Fremd next team to target Schaumburg
By Matt Le Cren
Schaumburg coach Hamid Mehreiskouei admits he was a bit conflicted when he heard his Saxons had attained the no. 1 ranking in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25.
“I liked it when we were playing under the radar,” Mehreiskouei said. “I got 10 text messages from other coaches saying, ‘Hey, did you see the ranking?’
“The ranking itself, it’s nice to be recognized, but our mindset from the beginning of the year has been to take care of ourselves, take care of each aspect of the game.”
That’s important because the Saxons had a target on their backs even before ascending to the top spot. If Schaumburg didn’t take care to play well, opponents were out to take care of them.
That’s exactly what happened Friday night when Conant handed the Saxons their first Mid-Suburban League loss of the season, a 3-2 decision that snapped Schaumburg’s eight-game winning streak.
“We just have to take one game at time,” Mehreiskouei said. “We felt that we had the quality to compete against anyone, but at the end of the day the question was do we have the mindset.
“It’s difficult to stay at that level every game. We told (the players) don’t doubt your ability, stay confident.”
In retrospect, the loss to Conant probably should not have come as a surprise, few teams ever go through the MSL slate unbeaten. Also, the Saxons (11-2-0, 6-1-0) were coming off an impressive yet challenging stretch of games that saw them beat league foes Wheeling, Barrington and Buffalo Grove, all by shutout.
“This past week was a grueling one for us,” Mehreiskouei said. “We played the three toughest teams you can face in Wheeling, Barrington and Buffalo Grove. We scored nine goals and gave up none.
“We knew it would be a three-game stretch that was going to determine a lot. It’s good information to take to the (sectional) seeding meeting."
The Saxons, who have also beaten top teams like Lyons, St. Charles East and New Trier, had blanked five-consecutive foes before losing to the Cougars, who showed that few games in the MSL are easy.
Another trap game could be coming up Monday night when the Saxons travel to Fremd. The Vikings (5-8-0, 3-2-0) have endured a maddeningly inconsistent campaign, winning consecutive games just once. But they also have yet to suffer a three-game losing streak.
Fremd is the type of well-coached side that is a threat to go on a winning streak at any time, as they did at this time last year. The Vikings were just 7-5-0 following a 1-0 loss to the Saxons in 2014, but didn’t lose again until the state semifinals, going 12-0-1 until falling 2-1 to eventual state champion Hinsdale Central. Fremd finished the season with a 4-0 win over Streamwood and a third place state trophy.
Despite the return of Luke Schoffstall, Fremd lacks the overall front-line talent and experience of that squad. But that doesn’t mean Mehreiskouei is taking the game lightly.
“I’m concerned about every team,” he said. “The whole mindset of our team is we know we’re going to get the best from every team. Every team we play wants to win.
“You can’t go judge a team solely based on their record. We know we have a tough opponent in Fremd. They’re going to be prepared to play us.”
That, of course, is to be expected.
“There really is no night off in the MSL,” Mehreiskouei said. “We take pride on not making many mistakes. There’s going to be times in the Fremd match where we’re going to be pressured, and it’s going to be a case of how we respond.”
While Schaumburg’s offensive players like All-American Jessie Lopez, Alexis Flores and Noah Kostkiewicz have drawn the most attention this season, the Saxon's Class of 2016 defensive unit has been impressive.
Goalkeeper Edgar Avila has nine shutouts playing behind fullbacks Michael Marino, Chris Melecio, Andrew Ralston and Nikolaos Davis.
“We knew we would have firepower up front,” Mehreiskouei said. “The backline was the question mark. The seniors in the back have come a long way. It has been a testament to the extra effort they’ve put in. We’re not dominating every single minute of the game, but when you’re in a storm you see what you’re made of.”
By Matt Le Cren
Schaumburg coach Hamid Mehreiskouei admits he was a bit conflicted when he heard his Saxons had attained the no. 1 ranking in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25.
“I liked it when we were playing under the radar,” Mehreiskouei said. “I got 10 text messages from other coaches saying, ‘Hey, did you see the ranking?’
“The ranking itself, it’s nice to be recognized, but our mindset from the beginning of the year has been to take care of ourselves, take care of each aspect of the game.”
That’s important because the Saxons had a target on their backs even before ascending to the top spot. If Schaumburg didn’t take care to play well, opponents were out to take care of them.
That’s exactly what happened Friday night when Conant handed the Saxons their first Mid-Suburban League loss of the season, a 3-2 decision that snapped Schaumburg’s eight-game winning streak.
“We just have to take one game at time,” Mehreiskouei said. “We felt that we had the quality to compete against anyone, but at the end of the day the question was do we have the mindset.
“It’s difficult to stay at that level every game. We told (the players) don’t doubt your ability, stay confident.”
In retrospect, the loss to Conant probably should not have come as a surprise, few teams ever go through the MSL slate unbeaten. Also, the Saxons (11-2-0, 6-1-0) were coming off an impressive yet challenging stretch of games that saw them beat league foes Wheeling, Barrington and Buffalo Grove, all by shutout.
“This past week was a grueling one for us,” Mehreiskouei said. “We played the three toughest teams you can face in Wheeling, Barrington and Buffalo Grove. We scored nine goals and gave up none.
“We knew it would be a three-game stretch that was going to determine a lot. It’s good information to take to the (sectional) seeding meeting."
The Saxons, who have also beaten top teams like Lyons, St. Charles East and New Trier, had blanked five-consecutive foes before losing to the Cougars, who showed that few games in the MSL are easy.
Another trap game could be coming up Monday night when the Saxons travel to Fremd. The Vikings (5-8-0, 3-2-0) have endured a maddeningly inconsistent campaign, winning consecutive games just once. But they also have yet to suffer a three-game losing streak.
Fremd is the type of well-coached side that is a threat to go on a winning streak at any time, as they did at this time last year. The Vikings were just 7-5-0 following a 1-0 loss to the Saxons in 2014, but didn’t lose again until the state semifinals, going 12-0-1 until falling 2-1 to eventual state champion Hinsdale Central. Fremd finished the season with a 4-0 win over Streamwood and a third place state trophy.
Despite the return of Luke Schoffstall, Fremd lacks the overall front-line talent and experience of that squad. But that doesn’t mean Mehreiskouei is taking the game lightly.
“I’m concerned about every team,” he said. “The whole mindset of our team is we know we’re going to get the best from every team. Every team we play wants to win.
“You can’t go judge a team solely based on their record. We know we have a tough opponent in Fremd. They’re going to be prepared to play us.”
That, of course, is to be expected.
“There really is no night off in the MSL,” Mehreiskouei said. “We take pride on not making many mistakes. There’s going to be times in the Fremd match where we’re going to be pressured, and it’s going to be a case of how we respond.”
While Schaumburg’s offensive players like All-American Jessie Lopez, Alexis Flores and Noah Kostkiewicz have drawn the most attention this season, the Saxon's Class of 2016 defensive unit has been impressive.
Goalkeeper Edgar Avila has nine shutouts playing behind fullbacks Michael Marino, Chris Melecio, Andrew Ralston and Nikolaos Davis.
“We knew we would have firepower up front,” Mehreiskouei said. “The backline was the question mark. The seniors in the back have come a long way. It has been a testament to the extra effort they’ve put in. We’re not dominating every single minute of the game, but when you’re in a storm you see what you’re made of.”