DGN, OPRF in key early WSC Silver match
By Patrick Z. McGavin
The West Suburban Conference Silver Division is always a top gauge for measuring strength and accomplishment. It remains ever so. As the season closes in on its first full month of play, a sharper portrait has begun to emerge, from all sides.
It only ratchets up the excitement and drama.
On Tuesday night, Downers Grove North makes a crucial road trip to play Oak Park and River Forest. Both teams experienced the natural ebb and flow of the early season, but now are trending in the right direction.
Downers Grove North (4-2-2, 1-0-0) are unbeaten in their last five games after an uncertain beginning.
“We had a rocky start, up and down,” coach Mike Schmitt said. “We had issues with fatigue, inconsistency and injuries, but I think we started to figure some things out this last week to two weeks. We kind of leveled out after our first three or four games.”
Downers Grove North is 3-0-2 in its last five games. After back-to-back draws, the Trojans kicked off the start of conference play by edging previously unbeaten Glenbard West 3-2, a pivotal game that has marked a new optimism going forward.
“I think we have had some people stepping up in our last few games. We had some people that struggled a little bit with consistency at the start of the season but now they have really started to come into their own.
“Against Glenbard West, for instance, (senior midfielder) Timmy Flavin and (junior forward) Ramsey Forst did a great job in that game, once they came in. They kind of controlled the game and gave us a little bit more control. They each got a goal in that game, and that was a really good thing to see. “
Senior midfielder Jack Richards is the lynchpin of the Trojans’ attack. He is a four-year varsity player who brings poise, experience and skill to a crucial spot. His leadership is key on a junior-laden team that needed the early stretch of the year to become more accustomed to the physical action and speed of play of the game.
Schmitt also singled out the emerging play of two talented junior defenders, Nick Eshghy and Ryan Newstrom. Senior keeper Christopher Bull, another four-year varsity player, is the anchor of the back.
Now the Trojans confront a skilled, talented and physical Oak Park and River Forest team, the next crucial marker on the team’s growth.
“They are having a pretty strong season so far,” Schmitt said. “They have really found their style of play, and their level has really stepped up. They have always been a really hard-working, physical team, and now you add something on the technical side. Now they are really dangerous side to play against.
“I think matching the work rate that comes out of their players is going to be key.
“We want to put the work rate to matchup on the field.”
Oak Park and River Forest (7-2-0, 1-0-0) has also worked out the early-season kinks and adapted a quicker, more consistent and powerful style of play said coach Jason Fried. The Huskies are coming off a solid performance at the Midwest Classic, in Indianapolis. They went 2-1-0, losing only to host North Central (Indiana) 2-1, which was awarded a late penalty kick.
“This is high school soccer, and the struggles we had at the beginning of the year was finding our consistency,” Fried said. “Early-on we had some games where we played great and then in others, something was off. We went down to Indianapolis and our last few games have been very good.
“We have stressed to the kids that not every minute of the game is going to go your way. There are going to be good parts and bad parts, but we have to stay calm and consistent and stick to our game plan.
“Guys have done a lot better with communication. That is what I am pleased with, because we are roughly at the halfway point of the season as far as the amount of games we have played.”
The centerpiece of the Huskies’ attack is their three center midfielders, Andrew Barkidjija, Bobby Iwashima and James McGuire.
“They have really kept their shape on their field and really controlled the field for us and won a lot of one-on-one battles,” Fried said. “When they do that, it tends to go in our favor.”
Defensively, Oak Park and River Forest has been exceptional, with five early shutouts. Keeper Kel Felton, a senior captain, brings a steady composure and confidence to the back. Fried has been very excited by the play of sophomore Jai Hsieh-Bailey and junior Blake Soto. Senior Eric Gustoff, who alternated between the middle and back last year, has shifted permanently to a centerback.
“Our defense has played great this year,” Fried said. “We have had a few rough calls, or rough situations, a couple of penalty kicks put on against, mostly self-inflicted, but in general, the guys have played really well.”
A year ago, the Trojans defeated the Huskies 3-2 on their home field. Both coaches expect more of the same, a tight, tense and sharp affair between two rapidly improving teams.
“We know it’s going to be a really close game,” Fried said. “They’re a great team and a great program. It’s a conference game. Our biggest goal going in is putting in a full 80 minutes of consistent soccer. We cannot afford to have one of those 10- or 20-minute lapses where you lose all rhythm. Against a team like North, they are going to punish us if we have those lapses.
“The team in general has done a great job of creating a lot of opportunities. We need to finish those. If we do that early, hopefully we can put some pressure on them and take them out of their game plan.”
By Patrick Z. McGavin
The West Suburban Conference Silver Division is always a top gauge for measuring strength and accomplishment. It remains ever so. As the season closes in on its first full month of play, a sharper portrait has begun to emerge, from all sides.
It only ratchets up the excitement and drama.
On Tuesday night, Downers Grove North makes a crucial road trip to play Oak Park and River Forest. Both teams experienced the natural ebb and flow of the early season, but now are trending in the right direction.
Downers Grove North (4-2-2, 1-0-0) are unbeaten in their last five games after an uncertain beginning.
“We had a rocky start, up and down,” coach Mike Schmitt said. “We had issues with fatigue, inconsistency and injuries, but I think we started to figure some things out this last week to two weeks. We kind of leveled out after our first three or four games.”
Downers Grove North is 3-0-2 in its last five games. After back-to-back draws, the Trojans kicked off the start of conference play by edging previously unbeaten Glenbard West 3-2, a pivotal game that has marked a new optimism going forward.
“I think we have had some people stepping up in our last few games. We had some people that struggled a little bit with consistency at the start of the season but now they have really started to come into their own.
“Against Glenbard West, for instance, (senior midfielder) Timmy Flavin and (junior forward) Ramsey Forst did a great job in that game, once they came in. They kind of controlled the game and gave us a little bit more control. They each got a goal in that game, and that was a really good thing to see. “
Senior midfielder Jack Richards is the lynchpin of the Trojans’ attack. He is a four-year varsity player who brings poise, experience and skill to a crucial spot. His leadership is key on a junior-laden team that needed the early stretch of the year to become more accustomed to the physical action and speed of play of the game.
Schmitt also singled out the emerging play of two talented junior defenders, Nick Eshghy and Ryan Newstrom. Senior keeper Christopher Bull, another four-year varsity player, is the anchor of the back.
Now the Trojans confront a skilled, talented and physical Oak Park and River Forest team, the next crucial marker on the team’s growth.
“They are having a pretty strong season so far,” Schmitt said. “They have really found their style of play, and their level has really stepped up. They have always been a really hard-working, physical team, and now you add something on the technical side. Now they are really dangerous side to play against.
“I think matching the work rate that comes out of their players is going to be key.
“We want to put the work rate to matchup on the field.”
Oak Park and River Forest (7-2-0, 1-0-0) has also worked out the early-season kinks and adapted a quicker, more consistent and powerful style of play said coach Jason Fried. The Huskies are coming off a solid performance at the Midwest Classic, in Indianapolis. They went 2-1-0, losing only to host North Central (Indiana) 2-1, which was awarded a late penalty kick.
“This is high school soccer, and the struggles we had at the beginning of the year was finding our consistency,” Fried said. “Early-on we had some games where we played great and then in others, something was off. We went down to Indianapolis and our last few games have been very good.
“We have stressed to the kids that not every minute of the game is going to go your way. There are going to be good parts and bad parts, but we have to stay calm and consistent and stick to our game plan.
“Guys have done a lot better with communication. That is what I am pleased with, because we are roughly at the halfway point of the season as far as the amount of games we have played.”
The centerpiece of the Huskies’ attack is their three center midfielders, Andrew Barkidjija, Bobby Iwashima and James McGuire.
“They have really kept their shape on their field and really controlled the field for us and won a lot of one-on-one battles,” Fried said. “When they do that, it tends to go in our favor.”
Defensively, Oak Park and River Forest has been exceptional, with five early shutouts. Keeper Kel Felton, a senior captain, brings a steady composure and confidence to the back. Fried has been very excited by the play of sophomore Jai Hsieh-Bailey and junior Blake Soto. Senior Eric Gustoff, who alternated between the middle and back last year, has shifted permanently to a centerback.
“Our defense has played great this year,” Fried said. “We have had a few rough calls, or rough situations, a couple of penalty kicks put on against, mostly self-inflicted, but in general, the guys have played really well.”
A year ago, the Trojans defeated the Huskies 3-2 on their home field. Both coaches expect more of the same, a tight, tense and sharp affair between two rapidly improving teams.
“We know it’s going to be a really close game,” Fried said. “They’re a great team and a great program. It’s a conference game. Our biggest goal going in is putting in a full 80 minutes of consistent soccer. We cannot afford to have one of those 10- or 20-minute lapses where you lose all rhythm. Against a team like North, they are going to punish us if we have those lapses.
“The team in general has done a great job of creating a lot of opportunities. We need to finish those. If we do that early, hopefully we can put some pressure on them and take them out of their game plan.”