Works in progress Fremd,
Hersey try to sort things out
By Dave Owen
While Fremd seeks to return to the lofty heights of last November, Hersey’s young team is starting to find its footing.
The two Mid-Suburban League rivals meet at 7 p.m. Thursday at Fremd. Both come off wins by widely different margins on Tuesday: the Huskies (1-3-3, 1-1-0 in the MSL) blanked Elk Grove 6-0, while defending state semifinalist Fremd (4-6-0, 2-0-0) edged Prospect 2-1 in two overtimes.
“We got the win, but did not play very well,” Fremd coach Steve Keller said. “We need to learn how to close out a game and have a winning mentality all the time. There was a 20-minute period in the second half where Prospect dominated play and could have scored multiple goals.”
Hersey began 2015 with three-straight ties, then had its frustration grow with three-consecutive losses by shutout. The Elk Grove match changed things.
“We played well against Elk Grove,” Hersey coach Darren Llewellyn said. ”We flowed offensively but gave too many chances to Elk Grove, luckily getting away with defenders blocking shots or making big plays.
“I had some really big games from young players who are surprisingly adapting to the varsity level without a hitch.”
Starting just one senior, the Huskies received a goal and an assist Tuesday from juniors Dan Gritt and Alex Filian (a third-year varsity player).
Kevin Roman, Jesse Lopez, Saul Casillas and freshman Thomas Skiba also had goals, and Matt Dickey and Guiseppe Scaletta added assists.
With high expectations after last fall’s third place state finish, Fremd has received many strong performances but hasn’t reached the level of play Keller expects.
“We have talent, but we need to play with a winning mentality and identity,” Keller said. “Sometimes we don’t have the edge or sharpness that we need.
“Ryan Rowden and Matt Austin have stood out so far,” Keller added. “They’ve played particularly well. Rohan Menon and Luke Schoffstall have produced on the scoreboard, but can improve their sharpness. And James Lefevre has been solid in midfield. But we have to find a way to not give up goals.”
A grueling nonconference schedule has made that at times difficult. New Trier (a 5-1 loss), Benet and Notre Dame (Peoria) have all scored three-or-more goals against the Vikings. But Fremd also has impressive wins over Downers Grove South (2-0) and Neuqua Valley (3-1).
“Our schedule is very tough,” Keller said, “and we’ve been in every game with the exception of the New Trier match. This will help prepare us as the season progresses.
“This team has a long way to go to reach the level of last year’s team. We need to understand our strengths and weaknesses and do what works best for this particular group of players. Time will tell if they can reach their best.”
For Hersey, a young learning squad has meant some changes on the fly.
“We’ve changed our formation to try to meet the skill sets and mentality of the boys,” Llewellyn said, “and it has shown promise the last two games.
“We’re still making a lot of youthful mistakes in relation to our defense, but have played some nice soccer this past week. We’re moving the ball quickly and maintaining possession for longer periods while putting ourselves into quality scoring positions.”
The Huskies and Vikings share one common 2015 opponent. Fremd beat Conant 1-0 on Sept. 8, and Hersey fell to the Cougars 1-0 three days later.
Keller expects a defensive test for his team.
“We need to play our game and capitalize on our opportunities,” Keller said. “Hersey will probably keep numbers on defense. They are a tough team to score on, and you can’t get down against them.”
As for Hersey, Llewellyn is keeping a big picture view for his young and improving squad.
“Our focus right now is constant progress without specific focus on a particular game,” Llewellyn said. ”We attempt to build our game and make our play more consistent tactically, and then we can begin looking at specific features of opponents and maybe making adaptations.”
The Vikings and Huskies played to a 1-1 tie last September.
“Our keys to Fremd will be containing their physical power and speed,” Llewellyn said. “We’ll continue to focus on playing our tactical style and hope we can make the plays to pull out a win. It will be a great test and help us continue our development.”
Hersey try to sort things out
By Dave Owen
While Fremd seeks to return to the lofty heights of last November, Hersey’s young team is starting to find its footing.
The two Mid-Suburban League rivals meet at 7 p.m. Thursday at Fremd. Both come off wins by widely different margins on Tuesday: the Huskies (1-3-3, 1-1-0 in the MSL) blanked Elk Grove 6-0, while defending state semifinalist Fremd (4-6-0, 2-0-0) edged Prospect 2-1 in two overtimes.
“We got the win, but did not play very well,” Fremd coach Steve Keller said. “We need to learn how to close out a game and have a winning mentality all the time. There was a 20-minute period in the second half where Prospect dominated play and could have scored multiple goals.”
Hersey began 2015 with three-straight ties, then had its frustration grow with three-consecutive losses by shutout. The Elk Grove match changed things.
“We played well against Elk Grove,” Hersey coach Darren Llewellyn said. ”We flowed offensively but gave too many chances to Elk Grove, luckily getting away with defenders blocking shots or making big plays.
“I had some really big games from young players who are surprisingly adapting to the varsity level without a hitch.”
Starting just one senior, the Huskies received a goal and an assist Tuesday from juniors Dan Gritt and Alex Filian (a third-year varsity player).
Kevin Roman, Jesse Lopez, Saul Casillas and freshman Thomas Skiba also had goals, and Matt Dickey and Guiseppe Scaletta added assists.
With high expectations after last fall’s third place state finish, Fremd has received many strong performances but hasn’t reached the level of play Keller expects.
“We have talent, but we need to play with a winning mentality and identity,” Keller said. “Sometimes we don’t have the edge or sharpness that we need.
“Ryan Rowden and Matt Austin have stood out so far,” Keller added. “They’ve played particularly well. Rohan Menon and Luke Schoffstall have produced on the scoreboard, but can improve their sharpness. And James Lefevre has been solid in midfield. But we have to find a way to not give up goals.”
A grueling nonconference schedule has made that at times difficult. New Trier (a 5-1 loss), Benet and Notre Dame (Peoria) have all scored three-or-more goals against the Vikings. But Fremd also has impressive wins over Downers Grove South (2-0) and Neuqua Valley (3-1).
“Our schedule is very tough,” Keller said, “and we’ve been in every game with the exception of the New Trier match. This will help prepare us as the season progresses.
“This team has a long way to go to reach the level of last year’s team. We need to understand our strengths and weaknesses and do what works best for this particular group of players. Time will tell if they can reach their best.”
For Hersey, a young learning squad has meant some changes on the fly.
“We’ve changed our formation to try to meet the skill sets and mentality of the boys,” Llewellyn said, “and it has shown promise the last two games.
“We’re still making a lot of youthful mistakes in relation to our defense, but have played some nice soccer this past week. We’re moving the ball quickly and maintaining possession for longer periods while putting ourselves into quality scoring positions.”
The Huskies and Vikings share one common 2015 opponent. Fremd beat Conant 1-0 on Sept. 8, and Hersey fell to the Cougars 1-0 three days later.
Keller expects a defensive test for his team.
“We need to play our game and capitalize on our opportunities,” Keller said. “Hersey will probably keep numbers on defense. They are a tough team to score on, and you can’t get down against them.”
As for Hersey, Llewellyn is keeping a big picture view for his young and improving squad.
“Our focus right now is constant progress without specific focus on a particular game,” Llewellyn said. ”We attempt to build our game and make our play more consistent tactically, and then we can begin looking at specific features of opponents and maybe making adaptations.”
The Vikings and Huskies played to a 1-1 tie last September.
“Our keys to Fremd will be containing their physical power and speed,” Llewellyn said. “We’ll continue to focus on playing our tactical style and hope we can make the plays to pull out a win. It will be a great test and help us continue our development.”