Notebook: Barrington, Prospect
By Patrick Z. McGavin
Barrington won the MSL Soccer Bowl during the spring.
That was then and the now could be much different, or so the thinking went. With nine starters graduated from that team, the Broncos appeared to be hard pressed to match that level of accomplishment.
Daniel Hesselbein was a two-time all-state keeper. During the spring he permitted just nine goals in 12 games.
Fellow all-stater Niko Argyros, was the equivalent figure as an attacking midfielder whose creativity and shotmaking unlocked the offense.
He scored 10 goals in 12 games,
They set the example, and now others have emerged in their place.
“That was something great about Niko,” senior midfielder Jeremiah Gascho said. “He made plays for himself, and he also made opportunities for others.
“I think this year we have a lot more chemistry. That is something I've noticed since the start of the year.”
Gascho scored his first goal of the season in the Broncos’ 1-0 victory over Prospect on Wednesday.
That game marked the team’s sixth shutout. Barrington seems to reload every season. Though perhaps new to the starting lineup, its players are not new to each other.
“We’ve known each other for years, and we have played together for a long time,” Gascho said. “Everybody is able to score.
“We get opportunities, and everybody is selfless.”
Will Asplin, who was making his first start of the season, created the game-winner by Gascho.
“We don’t necessarily have one guy as our focal point, and that’s maybe one of our strengths,” Asplin said. “We have a super deep team, and every one can get a goal -- from the first guy on the depth chart all the way to the last.”
Ryan Chang is the only returning starter on the backline. As much as the Broncos feared the graduation of Hesselbein, the team also graduated three three-year starters from the defense.
Fortune smiled broadly on the team. Mathew Klujian, who was a Chicagoland All-State Watch List member from Highland Park, moved with his family to Barrington over the summer.
His blend of size, length and athleticism has given a physical presence to the back. Matthew Christensen and Kyle Wanca are the other defensive stalwarts.
“People like Kyle, Mathew Klujian and Matthew Christensen have shown up big,” Gascho said.
Talent is the great equalizer. This is a team that has made its own breaks.
“When you graduate nine starters, you definitely expect to have some early season experiences where the new group is adapting,” Steib said.
“We have had some of those experiences, but they have handled it very well.”
Only Lake Zurich, who scored three goals against the Broncos in pool play of the Barrington Classic, found the back of the net through eight games against the reconfigured backline.
The story of the offense has not just been adaptability. It has depth and versatility. Prospect learned Barrington, which is currently ranked 21st in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, is a tough team to defend.
“In our first eight games, we now have had 10 guys score goals,” Steib said. “We have five or six guys with one goal. We are a deep team. The players have really bought into it.
“We are not very predictable in terms of how we line up.”
Elk Grove became the first conference team to score against the Broncos (7-1-1, 4-0-1) in a 1-1 double overtime tie Saturday at Barrington.
Prospect played two very distinct, seemingly contradictory halves against Barrington. They were slow and methodical in the first half, but after the break turned the ball over too frequently and never pushed numbers.
Prospect did not generate a single shot or corner kick attempt in the first half. The aggressiveness was gone.
The shutout ended a scoring streak where the Knights ripped off 17 goals in a five-game stretch. The loss ended the team’s winning streak over that span.
The Jekyll and Hyde nature of the team’s play was a bit disconcerting.
Prospect did have its moments -- an apparent goal wiped out by an offside call. It was a bang-bang play.
It showed just how close the Knights are to a breakthrough after undergoing their own experimentation after 17 seniors graduated in the spring.
Despite the large turnover in personnel, coach Mike Andrews sees a team coming together.
“I am excited about where we are headed,” he said. “Players are starting to figure out their roles. We have a lot of attack-minded players, even guys coming off the bench.
“We are not even at the halfway point of the season, and we are getting a lot of contributions.”
The Knights have plenty of size and range on defense. David Marshall and Ari Kemperas are the mainstays. Lucas Wardynski is a fellow big body in back.
Attacking midfielder Shea Morris and forwards Owen Walsh and Ryan Novak are the most prominent playmakers.
During that five-game winning streak, the Knights had games of six, four and five goals scored. The team also showed the toughness to grind out a couple of 1-0 victories, just to show their ability to play multiple styles.
“We have some new guys, and they have come in and done a great job,” senior midfielder/forward Steven Lopez said. “I think the older guys have been able to teach them some things about how to play the game at a high speed.
“I think our success is also about chemistry. We’re all best friends. Right away, we are able to click and have some fun. First things first, we have to have fun.
“If we’re not having fun, we are not producing.”
Prospect (6-3-0, 3-1-0) has a game in the balance. The Knights led Leyden 1-0 before the game was suspended in the 63rd minute due to lightning and rain.
The team heads into a difficult week with three league games including two against top-five programs, unbeaten and fifth-ranked Rolling Meadows and no. 2 Fremd.
They know from experience what to expect. The team is up for the challenge.
“Once you get into MSL play, you are going up against very good teams,” Andrews said.
By Patrick Z. McGavin
Barrington won the MSL Soccer Bowl during the spring.
That was then and the now could be much different, or so the thinking went. With nine starters graduated from that team, the Broncos appeared to be hard pressed to match that level of accomplishment.
Daniel Hesselbein was a two-time all-state keeper. During the spring he permitted just nine goals in 12 games.
Fellow all-stater Niko Argyros, was the equivalent figure as an attacking midfielder whose creativity and shotmaking unlocked the offense.
He scored 10 goals in 12 games,
They set the example, and now others have emerged in their place.
“That was something great about Niko,” senior midfielder Jeremiah Gascho said. “He made plays for himself, and he also made opportunities for others.
“I think this year we have a lot more chemistry. That is something I've noticed since the start of the year.”
Gascho scored his first goal of the season in the Broncos’ 1-0 victory over Prospect on Wednesday.
That game marked the team’s sixth shutout. Barrington seems to reload every season. Though perhaps new to the starting lineup, its players are not new to each other.
“We’ve known each other for years, and we have played together for a long time,” Gascho said. “Everybody is able to score.
“We get opportunities, and everybody is selfless.”
Will Asplin, who was making his first start of the season, created the game-winner by Gascho.
“We don’t necessarily have one guy as our focal point, and that’s maybe one of our strengths,” Asplin said. “We have a super deep team, and every one can get a goal -- from the first guy on the depth chart all the way to the last.”
Ryan Chang is the only returning starter on the backline. As much as the Broncos feared the graduation of Hesselbein, the team also graduated three three-year starters from the defense.
Fortune smiled broadly on the team. Mathew Klujian, who was a Chicagoland All-State Watch List member from Highland Park, moved with his family to Barrington over the summer.
His blend of size, length and athleticism has given a physical presence to the back. Matthew Christensen and Kyle Wanca are the other defensive stalwarts.
“People like Kyle, Mathew Klujian and Matthew Christensen have shown up big,” Gascho said.
Talent is the great equalizer. This is a team that has made its own breaks.
“When you graduate nine starters, you definitely expect to have some early season experiences where the new group is adapting,” Steib said.
“We have had some of those experiences, but they have handled it very well.”
Only Lake Zurich, who scored three goals against the Broncos in pool play of the Barrington Classic, found the back of the net through eight games against the reconfigured backline.
The story of the offense has not just been adaptability. It has depth and versatility. Prospect learned Barrington, which is currently ranked 21st in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, is a tough team to defend.
“In our first eight games, we now have had 10 guys score goals,” Steib said. “We have five or six guys with one goal. We are a deep team. The players have really bought into it.
“We are not very predictable in terms of how we line up.”
Elk Grove became the first conference team to score against the Broncos (7-1-1, 4-0-1) in a 1-1 double overtime tie Saturday at Barrington.
Prospect played two very distinct, seemingly contradictory halves against Barrington. They were slow and methodical in the first half, but after the break turned the ball over too frequently and never pushed numbers.
Prospect did not generate a single shot or corner kick attempt in the first half. The aggressiveness was gone.
The shutout ended a scoring streak where the Knights ripped off 17 goals in a five-game stretch. The loss ended the team’s winning streak over that span.
The Jekyll and Hyde nature of the team’s play was a bit disconcerting.
Prospect did have its moments -- an apparent goal wiped out by an offside call. It was a bang-bang play.
It showed just how close the Knights are to a breakthrough after undergoing their own experimentation after 17 seniors graduated in the spring.
Despite the large turnover in personnel, coach Mike Andrews sees a team coming together.
“I am excited about where we are headed,” he said. “Players are starting to figure out their roles. We have a lot of attack-minded players, even guys coming off the bench.
“We are not even at the halfway point of the season, and we are getting a lot of contributions.”
The Knights have plenty of size and range on defense. David Marshall and Ari Kemperas are the mainstays. Lucas Wardynski is a fellow big body in back.
Attacking midfielder Shea Morris and forwards Owen Walsh and Ryan Novak are the most prominent playmakers.
During that five-game winning streak, the Knights had games of six, four and five goals scored. The team also showed the toughness to grind out a couple of 1-0 victories, just to show their ability to play multiple styles.
“We have some new guys, and they have come in and done a great job,” senior midfielder/forward Steven Lopez said. “I think the older guys have been able to teach them some things about how to play the game at a high speed.
“I think our success is also about chemistry. We’re all best friends. Right away, we are able to click and have some fun. First things first, we have to have fun.
“If we’re not having fun, we are not producing.”
Prospect (6-3-0, 3-1-0) has a game in the balance. The Knights led Leyden 1-0 before the game was suspended in the 63rd minute due to lightning and rain.
The team heads into a difficult week with three league games including two against top-five programs, unbeaten and fifth-ranked Rolling Meadows and no. 2 Fremd.
They know from experience what to expect. The team is up for the challenge.
“Once you get into MSL play, you are going up against very good teams,” Andrews said.