State finals regulars Fremd,
Morton meet in semifinals
Vikings, Mustangs look for titles in their 10th state appearances
By Curt Herron
Two programs with rich state tournament experience join two newcomers at this weekend's IHSA Class 3A finals at Hoffman Estates High School.
In Friday's 7 p.m. semifinal, tourney veterans Fremd (20-2-1) and Morton (21-1-3) face off. The 5 p.m. semifinal pits York (21-2-0) against Lockport (19-1-0), who will both get their first taste of state finals competition. The third place match is set for 5 p.m. Saturday with the championship game to follow.
Morton was ranked second in the final Chicagoland Soccer Top 25 poll posted at the end of the regular-season, and Fremd was fourth. York was ninth-ranked; and Lockport was 15th.
Fremd will claim its ninth state trophy and sixth for coach Steve Keller, who hopes that this year will be the one where his team plays for a championship after finishing third three times and fourth twice since his first season in 1998.
Recording a 20-win campaign for the third time, Keller achieved his 300th victory this season and owns a 309-171-73 record in 24 seasons at the Palatine school. His last 20-win season resulted in the program’s most recent state trip in 2014. That concluded with third place hardware.
The Vikings' last state title came under the direction of coach Gerardo Pagnani a year before Keller took over. Pagnani also led a state champion team in 1984 and a runnerup squad in 1993 and remains on the team staff as an assistant coach.
Fremd has outscored its five tournament opponents by an 18-1 margin. The lone goal allowed came in a 5-1 win over Stevenson in the semifinals of the sectional the Vikings hosted. After getting off to a 2-1-1 start, the Vikings rattled off 12-straight victories before suffering a 1-0 defeat to Barrington in their final regular-season match. The squad earned its spot in the Final Four with a 78th-minute goal and 1-0 supersectional win over Oak Park and River Forest.
They team has yielded just six goals since suffering its first loss on September 10 to Chaminade (St. Louis) at the Notre Dame (Peoria) Invitational. Since then, Fremd has allowed two goals against in a game only once, a 4-2 win vs. Hersey on Oct. 7. That came two days before their second loss of the season, the overtime loss to Barrington, which spiked the Vikings’ chance for an undefeated conference championship.
Senior midfielder Eli Schoffstall leads the Vikings offense with 12 goals and two assists. Classmate and midfielder Demetri Vlahos tops the assists category with 12 to go along with five goals.
Goalkeeper Robby Remian has played in 23 matches. The junior has an 0.43 GAA and made 38 saves.
Other important scorers for Fremd are: junior forward Leo Akashi (eight goals, two assists); junior forward Will Mayer (six goals, three assists); senior forward Christian Tirado (five goals, one assist); junior midfielder Kenan Mesic (four goals, two assists); senior midfielder Ryan Sapiente; (three goals, seven assists); and senior midfielder Caden Statz (three goals, one assist).
Senior defender Beck Smolak joins Sapiente and Schoffstall as Fremd captains.
"Fremd is excited to make it to the semifinals," Keller said. "We hope to continue playing our best soccer and compete in each game we play.
“Our players have worked extremely hard and are eager for the games. Our spirit is high as we look to continue this playoff run."
Click here to see Fremd’s team page on Chicagoland Soccer
Morton will claim its sixth state trophy this weekend and fifth since 2006.
The Mustangs hope to improve upon their second place finish from 2019 by joining former coach Mike Caruso's 2011 squad as a state championship team.
Jim Bageanis was head coach of the 2019 team that was upset in the title game by West Chicago. He was an assistant on the other recent trophy-winning teams and has a 94-10-11 record in five seasons leading the program. Every season, except the abbreviated COVID-affected spring, 2021 season, has produced 20 or more victories.
The Mustangs bring a 10-match winning streak into the semifinal. In their last nine wins, they've outscored opponents 36-3. The team has scored two or more goals in 20 matches and had four or more goals on 14 occasions.
No Illinois team has beaten them and just three, Naperville North, Libertyville and Notre Dame (Peoria), tied them. Morton advanced to the semifinal with a 2-1 victory over Naperville North in the supersectional round.
Morton has two players who have each scored 21 goals, senior midfielder Giovanni Alvarez (17 assists) and sophomore midfielder Max Aquino (nine assists). Junior forward Deyair Ruiz (six assists) ranks third on the squad with 12 goals.
Other key contributors to the offense include: junior midfielder Edgar Quintero (eight goals, 11 assists); senior defender Luis Gonzalez (eight goals, eight assists); junior forward Ismael Zepeda (seven goals, nine assists); senior midfielder Jonathon Murillo (five goals, 11 assists); junior midfielder Juan Ayala (five goals, four assists); senior defender Eddie Barraza (four goals, one assist); and senior midfielder Daniel Diaz (three goals, eight assists).
In the net, senior Daniel Martinez has played 18 matches with a 0.39 GAA. Fellow senior Sebastian Mayorga has appeared in 14 matches and has an 0.29 GAA. Joining senior defender Juan Ramirez as captains are Alvarez, Diaz and Murillo.
"We are happy to have advanced against excellent teams over the last two weeks and the kids are taking it one game at a time towards a state championship," Bageanis said. "We are looking forward to a great weekend of soccer."
Click here to see Morton’s team page on Chicagoland Soccer
Morton meet in semifinals
Vikings, Mustangs look for titles in their 10th state appearances
By Curt Herron
Two programs with rich state tournament experience join two newcomers at this weekend's IHSA Class 3A finals at Hoffman Estates High School.
In Friday's 7 p.m. semifinal, tourney veterans Fremd (20-2-1) and Morton (21-1-3) face off. The 5 p.m. semifinal pits York (21-2-0) against Lockport (19-1-0), who will both get their first taste of state finals competition. The third place match is set for 5 p.m. Saturday with the championship game to follow.
Morton was ranked second in the final Chicagoland Soccer Top 25 poll posted at the end of the regular-season, and Fremd was fourth. York was ninth-ranked; and Lockport was 15th.
Fremd will claim its ninth state trophy and sixth for coach Steve Keller, who hopes that this year will be the one where his team plays for a championship after finishing third three times and fourth twice since his first season in 1998.
Recording a 20-win campaign for the third time, Keller achieved his 300th victory this season and owns a 309-171-73 record in 24 seasons at the Palatine school. His last 20-win season resulted in the program’s most recent state trip in 2014. That concluded with third place hardware.
The Vikings' last state title came under the direction of coach Gerardo Pagnani a year before Keller took over. Pagnani also led a state champion team in 1984 and a runnerup squad in 1993 and remains on the team staff as an assistant coach.
Fremd has outscored its five tournament opponents by an 18-1 margin. The lone goal allowed came in a 5-1 win over Stevenson in the semifinals of the sectional the Vikings hosted. After getting off to a 2-1-1 start, the Vikings rattled off 12-straight victories before suffering a 1-0 defeat to Barrington in their final regular-season match. The squad earned its spot in the Final Four with a 78th-minute goal and 1-0 supersectional win over Oak Park and River Forest.
They team has yielded just six goals since suffering its first loss on September 10 to Chaminade (St. Louis) at the Notre Dame (Peoria) Invitational. Since then, Fremd has allowed two goals against in a game only once, a 4-2 win vs. Hersey on Oct. 7. That came two days before their second loss of the season, the overtime loss to Barrington, which spiked the Vikings’ chance for an undefeated conference championship.
Senior midfielder Eli Schoffstall leads the Vikings offense with 12 goals and two assists. Classmate and midfielder Demetri Vlahos tops the assists category with 12 to go along with five goals.
Goalkeeper Robby Remian has played in 23 matches. The junior has an 0.43 GAA and made 38 saves.
Other important scorers for Fremd are: junior forward Leo Akashi (eight goals, two assists); junior forward Will Mayer (six goals, three assists); senior forward Christian Tirado (five goals, one assist); junior midfielder Kenan Mesic (four goals, two assists); senior midfielder Ryan Sapiente; (three goals, seven assists); and senior midfielder Caden Statz (three goals, one assist).
Senior defender Beck Smolak joins Sapiente and Schoffstall as Fremd captains.
"Fremd is excited to make it to the semifinals," Keller said. "We hope to continue playing our best soccer and compete in each game we play.
“Our players have worked extremely hard and are eager for the games. Our spirit is high as we look to continue this playoff run."
Click here to see Fremd’s team page on Chicagoland Soccer
Morton will claim its sixth state trophy this weekend and fifth since 2006.
The Mustangs hope to improve upon their second place finish from 2019 by joining former coach Mike Caruso's 2011 squad as a state championship team.
Jim Bageanis was head coach of the 2019 team that was upset in the title game by West Chicago. He was an assistant on the other recent trophy-winning teams and has a 94-10-11 record in five seasons leading the program. Every season, except the abbreviated COVID-affected spring, 2021 season, has produced 20 or more victories.
The Mustangs bring a 10-match winning streak into the semifinal. In their last nine wins, they've outscored opponents 36-3. The team has scored two or more goals in 20 matches and had four or more goals on 14 occasions.
No Illinois team has beaten them and just three, Naperville North, Libertyville and Notre Dame (Peoria), tied them. Morton advanced to the semifinal with a 2-1 victory over Naperville North in the supersectional round.
Morton has two players who have each scored 21 goals, senior midfielder Giovanni Alvarez (17 assists) and sophomore midfielder Max Aquino (nine assists). Junior forward Deyair Ruiz (six assists) ranks third on the squad with 12 goals.
Other key contributors to the offense include: junior midfielder Edgar Quintero (eight goals, 11 assists); senior defender Luis Gonzalez (eight goals, eight assists); junior forward Ismael Zepeda (seven goals, nine assists); senior midfielder Jonathon Murillo (five goals, 11 assists); junior midfielder Juan Ayala (five goals, four assists); senior defender Eddie Barraza (four goals, one assist); and senior midfielder Daniel Diaz (three goals, eight assists).
In the net, senior Daniel Martinez has played 18 matches with a 0.39 GAA. Fellow senior Sebastian Mayorga has appeared in 14 matches and has an 0.29 GAA. Joining senior defender Juan Ramirez as captains are Alvarez, Diaz and Murillo.
"We are happy to have advanced against excellent teams over the last two weeks and the kids are taking it one game at a time towards a state championship," Bageanis said. "We are looking forward to a great weekend of soccer."
Click here to see Morton’s team page on Chicagoland Soccer