Expect a wild ride in Barrington,
Hersey MSL showdown
By Bill McLean
Hang on.
That, in essence, is Hersey coach Michael Rusniak’s advice to people planning to attend Barrington’s trip to Hersey for a 6:45 p.m. Mid-Suburban League tilt.
“I think the speed of the game will be very exciting to watch,” he said.
But there are plenty of other reasons to consider this matchup in Arlington Heights must-see soccer and more thrilling than any ride Great America has to offer in Gurnee.
Reigning MSL champion Barrington (7-1-2, 4-0-2 in the MSL) hasn’t lost since falling 3-1 to Lake Zurich on Sept. 2, and Hersey (6-1-1, 5-0-0) — which beat Barrington in its last two meetings, including a 1-0 decision on March 18 in the spring’s truncated season — owns a six-match winning streak.
Hersey senior goalkeeper Joe Lens has a pupil-small GAA of 0.62; Barrington, with a 19-4 goal differential in 10 games, has exited pitches with eight clean sheets this fall.
And Barrington is ranked no. 20 in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, a handful of rungs ahead of Hersey’s honorable mention status in the weekly poll.
“Expect an entertaining game between two of the MSL’s top teams,” said Broncos coach Scott Steib, whose crew settled for 1-1 and 0-0 double-overtime ties with Elk Grove and Rolling Meadows in its previous two games on Sept. 18 and 21, respectively.
“[The Huskies] are always organized defensively and always play extremely hard,” Steib added. “We know we’ll be in a battle against a team that has had our number the last few years.”
Neither team boasts a player with 10 or more goals. Junior back Alex Ganekov paces Hersey with five tallies, while Broncos junior midfielder Jack Peterson leads his club in points (five goals, two assists). Huskies junior midfielder Charlie Seig has four assists.
“It should be a very competitive game, with quality players on both sides,” Rusniak said. “I’m impressed with the technical ability of Barrington as a team. They move the ball incredibly well and effectively.
“We always have great games between our programs.”
Two come to Steib’s mind. Both took place in 2007. Hersey edged Barrington in PKs in the MSL Championship game. A week later Barrington eliminated Hersey from the IHSA playoffs with an overtime win in a Class AA regional semifinal.
“That year,” Steib said, “was one of the best in terms of these two teams battling each other.”
That season was memorable for another reason for Barrington.
The Broncos battled in seven playoff matches in ’07, including one against Neuqua Valley that lasted three overtimes, ended 2-1 and forced the Broncos to find room for state championship hardware in their bus for the ride home.
Hersey MSL showdown
By Bill McLean
Hang on.
That, in essence, is Hersey coach Michael Rusniak’s advice to people planning to attend Barrington’s trip to Hersey for a 6:45 p.m. Mid-Suburban League tilt.
“I think the speed of the game will be very exciting to watch,” he said.
But there are plenty of other reasons to consider this matchup in Arlington Heights must-see soccer and more thrilling than any ride Great America has to offer in Gurnee.
Reigning MSL champion Barrington (7-1-2, 4-0-2 in the MSL) hasn’t lost since falling 3-1 to Lake Zurich on Sept. 2, and Hersey (6-1-1, 5-0-0) — which beat Barrington in its last two meetings, including a 1-0 decision on March 18 in the spring’s truncated season — owns a six-match winning streak.
Hersey senior goalkeeper Joe Lens has a pupil-small GAA of 0.62; Barrington, with a 19-4 goal differential in 10 games, has exited pitches with eight clean sheets this fall.
And Barrington is ranked no. 20 in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, a handful of rungs ahead of Hersey’s honorable mention status in the weekly poll.
“Expect an entertaining game between two of the MSL’s top teams,” said Broncos coach Scott Steib, whose crew settled for 1-1 and 0-0 double-overtime ties with Elk Grove and Rolling Meadows in its previous two games on Sept. 18 and 21, respectively.
“[The Huskies] are always organized defensively and always play extremely hard,” Steib added. “We know we’ll be in a battle against a team that has had our number the last few years.”
Neither team boasts a player with 10 or more goals. Junior back Alex Ganekov paces Hersey with five tallies, while Broncos junior midfielder Jack Peterson leads his club in points (five goals, two assists). Huskies junior midfielder Charlie Seig has four assists.
“It should be a very competitive game, with quality players on both sides,” Rusniak said. “I’m impressed with the technical ability of Barrington as a team. They move the ball incredibly well and effectively.
“We always have great games between our programs.”
Two come to Steib’s mind. Both took place in 2007. Hersey edged Barrington in PKs in the MSL Championship game. A week later Barrington eliminated Hersey from the IHSA playoffs with an overtime win in a Class AA regional semifinal.
“That year,” Steib said, “was one of the best in terms of these two teams battling each other.”
That season was memorable for another reason for Barrington.
The Broncos battled in seven playoff matches in ’07, including one against Neuqua Valley that lasted three overtimes, ended 2-1 and forced the Broncos to find room for state championship hardware in their bus for the ride home.