New-look teams Addison Trail and
Lake Park meet in season-opener
By Ken Keenan
After taking the field with a squad that head coach Ryan
Dini referred to as, "really young" in 2014, Addison Trail returns
with more experience -- and a goal of turning the tables on what ended
up as a sub-.500 campaign.
Playing with five sophomores and a freshman, the Blazers finished
7-10-4 overall last year, including a 2-4-0 mark in West Suburban
Conference Gold Division action. The season ended with a 3-0 loss to Rolling Meadows in the first round of regional play.
"This year, we expect to have a winning record," said Dini, whose team
opens the 2015 season with a visit to tough DuPage Valley Conference
foe Lake Park at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. "Our goal is to finish in the
top half of the conference, and we want to win a regional. We'll be
challenged, but we should be pretty decent this year."
Leading the charge will be junior forward/attacking midfielder Tomasz
Kania, an all-sectional selection who pounded in a team-high 14 goals
last season. A team co-captain, Kania enters his third varsity
go-round with 19 career tallies.
"He has a knack for the goal," Dini said. "He's got a real good shot.
He's fast up top, and he always seems to get in the right spot. And
he's a tough player -- hard to push off the ball, and good with
contact. He's definitely a beast out there.
"As a leader, he gets along well with his teammates, and he'll stay
after practice to work on things. He's also involved with Top Soccer,
a program for special needs kids. He's a very involved kid."
Another key returnee is junior defender Uriel Matinez, also a
co-captain with two years of varsity play under his belt.
"As a center back, he moves around the field," Dini said. "Tactically
-- as far as defensive positioning -- he's always in the right spot,
and cleans things up in the back. He's definitely an anchor --
rock-solid, very smart and good with his feet. He's also our biggest
leader. He's vocal -- hard on his guys -- but the others respect him."
Senior Cosme Garcia, Addison Trail's third co-captain, returns for his
second varsity season. A defender in '14, Garcia will man the net this
time around after playing goalkeeper at the club level the past five
years.
"He's a heck of a keeper, and I didn't know that last year," Dini
said, with a chuckle. "He's very good with his feet, and he can throw
the ball across half the field. We'll use him on restarts -- goal
kicks and punting, he can go well past midfield, too. He's a good
weapon for us in the back. And he's good at stopping penalty kicks as
well."
The Blazers' nucleus of top returnees also includes senior midfielder
Damian Zielinski, junior midfielder Isvic Quintana and junior forward
Enrique Luna, who scored four goals last year after coming up from the
sophomore team midway through the season. Zielinski and Quintana were
varsity rookies as well.
"Damian's very intelligent, and he's got the best ball control -- best
touch and control -- on the team," Dini said. "He's a top-tier player
as far as control and distribution. He works well with Luna, who's a
speedy forward up top. (Luna is) very fast and dangerous, every time
he gets the ball. He presses the defense -- constant switching -- and
he can turn the corner quick. He's also very unselfish.
"Isbic has good speed on the outside, and a good left foot -- for a
righty -- as far as shooting. He plays his position well, and he's
fast and relentless on both sides of the ball. He covers a lot of
ground. He can run all day."
Dini expects a trio of newcomers -- junior defender Brian Ramos,
sophomore forward/middie Jonathan Hernandez and junior midfielder
Ruben Amaro -- to be top contributors as well.
"Ramos is really good at marking guys," Dini said. "His nickname is
'Lockdown,' and he's a tough, solid player. Hernandez has good size
(5-foot-10), and good skills in the air. He can jump, so he'll be one
of our target players on set pieces. Amaro is good at switching
fields. He can make runs, and he's got a big foot."
Among the newcomers added to the mix are senior defender Adrian
Rozkuszka, junior defender Noel Diaz, senior midfielder Hector Saucedo
and junior mid Carlos Velazquez.
"We'll sub those guys in," Dini said. "They all have starter-type
talent, and depth-wise that makes us stronger. We'd run out of gas a
bit toward the end of games last year, so this year it's about jelling
and finishing strong."
That likely will be necessary when the Blazers face Lake Park, which fell 2-1 last year in the Class 3A Barrington Supersectional to eventual state fourth place-finisher Streamwood. The Lancers posted a stellar 20-2-4 overall record in 2014 and claimed their second-straight sectional crown, and third in the last four years.
In 2013, Lake Park finished fourth in the state with a 21-4-3 record. But the successes of the past two campaigns haven't gone to coach Anthony Passi's head.
"It's a new year, and a new team," said Passi, whose team posted a 3-0-2 mark in DVC play last year, good for second place. "However, I hope that from the past few years we've set a high standard, and that we can continue the traditions that have
been established."
With that in mind, five established veterans are back in the fold:
senior defender Josh Solarz, senior midfielders Anthony and Michael
Passi, junior mid Lorenzo Costa, and senior goalkeeper Michael Jasiak.
Solarz brings three years of varsity experience to the table, while
each of the others return for a third stint on the big club.
A pair of newcomers -- freshman defender/midfielder Franco Presta and
junior defender Jack Fischer -- will receive significant playing time
as well.
"Team unity, and team chemistry, will be keys to our success," coach Passi said.
Addison Trail expects to have its hands full.
"It's a tough game to start off the bat with, but that's what I like,"
Dini said. "We'll be looking for our guys to compete at a high level,
and see which guys step up and keep their composure in a tough road
environment."
Lake Park meet in season-opener
By Ken Keenan
After taking the field with a squad that head coach Ryan
Dini referred to as, "really young" in 2014, Addison Trail returns
with more experience -- and a goal of turning the tables on what ended
up as a sub-.500 campaign.
Playing with five sophomores and a freshman, the Blazers finished
7-10-4 overall last year, including a 2-4-0 mark in West Suburban
Conference Gold Division action. The season ended with a 3-0 loss to Rolling Meadows in the first round of regional play.
"This year, we expect to have a winning record," said Dini, whose team
opens the 2015 season with a visit to tough DuPage Valley Conference
foe Lake Park at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. "Our goal is to finish in the
top half of the conference, and we want to win a regional. We'll be
challenged, but we should be pretty decent this year."
Leading the charge will be junior forward/attacking midfielder Tomasz
Kania, an all-sectional selection who pounded in a team-high 14 goals
last season. A team co-captain, Kania enters his third varsity
go-round with 19 career tallies.
"He has a knack for the goal," Dini said. "He's got a real good shot.
He's fast up top, and he always seems to get in the right spot. And
he's a tough player -- hard to push off the ball, and good with
contact. He's definitely a beast out there.
"As a leader, he gets along well with his teammates, and he'll stay
after practice to work on things. He's also involved with Top Soccer,
a program for special needs kids. He's a very involved kid."
Another key returnee is junior defender Uriel Matinez, also a
co-captain with two years of varsity play under his belt.
"As a center back, he moves around the field," Dini said. "Tactically
-- as far as defensive positioning -- he's always in the right spot,
and cleans things up in the back. He's definitely an anchor --
rock-solid, very smart and good with his feet. He's also our biggest
leader. He's vocal -- hard on his guys -- but the others respect him."
Senior Cosme Garcia, Addison Trail's third co-captain, returns for his
second varsity season. A defender in '14, Garcia will man the net this
time around after playing goalkeeper at the club level the past five
years.
"He's a heck of a keeper, and I didn't know that last year," Dini
said, with a chuckle. "He's very good with his feet, and he can throw
the ball across half the field. We'll use him on restarts -- goal
kicks and punting, he can go well past midfield, too. He's a good
weapon for us in the back. And he's good at stopping penalty kicks as
well."
The Blazers' nucleus of top returnees also includes senior midfielder
Damian Zielinski, junior midfielder Isvic Quintana and junior forward
Enrique Luna, who scored four goals last year after coming up from the
sophomore team midway through the season. Zielinski and Quintana were
varsity rookies as well.
"Damian's very intelligent, and he's got the best ball control -- best
touch and control -- on the team," Dini said. "He's a top-tier player
as far as control and distribution. He works well with Luna, who's a
speedy forward up top. (Luna is) very fast and dangerous, every time
he gets the ball. He presses the defense -- constant switching -- and
he can turn the corner quick. He's also very unselfish.
"Isbic has good speed on the outside, and a good left foot -- for a
righty -- as far as shooting. He plays his position well, and he's
fast and relentless on both sides of the ball. He covers a lot of
ground. He can run all day."
Dini expects a trio of newcomers -- junior defender Brian Ramos,
sophomore forward/middie Jonathan Hernandez and junior midfielder
Ruben Amaro -- to be top contributors as well.
"Ramos is really good at marking guys," Dini said. "His nickname is
'Lockdown,' and he's a tough, solid player. Hernandez has good size
(5-foot-10), and good skills in the air. He can jump, so he'll be one
of our target players on set pieces. Amaro is good at switching
fields. He can make runs, and he's got a big foot."
Among the newcomers added to the mix are senior defender Adrian
Rozkuszka, junior defender Noel Diaz, senior midfielder Hector Saucedo
and junior mid Carlos Velazquez.
"We'll sub those guys in," Dini said. "They all have starter-type
talent, and depth-wise that makes us stronger. We'd run out of gas a
bit toward the end of games last year, so this year it's about jelling
and finishing strong."
That likely will be necessary when the Blazers face Lake Park, which fell 2-1 last year in the Class 3A Barrington Supersectional to eventual state fourth place-finisher Streamwood. The Lancers posted a stellar 20-2-4 overall record in 2014 and claimed their second-straight sectional crown, and third in the last four years.
In 2013, Lake Park finished fourth in the state with a 21-4-3 record. But the successes of the past two campaigns haven't gone to coach Anthony Passi's head.
"It's a new year, and a new team," said Passi, whose team posted a 3-0-2 mark in DVC play last year, good for second place. "However, I hope that from the past few years we've set a high standard, and that we can continue the traditions that have
been established."
With that in mind, five established veterans are back in the fold:
senior defender Josh Solarz, senior midfielders Anthony and Michael
Passi, junior mid Lorenzo Costa, and senior goalkeeper Michael Jasiak.
Solarz brings three years of varsity experience to the table, while
each of the others return for a third stint on the big club.
A pair of newcomers -- freshman defender/midfielder Franco Presta and
junior defender Jack Fischer -- will receive significant playing time
as well.
"Team unity, and team chemistry, will be keys to our success," coach Passi said.
Addison Trail expects to have its hands full.
"It's a tough game to start off the bat with, but that's what I like,"
Dini said. "We'll be looking for our guys to compete at a high level,
and see which guys step up and keep their composure in a tough road
environment."