said. “But we know we can’t put our heads down. We have to persevere and get a goal.”
Hammel made a fine diving save of a Morquecho free kick from distance at 52 minutes, and four minutes later it was an attack in transition that gave Rochelle Zell a 2-1 lead.
Gurin sent a long ball over the top into the attacking third and Sullivan keeper Gille charged out to the top of the box to get it. The tall and rangy Rosen arrived at the same time, won the ball, and got behind the defense.
Rosen went in alone on an empty net at 56 minutes with one thought in his head.
“Just don’t miss,” said Rosen, whose lunchbucket effort has helped key this year’s attack.
“I’m not naturally a soccer player. I play baseball and basketball,” Rosen said. “So I just try to hustle and play like it’s basketball. I was just running through the ball and then I realized there was no one in the goal.”
Martinez is just happy that Rosen returned to the soccer field in his senior year.
“Ari didn’t play last year — he chose to train for other sports — and I’m glad he came out this year because he’s a big part of our offense,” Martinez said. “In the third place game of our conference tournament, he scored five goals. He just works hard, and he got that hustle goal for us.”
At 65 minutes, Gurin sent his corner kick from the right side to the goalmouth, where Korol buried it to make it 3-1. Three minutes later, Korol sprang Gurin with a through-ball. Rochelle Zell's scoring streak ended when Silvers reached the end line on the left side and centered to Gurin at 75 minutes.
Gurin finished in the box to end his stat line with two goals and two assists, and a Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honor to his name.
Morquecho hit a beautiful free kick from 30 yards at 77 minutes to score the game’s final goal.
Rochelle Zell midfielders Levitan, Korol, and Brody were pivotal in their team’s second half attacking surge.
“They run things in the middle. Everything goes through them,” Martinez said. “If they’re working hard, everyone else benefits.”
For Sullivan coach Josh Zepeda, Rochelle Zell’s second half scoring binge had him looking ahead.
“When we fall, we fall hard,” Zepeda said. “It’s definitely something to work on for next season.
"We have very talented group of kids, and I think it’s the psychological part of the game that we have to work on, in terms of staying in the game, not giving up, and being a more disciplined team. Because we have the skill.
“I think (Rochelle Zell) showed that they wanted it, and we became disillusioned. And when we become disillusioned, we tend to want to make it all up with individual play.”
The win was also technically an upset for Rochelle Zell, as the no. 6 seed of Sub-sectional B in the Class A North Shore Country Day Sectional. Sullivan was seeded fourth.
Rochelle Zell also reached a regional title match last year, losing 1-0 to North Shore Country Day. Today’s rematch with another regional crown on the line could be a doozy.
“I’ve heard they’ve got one really good forward, and they’re a very good possession team that can also send it through,” Budin said. “We’ll have to be at our best.”
Starting lineups
Rochelle Zell
GK: Jonah Hammel
D: Adam Budin
D: Evan Dayan
D: Gabe Gruenberg
M: Yabi Silvers
M: Noah Brody
M: Isaac Levitan
M: Sammy Korol
M: Harrison Harkavy
F: Ari Rosen
F: Eli Gurin
Sullivan
GK: Niyomutabazi Gille
D: Fawaz Surakat
D: Nirmal Magar
D: Harun Abdul Samad
M: Justin Mutabazi
M: Erick Morquecho
M: Nirajan Gurung
M: Roman Darjee
M: Simon Aye
F: Alejandro Duran
F: Ramesh Magar
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match — Eli Gurin, sr. F, Rochelle Zell
Scoring summary
First half
No scoring
Second half
Sullivan — Morquecho (PK) 44 minutes
Rochelle Zell — Levitan (FK) 49 minutes
Rochelle Zell — Rosen (Gurin) 56 minutes
Rochelle Zell — Korol (Gurin) 57 minutes
Rochelle Zell — Gurin (Korol) 68 minutes
Rochelle Zell — Gurin (Silvers) 73 minutes
Sullivan — Morquecho (FK) 77 minutes
'Magical' 2nd half leads to 5-2 Class A regional semi win
By Gary Larsen
CHICAGO — Imagine every possible way that a goal can be scored in a soccer game. Next, imagine a team scoring in almost every way to win a regional game.
That exact scenario played out in the second half for Rochelle Zell in Wednesday’s 5-2 win over Sullivan in a Class A North Shore Country Day Regional semifinal game.
With three goals scored in the run of play and two scored on set pieces, coach David Martinez’s boys essentially put on an offensive clinic in the second half.
“Those were great goals and for that to happen in a (regional) semifinal, it’s magical,” Martinez said. “To have it happen that way in order to get to a regional championship, you couldn’t have it happen any better.”
Wednesday’s win sent Rochelle Zell (12-5-3) to today’s regional title game against host North Shore Country Day (14-5-1) in Winnetka.
The mix of goals earned in a diverse day of scoring all came after a scoreless first half between the member of the Chicago Prep Conference and its Chicago Public League foe Sullivan (6-6-0).
First came an Isaac Levitan free kick from 30 yards that hit both the crossbar and the far post of the upper ninety before landing behind the goal line.
Next came a pure-hustle goal from Ari Rosen. That was followed by a perfect Eli Gurin corner kick that set up a no-doubt-about-it header goal by Sammy Korol that stretched the back netting.
The variety show continued when Korol sent the sweetest of through-balls ahead to spring Gurin for a goal.
The final tally came when Yabi Silvers reached the endline on the left side and crossed into the box to Gurin, who took a touch and finished to complete one heck of a day of scoring .
“We just finished our conference tournament, and I think we’re rolling high,” Rosen said. “Our defense is playing really well, our offense is clicking, and Sammy (Korol) is finally back after breaking his foot in the first game of the season. We’re really putting it together now.”
Wednesday’s first half featured a fine possession game displayed by Sullivan against an airtight defensive effort by Rochelle Zell's backline of Adam Budin, Evan Dayan, and Gabe Gruenberg.
Korol also dropped back from midfield to help out defensively. Add a steady showing and a few quality saves from keeper Jonah Hammel, and Rochelle Zell was exceptional in defending against a dangerous Sullivan attack.
Talented Sullivan midfielder Erick Morquecho was particularly worrisome.
“(Morquecho) was getting by two or three of us,” Budin said. “But today, specifically, we really stepped it up. We kept the line exactly where it needed to be, and we were able to get the ball forward.”
Though Sullivan’s possession game was prominent in the first half, it was Rochelle Zell that had the two best scoring chances of the first half.
Noah Brody forced a diving stop by Sullivan keeper Niyomutabazi Gille with a shot from 10 yards at 37 minutes. Then Gurin went in alone on Gille one minute later only to be stopped with a sprawling save to keep the game scoreless through 40 minutes.
“Going into the first half we knew Sullivan was a tough team and coach impressed on us that defense would be key,” Gurin said. “We knew if we could go zero-zero at halftime that we could pull it off.”
Four minutes into the second half, Sullivan scored the game’s first goal on a Morquecho penalty kick conversion. How Rochelle Zell would react to going down a goal in a big game was anyone’s guess.
That reaction was swift. Chasing a goal, the Deerfield-school upped its intensity and began making runs into its attacking third. A free kick was earned near the right-side touchline 30 yards from the Sullivan goal at 49 minutes.
Levitan lined it up and placed it perfectly to the upper ninety at the far post. Sullivan’s keeper dove and got a piece of Levitan’s shot before it rattled at the intersection of the bar and the post and into the goal to tie the game at 1-1.
“Isaac’s free kick was just unbelievable,” Rosen said. “That was beautiful.”
A game-tying goal scored quickly after a deficit was a good sign.
“Throughout the season, (Martinez) has told us that goals can come in pairs, and at the beginning of the season we might have gotten down when we got scored on first,” Gurin said. “But we know we can’t put our heads down. We have to persevere and get a goal.”
Hammel made a fine diving save of a Morquecho free kick from distance at 52 minutes, and four minutes later it was an attack in transition that gave Rochelle Zell a 2-1 lead.
Gurin sent a long ball over the top into the attacking third and Sullivan keeper Gille charged out to the top of the box to get it. The tall and rangy Rosen arrived at the same time, won the ball, and got behind the defense.
Rosen went in alone on an empty net at 56 minutes with one thought in his head.
“Just don’t miss,” said Rosen, whose lunchbucket effort has helped key this year’s attack.
“I’m not naturally a soccer player. I play baseball and basketball,” Rosen said. “So I just try to hustle and play like it’s basketball. I was just running through the ball and then I realized there was no one in the goal.”
Martinez is just happy that Rosen returned to the soccer field in his senior year.
“Ari didn’t play last year — he chose to train for other sports — and I’m glad he came out this year because he’s a big part of our offense,” Martinez said. “In the third place game of our conference tournament, he scored five goals. He just works hard, and he got that hustle goal for us.”
At 65 minutes, Gurin sent his corner kick from the right side to the goalmouth, where Korol buried it to make it 3-1. Three minutes later, Korol sprang Gurin with a through-ball. Rochelle Zell's scoring streak ended when Silvers reached the end line on the left side and centered to Gurin at 75 minutes.
Gurin finished in the box to end his stat line with two goals and two assists, and a Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honor to his name.
Morquecho hit a beautiful free kick from 30 yards at 77 minutes to score the game’s final goal.
Rochelle Zell midfielders Levitan, Korol, and Brody were pivotal in their team’s second half attacking surge.
“They run things in the middle. Everything goes through them,” Martinez said. “If they’re working hard, everyone else benefits.”
For Sullivan coach Josh Zepeda, Rochelle Zell’s second half scoring binge had him looking ahead.
“When we fall, we fall hard,” Zepeda said. “It’s definitely something to work on for next season.
"We have very talented group of kids, and I think it’s the psychological part of the game that we have to work on, in terms of staying in the game, not giving up, and being a more disciplined team. Because we have the skill.
“I think (Rochelle Zell) showed that they wanted it, and we became disillusioned. And when we become disillusioned, we tend to want to make it all up with individual play.”
The win was also technically an upset for Rochelle Zell, as the no. 6 seed of Sub-sectional B in the Class A North Shore Country Day Sectional. Sullivan was seeded fourth.
Rochelle Zell also reached a regional title match last year, losing 1-0 to North Shore Country Day. Today’s rematch with another regional crown on the line could be a doozy.
“I’ve heard they’ve got one really good forward, and they’re a very good possession team that can also send it through,” Budin said. “We’ll have to be at our best.”
Starting lineups
Rochelle Zell
GK: Jonah Hammel
D: Adam Budin
D: Evan Dayan
D: Gabe Gruenberg
M: Yabi Silvers
M: Noah Brody
M: Isaac Levitan
M: Sammy Korol
M: Harrison Harkavy
F: Ari Rosen
F: Eli Gurin
Sullivan
GK: Niyomutabazi Gille
D: Fawaz Surakat
D: Nirmal Magar
D: Harun Abdul Samad
M: Justin Mutabazi
M: Erick Morquecho
M: Nirajan Gurung
M: Roman Darjee
M: Simon Aye
F: Alejandro Duran
F: Ramesh Magar
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match — Eli Gurin, sr. F, Rochelle Zell
Scoring summary
First half
No scoring
Second half
Sullivan — Morquecho (PK) 44 minutes
Rochelle Zell — Levitan (FK) 49 minutes
Rochelle Zell — Rosen (Gurin) 56 minutes
Rochelle Zell — Korol (Gurin) 57 minutes
Rochelle Zell — Gurin (Korol) 68 minutes
Rochelle Zell — Gurin (Silvers) 73 minutes
Sullivan — Morquecho (FK) 77 minutes