Will excess offense star
over defense in AA Final 4?
By Steve Nemeth
Despite the accepted tenet that defense wins championships, the IHSA Class AA championship may be defined by who has the most productive offense.
While Benet has eye-popping defensive numbers, all four finalists score, score often, and enjoy scoring again and again.
Having noted this take probably all but ensures 1-0 outcomes, the likely prediction would be no encore to last year’s AA finals that required shootouts to determine each match winner.
As defending champion, Crystal Lake South doesn’t mind being back at the Hoffman Estates High School site and Benet has also returned from there with state hardware.
Ironically, the two newcomers to Garber Stadium have the farthest treks, although the journey for St. Laurence and Triad from Troy differ vastly by miles and time.
It all begins Friday at 1 p.m. with defending champion Crystal Lake South (19-4-4) facing downstate Triad (22-2-3) with the second semifinal slated for 3 p.m. featuring Benet (19-1-2) against St. Laurence (19-4-1).
The two losing sides meet at 11 a.m. Saturday for third place while the victors square off at 1 p.m.-ish to determine the 12th AA kingpin for the three-level era and the 34th all-time AA champion.
Naturally all four appeared in Chicagoland Soccer’s pre-playoff polling. Benet at no. 3, South at no. 18, St. Laurence as an honorable mention team with Triad in fourth on the Illinois 10 list. Of note, Benet dispatched that out-of-area group’s top-rated team -- Notre Dame (Peoria).
Word of advice to scouts from all collegiate levels, look in the IHSA directory for the respective coaches’ e-mail and make contact. While several players have multiple pursuers, all claim to be still weighing options with one exception.
Triad had the best season start going 15-0-2 before the extremely competitive CYC Guelker Memorial tourney which drew teams from the soccer-rich St. Louis area. The Knights’ prolific offense was kept in check in a 0-0 draw with familiar foe Waterloo. Then came a 3-0 loss to Missouri entry Clayton.
Thanks to that wake-up call, coach Jim Jackson’s crew would not be shut out again. Instead Triad scored 105 goals in 27 matches (a 3.8 per game average). By contrast, the Knights boast 17 shutouts while yielding 15 goals total (0.56 per game average).
As much as Jackson respects Chicagoland talent, he is a product of the ultra-competitive St. Louis soccer world and has no hesitation to state “We’re going up there with the mindset of winning it all. Being ranked third in the Metro St. Louis area speaks volumes.”
Jackson was a player on three St. John Vianney (St. Louis) state champion units under legendary coach Mike Villa. Jackson also experienced two state crowns at Vianney as an assistant to Villa, including the nationally no. 1-rated side in 1992.
Villa, who moved to Triad, convinced Jackson to return to coaching with the Knights, who earned a third-place AA trophy in 2009 -- the school’s only other boys soccer hardware. Jackson, now in his seventh year as head coach, also assisted Matt Bettlach’s girls program which ruled AA in 2017, the second of that program’s two state titles.
The absolute stud at sweeper is senior Michael Tentis, an Illinois High School Soccer Coaches Association All-State pick that anchors the backline in front of senior keeper David DuPont. Look for Tentis as a major player on set pieces, thanks in part to senior defender Austin Borri, an IHSSCA Section 12 honoree along with senior forward Travis Speer.
The backline includes Joe McCulloch and Ty Pressley while the midfield is anchored by Colton Clark and Jake Ellis with outside help by Roger Weber and Eli Kraabel.
Nine Knights have combined for 255 points. The tip of that offensive spear is Speer (18 goals/13 assists – 49 points) followed by -- remember he’s a defender -- Tentis (15/14 – 44). Filling out that group is Clark (13/15 – 41), Ellis (12/8 – 32), Joe Wade (9/12 – 30), Sam Beeman (7/2 – 16), and Jake Stewart (4/2 – 10).
“All four of our midfielders are versatile, they have speed, mark well, good vision, smart with their passing,” Jackson noted. “Speer had two very big goals against Glenwood (a 2-0 sectional final win) and is good in the air with his size, plus is good with his feet. Wade is the digger, not afraid to get dirty, the consummate hard worker.”
Crystal Lake South boasts its own genuine stud in senior Alex Canfield.
A 2018 Chicagoland Soccer All-State honoree, Canfield is now a two-time IHSSCA All-State pick and the last two matches will dictate where and how many school season and career records he may own.
Perhaps because of his humble nature, he remains surprisingly unheralded. That may have been understandable last year when the Gators had three other CS All-Staters -- Nick Langdon, Andrew Edge, and Ryan Coughlin -- but it's hard to fathom in 2019.
Evan Carlson, a senior defender, earned IHSSCA Honorable Mention Section 6. However there is a trio of underclassmen from the Chicagoland Soccer 2018 All-State Watch List who have truly stepped up: sophomores Michal Dejworek and Tom Coughlin, plus junior Tyler Getzinger.
“With only three returning starters, we took the theme of being the best version of ourselves," said coach Brian Allen. "The growth component would be crucial with new players or players in new roles.
“However, even with a little bit of one-game-at-a-time thinking, we believed we could return (to the state finals), simply our path would be different.”
In some respects it has been a grind-it-out effort. The Gators have scored 77 goals (2.85 avg.) and allowed 27 (1.0 avg.). They failed to score in three matches but own 11 clean-sheets.
“Knowing (senior Carson) Hill would be new in net, we lean on his consistency and being steady. In lieu of highlight-reel saves, just don’t screw up the simple stuff,” Allen said. “And communicate with the defenders. That’s where the leadership of two returnees is invaluable.”
That ranges from Canfield on offense to Carlson on defense, The latter is the anchor in back and creates the partnership with Danny Ciezadlo, Jake Bimbi and Tomasz Sawek. Remember that reference to an exception for soccer recruits? That’s Bimbi, who is committed to Wabash Valley College but for baseball.
“In the middle we’ve got Getzinger and (Branden) Osterburg with five guys we can rotate with them for need or fresh legs,” noted the 13th-year head coach. “Which of course leads to Alex up-top.
“Good in the air, great first step, speed, just an exceptional skill set. But what makes him the complete teammate is that he makes us better as a team.”
The top point-producer among remaining AA programs, Canfield’s 82 points from 32 goals and 18 assists pave the way for a seven-player group that accounts for 180 points. Dejworek (7/8 – 22), Getzinger (9/4 – 20), Garett Schneider (7/4 – 18), Colton Weidner (5/6 – 16), Tom Coughlin (4/3 – 11) and Sam Bahnfleth (3/5 -11).
St. Laurence also takes the Triad approach of believing it has the correct ratio of scoring versus defense.
Giving up only 16 goals in 24 outings (0.67 average) will seldom keep pace with scoring 82 times (3.4 average). The Vikings sport 16 shutouts in contrast to the three occasions they were kept off the scoreboard.
Second-year head coach Kyle Boekeloo worked under predecessor Matt Prunckle (now at Brother Rice) but has been heavily involved with the program’s emergence. His initial team broke the school single-season record for wins going 18-5-1 before a sectional semifinal exit.
This year’s group raised the bar to at least the current 19 despite St. Laurence losing Chicagoland Soccer 2018 All-State selection Danny Garcia.
“Losing Danny seemed huge in the offseason with everyone wondering ‘Who’s going to score?’ I had to convince them that we’d do it as a team instead of having that individual who could put us on his back,” Boekeloo explained. “Although we had some injuries that held us back a little (in an 8-4-1 start), once we started
getting healthy and having little things go our way thanks to some resolve, we could see what was coming and continued to gain confidence.”
That’s backed up statistically with eight of their 12 shutouts being part of the current 11-match win streak during which the Vikings have outscored their foes 40-5.
“People may believe it sounds too cliche, but from the frosh through the varsity, this is the closest group I’ve ever seen. I can’t say enough about how important that is to our identity,” Boekeloo insisted. “The trust we all have in each other to be the next person up is unmistakable.”
The ultimate stonewall in the shutouts has been the combination keeper work of Fernando Cervantes and fellow senior Julian Cardiel, an IHSSCA All-Section 1 pick.
“(Fernando’s) ability to stop shots is as phenomenal as his athleticism,” Boekeloo said. “I don’t think he’s afraid to run through a post if needed, but he anticipates well and has made so many point-blank stops. He had several of those (in a 1-0 win) against St. Ignatius.
“Julian’s ability to read the game really sets him apart in back. He’s very strong and simply hard to beat one-on-one.”
He has teamed with younger brother Jessie plus Thomas Suchecki all season long in being monsters on defense. Valente Lara and Ruben Chacon have both proven to be capable partners with the sophomore duo.
The middle features a team of workhorses led by seniors Luke Arthurs and Saul Camacho. The former is also an All-Section 1 pick and the later made Honorable Mention.
They partner with Marcos Martinez plus Ruben Perez, whose ability extends from box to box.
Sophomore Andres Lemushas has largely filled Garcia’s scoring shoes. Alongside him is Pedro Pantoja -- dubbed ‘Playoff Pedro’ -- for his improved play and postseason scoring.
St. Laurence has seven players accounting for 188 points with a major one-two scoring punch in Camacho (16/20 – 52) and Lemus (22/7 – 51). They’re followed by Arthurs (8/12 – 28), Pantoja (7/4 – 18), Suchecki (4/8 – 16), Lara (5/2 – 12), and Perez (3/5 – 11).
Benet would love to erase the sting from 2016 when one miscue just before the end of the first 10 minutes of overtime led to a 1-0 semifinal loss to eventual Class AA champ Latin. That third place finish elevated the Redwings to Class 3A for the next two years.
Although accustomed to always scheduling up, that postseason path simply helped develop the current crew into a more formidable unit.
In addition to a Bill Belichick-like mastery gained over a decade, coach Sean Wesley has also incorporated the acumen of longtime aides Manuel Aguilar, Martin Uscila and Brendan Breault into raising defense to a higher level.
Remember the movie Miracle on Ice when coach Herb Brooks says “if you score on Vadislav Tretiak, keep the puck, because it does not happen often.”?
That’s the 2019 Redwings. Twenty-one matches and only three teams have managed to find the back of the Benet net. Three-time defending 3A champ Naperville North did it twice in the Redwings’ only defeat, current 3A finalist St. Patrick did it once in a 1-1 draw, and Carmel got one in during a 3-1 loss.
Wesley has the luxury of two standout options in net. Vytautas “Vyto” Staniskis was expected to be a stonewall in 2018 but an injury opened the door for Hunter Randolph, who was exceptional enough to land on the CS 2018 Watch List along with teammates Anthony Klos and Mike Fernandes.
And yet, Staniskis pushed his way back into the lead role accounting for 11 solo shutouts whilst sharing six clean-sheets. While Staniskis has allowed three of the four goals yielded, he has been perfect in all five postseason matches.
He or Randolph, who owns two solo shutouts to go with the six shared, both rely on a partnership with the defensive likes of a legal dream team.
Start with Klos, a 2019 IHSSCA Honorable Mention Section 10 honoree, who willingly moved from the midfield to strengthen the back. Add in Zach Serafin and Tom Miskin, both super dynamic defenders, plus a mix of Conor Perkins and Evan Frazier for a near unbeatable mix. Benet’s average yield is an incredible 0.18 per game.
That’s how a 3.09 average for goals becomes so much greater. Talk about generating power from your core, think midfield with IHSSCA All-State pick Nick Renfro and All-Section 10 choice Nick Augustyn.
“What’s amazing about both is their abilities to attack or defend with equal intensity, although I think they take more pride in their defense,” Wesley noted. “I’m more of a defensive-minded coach, but even I’m impressed with our top three (Tyler “T.J.” McVey, Hans Haenicke, and Chris Mankowski). They’re chaotic soccer players in a good way meaning they create chaos for opponents.”
Possessing a goal-scoring mentality, McVey tops the chart (18/3 – 39) and is followed by Augustyn (7/13 – 27), Renfro (9/7 – 25), Haenicke (6/8 – 22), Mankowski (5/6 – 16), Sam Hepburn (7/1 – 15) and Nico Picha (5/3 – 13). Those seven combine for 156 points.
“We knew an opportunity to make state was attainable but it really depended on us and our focus." Wesley said. "Never get ahead of yourself, trust in each other, make the play immediately in front of you time after time. It’s super satisfying to be here because we also knew we’d most likely run into Notre Dame (Peoria).
“We felt that we outworked them and defended well against one if not two All-American players.
“The biggest key to our confidence is also experience. Losing in 3A the previous two years, the grind of that intensity has helped us,” Wesley continued. “Having had six juniors make varsity as freshmen has also given us tremendous depth.”
The Redwings would like to add their third boys soccer championship to a trophy case that has two such items dating back to the 2000 and 2001 campaigns.
over defense in AA Final 4?
By Steve Nemeth
Despite the accepted tenet that defense wins championships, the IHSA Class AA championship may be defined by who has the most productive offense.
While Benet has eye-popping defensive numbers, all four finalists score, score often, and enjoy scoring again and again.
Having noted this take probably all but ensures 1-0 outcomes, the likely prediction would be no encore to last year’s AA finals that required shootouts to determine each match winner.
As defending champion, Crystal Lake South doesn’t mind being back at the Hoffman Estates High School site and Benet has also returned from there with state hardware.
Ironically, the two newcomers to Garber Stadium have the farthest treks, although the journey for St. Laurence and Triad from Troy differ vastly by miles and time.
It all begins Friday at 1 p.m. with defending champion Crystal Lake South (19-4-4) facing downstate Triad (22-2-3) with the second semifinal slated for 3 p.m. featuring Benet (19-1-2) against St. Laurence (19-4-1).
The two losing sides meet at 11 a.m. Saturday for third place while the victors square off at 1 p.m.-ish to determine the 12th AA kingpin for the three-level era and the 34th all-time AA champion.
Naturally all four appeared in Chicagoland Soccer’s pre-playoff polling. Benet at no. 3, South at no. 18, St. Laurence as an honorable mention team with Triad in fourth on the Illinois 10 list. Of note, Benet dispatched that out-of-area group’s top-rated team -- Notre Dame (Peoria).
Word of advice to scouts from all collegiate levels, look in the IHSA directory for the respective coaches’ e-mail and make contact. While several players have multiple pursuers, all claim to be still weighing options with one exception.
Triad had the best season start going 15-0-2 before the extremely competitive CYC Guelker Memorial tourney which drew teams from the soccer-rich St. Louis area. The Knights’ prolific offense was kept in check in a 0-0 draw with familiar foe Waterloo. Then came a 3-0 loss to Missouri entry Clayton.
Thanks to that wake-up call, coach Jim Jackson’s crew would not be shut out again. Instead Triad scored 105 goals in 27 matches (a 3.8 per game average). By contrast, the Knights boast 17 shutouts while yielding 15 goals total (0.56 per game average).
As much as Jackson respects Chicagoland talent, he is a product of the ultra-competitive St. Louis soccer world and has no hesitation to state “We’re going up there with the mindset of winning it all. Being ranked third in the Metro St. Louis area speaks volumes.”
Jackson was a player on three St. John Vianney (St. Louis) state champion units under legendary coach Mike Villa. Jackson also experienced two state crowns at Vianney as an assistant to Villa, including the nationally no. 1-rated side in 1992.
Villa, who moved to Triad, convinced Jackson to return to coaching with the Knights, who earned a third-place AA trophy in 2009 -- the school’s only other boys soccer hardware. Jackson, now in his seventh year as head coach, also assisted Matt Bettlach’s girls program which ruled AA in 2017, the second of that program’s two state titles.
The absolute stud at sweeper is senior Michael Tentis, an Illinois High School Soccer Coaches Association All-State pick that anchors the backline in front of senior keeper David DuPont. Look for Tentis as a major player on set pieces, thanks in part to senior defender Austin Borri, an IHSSCA Section 12 honoree along with senior forward Travis Speer.
The backline includes Joe McCulloch and Ty Pressley while the midfield is anchored by Colton Clark and Jake Ellis with outside help by Roger Weber and Eli Kraabel.
Nine Knights have combined for 255 points. The tip of that offensive spear is Speer (18 goals/13 assists – 49 points) followed by -- remember he’s a defender -- Tentis (15/14 – 44). Filling out that group is Clark (13/15 – 41), Ellis (12/8 – 32), Joe Wade (9/12 – 30), Sam Beeman (7/2 – 16), and Jake Stewart (4/2 – 10).
“All four of our midfielders are versatile, they have speed, mark well, good vision, smart with their passing,” Jackson noted. “Speer had two very big goals against Glenwood (a 2-0 sectional final win) and is good in the air with his size, plus is good with his feet. Wade is the digger, not afraid to get dirty, the consummate hard worker.”
Crystal Lake South boasts its own genuine stud in senior Alex Canfield.
A 2018 Chicagoland Soccer All-State honoree, Canfield is now a two-time IHSSCA All-State pick and the last two matches will dictate where and how many school season and career records he may own.
Perhaps because of his humble nature, he remains surprisingly unheralded. That may have been understandable last year when the Gators had three other CS All-Staters -- Nick Langdon, Andrew Edge, and Ryan Coughlin -- but it's hard to fathom in 2019.
Evan Carlson, a senior defender, earned IHSSCA Honorable Mention Section 6. However there is a trio of underclassmen from the Chicagoland Soccer 2018 All-State Watch List who have truly stepped up: sophomores Michal Dejworek and Tom Coughlin, plus junior Tyler Getzinger.
“With only three returning starters, we took the theme of being the best version of ourselves," said coach Brian Allen. "The growth component would be crucial with new players or players in new roles.
“However, even with a little bit of one-game-at-a-time thinking, we believed we could return (to the state finals), simply our path would be different.”
In some respects it has been a grind-it-out effort. The Gators have scored 77 goals (2.85 avg.) and allowed 27 (1.0 avg.). They failed to score in three matches but own 11 clean-sheets.
“Knowing (senior Carson) Hill would be new in net, we lean on his consistency and being steady. In lieu of highlight-reel saves, just don’t screw up the simple stuff,” Allen said. “And communicate with the defenders. That’s where the leadership of two returnees is invaluable.”
That ranges from Canfield on offense to Carlson on defense, The latter is the anchor in back and creates the partnership with Danny Ciezadlo, Jake Bimbi and Tomasz Sawek. Remember that reference to an exception for soccer recruits? That’s Bimbi, who is committed to Wabash Valley College but for baseball.
“In the middle we’ve got Getzinger and (Branden) Osterburg with five guys we can rotate with them for need or fresh legs,” noted the 13th-year head coach. “Which of course leads to Alex up-top.
“Good in the air, great first step, speed, just an exceptional skill set. But what makes him the complete teammate is that he makes us better as a team.”
The top point-producer among remaining AA programs, Canfield’s 82 points from 32 goals and 18 assists pave the way for a seven-player group that accounts for 180 points. Dejworek (7/8 – 22), Getzinger (9/4 – 20), Garett Schneider (7/4 – 18), Colton Weidner (5/6 – 16), Tom Coughlin (4/3 – 11) and Sam Bahnfleth (3/5 -11).
St. Laurence also takes the Triad approach of believing it has the correct ratio of scoring versus defense.
Giving up only 16 goals in 24 outings (0.67 average) will seldom keep pace with scoring 82 times (3.4 average). The Vikings sport 16 shutouts in contrast to the three occasions they were kept off the scoreboard.
Second-year head coach Kyle Boekeloo worked under predecessor Matt Prunckle (now at Brother Rice) but has been heavily involved with the program’s emergence. His initial team broke the school single-season record for wins going 18-5-1 before a sectional semifinal exit.
This year’s group raised the bar to at least the current 19 despite St. Laurence losing Chicagoland Soccer 2018 All-State selection Danny Garcia.
“Losing Danny seemed huge in the offseason with everyone wondering ‘Who’s going to score?’ I had to convince them that we’d do it as a team instead of having that individual who could put us on his back,” Boekeloo explained. “Although we had some injuries that held us back a little (in an 8-4-1 start), once we started
getting healthy and having little things go our way thanks to some resolve, we could see what was coming and continued to gain confidence.”
That’s backed up statistically with eight of their 12 shutouts being part of the current 11-match win streak during which the Vikings have outscored their foes 40-5.
“People may believe it sounds too cliche, but from the frosh through the varsity, this is the closest group I’ve ever seen. I can’t say enough about how important that is to our identity,” Boekeloo insisted. “The trust we all have in each other to be the next person up is unmistakable.”
The ultimate stonewall in the shutouts has been the combination keeper work of Fernando Cervantes and fellow senior Julian Cardiel, an IHSSCA All-Section 1 pick.
“(Fernando’s) ability to stop shots is as phenomenal as his athleticism,” Boekeloo said. “I don’t think he’s afraid to run through a post if needed, but he anticipates well and has made so many point-blank stops. He had several of those (in a 1-0 win) against St. Ignatius.
“Julian’s ability to read the game really sets him apart in back. He’s very strong and simply hard to beat one-on-one.”
He has teamed with younger brother Jessie plus Thomas Suchecki all season long in being monsters on defense. Valente Lara and Ruben Chacon have both proven to be capable partners with the sophomore duo.
The middle features a team of workhorses led by seniors Luke Arthurs and Saul Camacho. The former is also an All-Section 1 pick and the later made Honorable Mention.
They partner with Marcos Martinez plus Ruben Perez, whose ability extends from box to box.
Sophomore Andres Lemushas has largely filled Garcia’s scoring shoes. Alongside him is Pedro Pantoja -- dubbed ‘Playoff Pedro’ -- for his improved play and postseason scoring.
St. Laurence has seven players accounting for 188 points with a major one-two scoring punch in Camacho (16/20 – 52) and Lemus (22/7 – 51). They’re followed by Arthurs (8/12 – 28), Pantoja (7/4 – 18), Suchecki (4/8 – 16), Lara (5/2 – 12), and Perez (3/5 – 11).
Benet would love to erase the sting from 2016 when one miscue just before the end of the first 10 minutes of overtime led to a 1-0 semifinal loss to eventual Class AA champ Latin. That third place finish elevated the Redwings to Class 3A for the next two years.
Although accustomed to always scheduling up, that postseason path simply helped develop the current crew into a more formidable unit.
In addition to a Bill Belichick-like mastery gained over a decade, coach Sean Wesley has also incorporated the acumen of longtime aides Manuel Aguilar, Martin Uscila and Brendan Breault into raising defense to a higher level.
Remember the movie Miracle on Ice when coach Herb Brooks says “if you score on Vadislav Tretiak, keep the puck, because it does not happen often.”?
That’s the 2019 Redwings. Twenty-one matches and only three teams have managed to find the back of the Benet net. Three-time defending 3A champ Naperville North did it twice in the Redwings’ only defeat, current 3A finalist St. Patrick did it once in a 1-1 draw, and Carmel got one in during a 3-1 loss.
Wesley has the luxury of two standout options in net. Vytautas “Vyto” Staniskis was expected to be a stonewall in 2018 but an injury opened the door for Hunter Randolph, who was exceptional enough to land on the CS 2018 Watch List along with teammates Anthony Klos and Mike Fernandes.
And yet, Staniskis pushed his way back into the lead role accounting for 11 solo shutouts whilst sharing six clean-sheets. While Staniskis has allowed three of the four goals yielded, he has been perfect in all five postseason matches.
He or Randolph, who owns two solo shutouts to go with the six shared, both rely on a partnership with the defensive likes of a legal dream team.
Start with Klos, a 2019 IHSSCA Honorable Mention Section 10 honoree, who willingly moved from the midfield to strengthen the back. Add in Zach Serafin and Tom Miskin, both super dynamic defenders, plus a mix of Conor Perkins and Evan Frazier for a near unbeatable mix. Benet’s average yield is an incredible 0.18 per game.
That’s how a 3.09 average for goals becomes so much greater. Talk about generating power from your core, think midfield with IHSSCA All-State pick Nick Renfro and All-Section 10 choice Nick Augustyn.
“What’s amazing about both is their abilities to attack or defend with equal intensity, although I think they take more pride in their defense,” Wesley noted. “I’m more of a defensive-minded coach, but even I’m impressed with our top three (Tyler “T.J.” McVey, Hans Haenicke, and Chris Mankowski). They’re chaotic soccer players in a good way meaning they create chaos for opponents.”
Possessing a goal-scoring mentality, McVey tops the chart (18/3 – 39) and is followed by Augustyn (7/13 – 27), Renfro (9/7 – 25), Haenicke (6/8 – 22), Mankowski (5/6 – 16), Sam Hepburn (7/1 – 15) and Nico Picha (5/3 – 13). Those seven combine for 156 points.
“We knew an opportunity to make state was attainable but it really depended on us and our focus." Wesley said. "Never get ahead of yourself, trust in each other, make the play immediately in front of you time after time. It’s super satisfying to be here because we also knew we’d most likely run into Notre Dame (Peoria).
“We felt that we outworked them and defended well against one if not two All-American players.
“The biggest key to our confidence is also experience. Losing in 3A the previous two years, the grind of that intensity has helped us,” Wesley continued. “Having had six juniors make varsity as freshmen has also given us tremendous depth.”
The Redwings would like to add their third boys soccer championship to a trophy case that has two such items dating back to the 2000 and 2001 campaigns.