Naperville North finds its attack vs. Geneva
Huskies surpass season goal-total in 5-0 Best of the West win
By Matt Le Cren
NAPERVILLE – Naperville North’s Alex Barger and Jacob Ryu stood behind the ball, deciding who would take the 31-yard free kick.
Barger ran past the ball, declining to take a left-footed stab at it.
Ryu then followed with a right-footed smash that went over the Geneva wall, past goalkeeper Hayden Vostal and into the upper left corner of the net for Naperville North, which is ranked fourth in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25.
The brilliant strike, coming just two minutes after intermission, gave the host Huskies an insurmountable three-goal lead in what would turn out to be a 5-0 victory in a Best of the West Tournament pool match.
Naperville North coach Jim Konrad wasn’t surprised to see Ryu score on such a shot.
“Both he and Alex can hit a ball,” Konrad said. “Alex hasn’t found the net yet, but it’s coming.”
Actually, both Ryu and Barger came into the game, Naperville North’s fourth of the season, without a goal. The uber-talented Barger, closely marked and harassed by every opponent, had an assist in Tuesday’s 3-0 win over Oswego, but hasn’t found the back of the net despite creating plenty of dangerous chances.
Ryu, more a playmaker than a finisher, has been working diligently on his free kicks.
“I practice that same exact shot at Nike (Park),” Ryu said. “I always aim for the top left or switch it open to whatever is open. I just find the open net and try to get it there.”
Ryu got it to the net with a lot of pace. It was the kind of spectacular shot rarely seen at the high school level.
“That was something special,” Naperville North forward Cam Radeke said. “I know he’s been working on it a lot.
“I’m along with him at Nike a lot, and he’s always doing that same type of free kick. He finally got it in.”
The goal seemed to deflate Geneva (0-2-1) who had hung tough in the face of North’s withering attack and even produced a few scoring chances of their own.
“We definitely played together in the first half and then fell apart,” Geneva forward Ryan Leake said. “We just need to step harder and play more as a team, communicate well. It’s just little things we’ve got to work on together.”
Leake was one of the few bright spots for Geneva offensively as the visitors had six shots in the first half, same as the Huskies. His best chance came midway through the opening half when he ran onto a long goal kick from Vostal and attacked 1-on-3 up the left wing.
Leake actually got free into the box but managed to get off only a weak shot while on the run and under pressure from a defender. North goalkeeper Patrick Horn was there to make a routine save.
That play in itself wasn’t damaging for the Vikings, but what came next certainly was. Horn triggered a counterattack which ended when freshman Noah Radeke got loose around the left end and fired a shot that deflected off a defender and in for a 2-0 lead.
Vostal, who finished with eight saves, kept the Vikings in the game. The imposing sophomore was outstanding throughout despite the hit to his goals-against average.
He made a point-blank stop on Barger with 12:27 left in the first half, then made another save on Barger’s hot shot from 30 yards at the 6:30 mark.
Even after Ryu made it 3-0, Vostal stayed strong, denying Barger again just 70 seconds later by using both hands to deflect a left-footed rocket up in the air and out of danger. Eleven minutes later it was Ryu who came up empty on a 40-yard shot.
But part of the reason for Vostal’s busy second half was the letdown the Vikings suffered. Chasing two goals is hard, but three is usually too much for most teams, who tend to let down in such situations.
“Something you can’t do,” Leake noted. “(Forward) Christian (Diaz) is fighting the entire game. We’ve all got to be the same way.”
That’s the way the Huskies (2-1-1) usually play, and it shows. North’s offense came up empty in the first two games of the season but quickly tuned up behind the leadership of Cam Radeke, Ryu, Barger and Tyson Amoo-Mensah.
The Huskies have scored eight goals in their last two games, three of them by Cam Radeke, who opened the scoring against Geneva eight minutes in when he got a long ball from Ryu, chipped it over the onrushing Vostal’s head, went around Vostal, settled the ball and then fired it into the net.
“He just works so hard,” Konrad said of Cam Radeke. “And that’s why my ‘best’ players also work the hardest.
“Think about Tyson and Cam and Jacob and Alex, the guys who on paper are the best kids. They also just grind and work so hard, and that’s the secret to success.”
The quartet were all Chicagoland Soccer all-staters from the abbreviated spring season.
“That’s something we preach here, and those guys are the billboard for the program,” Konrad said. “They’ve got all the honors and accolades, but they’re also the hardest-working kids in the program every single game.”
It doesn’t go unnoticed by opponents. Leake was asked what sets the Huskies apart.
“Their level, their intensity of play,” Leake said. “They also worked hard together. They’re a good team that works together.”
Amoo-Mensah tallied the fourth goal of the game on a penalty kick with 21:39 left. Cam Radeke set up the final strike when his cross from the left side was flubbed by a defender, allowing Alex Arredondo to settle it before burying an eight-yard shot with 15:57 remaining.
“We definitely did a lot better,” Ryu said. “We started off rocky at the beginning of the season, so now we’re starting to get our rhythm and really starting to get confident in our team and really trusting each other.
“I think that’s the most important part – we’re trusting each other.”
That’s what Konrad likes to see.
“I’m happy that we’re creating chances,” Konrad said. “We created probably 10-12 quality chances today and scored five of them, so that was good.
“That comes from our defensive structure. If we are organized defensively, we’re going to create chances to score.
“I felt like the first game we really struggled defensively, which led to us struggling on the offensive end. Against Morton (a 0-0 tie Aug. 28) we did a good job on both ends and this week I think we’re starting to find our way a little bit more, but still plenty of room to grow, for sure.”
The host Huskies finish group play against eighth-ranked Benet, which is also 2-0-0 in the tournament after edging Oswego 1-0 in the nightcap on Andy Nash’s 49th-minute goal. The winner of that Saturday morning clash advances to the tournament championship game, which will be played at 6 p.m. at Naperville Central’s Memorial Stadium.
“That is always a fun game,” Konrad said. “Benet is a great rival, and they’re very good. Their style is very similar to ours.
“They play tough, they’re organized defensively, (Benet coach) Sean (Wesley) does a great job, so it’s always a tough game. If we’re lucky enough to win it, we’ll play again Saturday night.”
Starting lineups
Geneva
GK Hayden Vostal
D Braeden McPherson
D Grant Havertine
D Clatyon Williams
D Luke Easter
M Nathan Branstad
M Liam O”Donoghue
M Aiden Leonard
F Christian Diaz
F Trent Giansanti
F Ryan Leake
Naperville North
GK Patrick Horn
D Keegan Flaherty
D Cole Ritzmann
D Adam Zielke
D Ryan Konrad
M Tyson Amoo-Mensah
M Jacob Ryu
M Caden Hill
M Bryan Higgs
F Cam Radeke
F Alex Barger
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match – Jacob Ryu, M, Naperville North.
Scoring summary
1st Half
Naperville North – Cam Redeke (Jacob Ryu) 31:50 remaining
Naperville North – Noah Redeke 18:15 remaining
2nd Half
Naperville North – Ryu 38:06 remaining
Naperville North – Tyson Amoo-Mensah (PK) 21:39 remaining
Huskies surpass season goal-total in 5-0 Best of the West win
By Matt Le Cren
NAPERVILLE – Naperville North’s Alex Barger and Jacob Ryu stood behind the ball, deciding who would take the 31-yard free kick.
Barger ran past the ball, declining to take a left-footed stab at it.
Ryu then followed with a right-footed smash that went over the Geneva wall, past goalkeeper Hayden Vostal and into the upper left corner of the net for Naperville North, which is ranked fourth in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25.
The brilliant strike, coming just two minutes after intermission, gave the host Huskies an insurmountable three-goal lead in what would turn out to be a 5-0 victory in a Best of the West Tournament pool match.
Naperville North coach Jim Konrad wasn’t surprised to see Ryu score on such a shot.
“Both he and Alex can hit a ball,” Konrad said. “Alex hasn’t found the net yet, but it’s coming.”
Actually, both Ryu and Barger came into the game, Naperville North’s fourth of the season, without a goal. The uber-talented Barger, closely marked and harassed by every opponent, had an assist in Tuesday’s 3-0 win over Oswego, but hasn’t found the back of the net despite creating plenty of dangerous chances.
Ryu, more a playmaker than a finisher, has been working diligently on his free kicks.
“I practice that same exact shot at Nike (Park),” Ryu said. “I always aim for the top left or switch it open to whatever is open. I just find the open net and try to get it there.”
Ryu got it to the net with a lot of pace. It was the kind of spectacular shot rarely seen at the high school level.
“That was something special,” Naperville North forward Cam Radeke said. “I know he’s been working on it a lot.
“I’m along with him at Nike a lot, and he’s always doing that same type of free kick. He finally got it in.”
The goal seemed to deflate Geneva (0-2-1) who had hung tough in the face of North’s withering attack and even produced a few scoring chances of their own.
“We definitely played together in the first half and then fell apart,” Geneva forward Ryan Leake said. “We just need to step harder and play more as a team, communicate well. It’s just little things we’ve got to work on together.”
Leake was one of the few bright spots for Geneva offensively as the visitors had six shots in the first half, same as the Huskies. His best chance came midway through the opening half when he ran onto a long goal kick from Vostal and attacked 1-on-3 up the left wing.
Leake actually got free into the box but managed to get off only a weak shot while on the run and under pressure from a defender. North goalkeeper Patrick Horn was there to make a routine save.
That play in itself wasn’t damaging for the Vikings, but what came next certainly was. Horn triggered a counterattack which ended when freshman Noah Radeke got loose around the left end and fired a shot that deflected off a defender and in for a 2-0 lead.
Vostal, who finished with eight saves, kept the Vikings in the game. The imposing sophomore was outstanding throughout despite the hit to his goals-against average.
He made a point-blank stop on Barger with 12:27 left in the first half, then made another save on Barger’s hot shot from 30 yards at the 6:30 mark.
Even after Ryu made it 3-0, Vostal stayed strong, denying Barger again just 70 seconds later by using both hands to deflect a left-footed rocket up in the air and out of danger. Eleven minutes later it was Ryu who came up empty on a 40-yard shot.
But part of the reason for Vostal’s busy second half was the letdown the Vikings suffered. Chasing two goals is hard, but three is usually too much for most teams, who tend to let down in such situations.
“Something you can’t do,” Leake noted. “(Forward) Christian (Diaz) is fighting the entire game. We’ve all got to be the same way.”
That’s the way the Huskies (2-1-1) usually play, and it shows. North’s offense came up empty in the first two games of the season but quickly tuned up behind the leadership of Cam Radeke, Ryu, Barger and Tyson Amoo-Mensah.
The Huskies have scored eight goals in their last two games, three of them by Cam Radeke, who opened the scoring against Geneva eight minutes in when he got a long ball from Ryu, chipped it over the onrushing Vostal’s head, went around Vostal, settled the ball and then fired it into the net.
“He just works so hard,” Konrad said of Cam Radeke. “And that’s why my ‘best’ players also work the hardest.
“Think about Tyson and Cam and Jacob and Alex, the guys who on paper are the best kids. They also just grind and work so hard, and that’s the secret to success.”
The quartet were all Chicagoland Soccer all-staters from the abbreviated spring season.
“That’s something we preach here, and those guys are the billboard for the program,” Konrad said. “They’ve got all the honors and accolades, but they’re also the hardest-working kids in the program every single game.”
It doesn’t go unnoticed by opponents. Leake was asked what sets the Huskies apart.
“Their level, their intensity of play,” Leake said. “They also worked hard together. They’re a good team that works together.”
Amoo-Mensah tallied the fourth goal of the game on a penalty kick with 21:39 left. Cam Radeke set up the final strike when his cross from the left side was flubbed by a defender, allowing Alex Arredondo to settle it before burying an eight-yard shot with 15:57 remaining.
“We definitely did a lot better,” Ryu said. “We started off rocky at the beginning of the season, so now we’re starting to get our rhythm and really starting to get confident in our team and really trusting each other.
“I think that’s the most important part – we’re trusting each other.”
That’s what Konrad likes to see.
“I’m happy that we’re creating chances,” Konrad said. “We created probably 10-12 quality chances today and scored five of them, so that was good.
“That comes from our defensive structure. If we are organized defensively, we’re going to create chances to score.
“I felt like the first game we really struggled defensively, which led to us struggling on the offensive end. Against Morton (a 0-0 tie Aug. 28) we did a good job on both ends and this week I think we’re starting to find our way a little bit more, but still plenty of room to grow, for sure.”
The host Huskies finish group play against eighth-ranked Benet, which is also 2-0-0 in the tournament after edging Oswego 1-0 in the nightcap on Andy Nash’s 49th-minute goal. The winner of that Saturday morning clash advances to the tournament championship game, which will be played at 6 p.m. at Naperville Central’s Memorial Stadium.
“That is always a fun game,” Konrad said. “Benet is a great rival, and they’re very good. Their style is very similar to ours.
“They play tough, they’re organized defensively, (Benet coach) Sean (Wesley) does a great job, so it’s always a tough game. If we’re lucky enough to win it, we’ll play again Saturday night.”
Starting lineups
Geneva
GK Hayden Vostal
D Braeden McPherson
D Grant Havertine
D Clatyon Williams
D Luke Easter
M Nathan Branstad
M Liam O”Donoghue
M Aiden Leonard
F Christian Diaz
F Trent Giansanti
F Ryan Leake
Naperville North
GK Patrick Horn
D Keegan Flaherty
D Cole Ritzmann
D Adam Zielke
D Ryan Konrad
M Tyson Amoo-Mensah
M Jacob Ryu
M Caden Hill
M Bryan Higgs
F Cam Radeke
F Alex Barger
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match – Jacob Ryu, M, Naperville North.
Scoring summary
1st Half
Naperville North – Cam Redeke (Jacob Ryu) 31:50 remaining
Naperville North – Noah Redeke 18:15 remaining
2nd Half
Naperville North – Ryu 38:06 remaining
Naperville North – Tyson Amoo-Mensah (PK) 21:39 remaining