Ranked Warren hosts
rising Glenbrook North in playoff prep
Both teams enter nonconference match on hot streaks
By Ken Keenan
One of the top teams in the area will face a squad on the rise when Warren hosts Glenbrook North in a nonconference tilt at 7:15 p.m. Thursday.
The Blue Devils, ranked no. 17 in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, stand at 12-3-4 overall following a 1-1 tie at no. 15 Round Lake on Tuesday. After snapping a 0-3-2 mid-season skid with a 7-0 win over Grayslake Central on Sept. 30, Warren enters the regular season finale with Glenbrook North on a 4-0-2 unbeaten streak.
"The players, we try to prepare them as best as possible to deal with the highs and lows of a season," said Blue Devils head coach Jason Ahonen. "The (winless) skid was a low, and they were able to come out of it. We had a great start (8-0-1), so we've had a lot of highs. With the skid, we made adjustments that were necessary."
Ahonen said that his team endured a similar rough patch in 2018, en route to a middle-of-the-road 7-7-5 overall mark.
"We were very young last year," Ahonen said. "So it's a year of growth, and this year we pulled out of it. But even during the skid, we weren't losing to teams where we were guaranteed a 'W.' We've also been without some key players."
One of those players is senior midfielder Clayton Mobile, who is in the lineup for the first time this season after recovering from an ACL injury. Mobile was Warren's leading scorer in 2018 with 8 goals and 4 assists.
"I'm expecting him to do what he does -- give us a full effort and be tenacious (and bring) a lot of heart and drive," Ahonen said. "It's been a long road for him. He's champing at the bit to get some minutes."
Another key returnee from injury is senior defender Nolan Ehlers, who missed seven games due to a concussion. Ehlers, a two-time team captain, has 6 goals and an assist in 11 games this year.
"It's nice to have him back," Ahonen said. "He's by far the vocal leader of the team."
Leading the Blue Devils' attack is the high-scoring trio of junior forward Ishaan Shah (8 goals, 6 assists), senior forward Luke Schoenbrunn (7 goals, 6 assists) and junior center-mid Max Floriani (10 goals, assist).
"Shah is one of the hardest workers I've ever had," Ahonen said. "He's full gas, no brakes all the time. He presses the opposing defense and makes them work with his effort and energy.
"Luke (Schoenbrunn) is a big-bodied, fast, very skilled one-on-one player. He previously played center back, but we moved him up-top. He's a grinder -- doesn't give an inch -- and he's worked terribly hard at buying into what we do.
"Max (Floriani) is kind of the linchpin. Everything goes through him. He's a big key for us ... highly skilled and a very nice touch from the center mid spot."
Besides Ehlers, key members of Warren's defensive core include junior goalkeeper Nic Diana (0.94 goals-against average), a pair of outside backs (senior Cory Melchor and junior Edward Luna), and two midfielders (senior Josh Segura and junior Alex Senko).
"Nic (Diana) is one of the most skilled keepers we've had," Ahonen said. "He's finally started to mature into the solid keeper he's become. He's taken over that position and is really making a nice impact."
Concerning Melchor and Luna, Ahonen said, "As outside backs, they aid the attack. But they also have the will to get back on defense. They've both done an outstanding job, and they're getting better each and every game."
Added Ahonen: "Josh (Segura) is a workhorse in the midfield. He takes some of the load defensively for us. Alex (Senko) has nice foot skills. He switches the point of attack and does a nice job reading the game."
Junior Sebastian Rodriguez has provided a boost from his midfield post with a team-high 7 assists.
"He's really picked it up," Ahonen said. "He finds ways to be impactful."
Meanwhile, Glenbrook North (8-8-2) has been on a 4-1-1 roll since ending a four-game losing streak with a 1-1 tie against Lake Forest on Sept. 28. The Spartans' only loss during the stretch was a 2-1 decision to Central Suburban League and neighborhood rival Glenbrook South on Oct. 1.
"We have been playing much better as of late," said Glenbrook North skipper Paul Vignocchi. "We are defending better as a team."
Glenbrook North's current four-game winning streak includes a 6-1 pasting of Mather on Tuesday, a 2-1 win over Central Suburban League North Division champ Highland Park on Oct. 7 and a pair of shutouts: 1-0 over Deerfield in CSL crossover action Oct. 10 and 3-0 over Hinsdale Central in nonconference action two days later.
"(Junior goalkeeper) Jeff Greene has done a very good job in goal for us lately," Vignocchi said. "And the defenders in front of him -- David Schueler, Peyton Bernstein, Scott Phadnis (all seniors) and (junior) Jan Bogdan -- have contributed very well."
Both Vignocchi and his Warren counterpart are looking at Thursday's match through the same lens: play well in preparation for the upcoming postseason and emerge in one piece.
"This a great tune-up for the playoffs, and we expect it to be the same for Warren," Vignocchi said. "Coach Ahonen does a great job with those boys and has built a great program. I think he and I would agree that we just want to have a good game, and to have all players come out of it healthy."
Ahonen said, "Paul (Vignocchi) runs a great program over there, so that's a solid squad for a playoff tune-up. It's two traditional schools going at it, and we'll see where the results lie.
"But we can't worry about other teams. We're just focused on us. We want to do what we do, enjoy our Senior Night, and get out of there healthy."
Sixth-seeded Warren will begin postseason play against 11-seed Hersey of the Mid-Suburban League in the semifinals of the IHSA Class 3A Rolling Meadows Regional at 7 p.m. Oct. 22. The winner will face either (3) Round Lake or the host (15) Mustangs in the regional final at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 25.
Glenbrook North (seeded 12th) will head to the Class 3A Niles North Regional for a semifinal match with (5) Loyola at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 22. The field also includes (4) Glenbrook South and the host (14) Vikings, with the title match set for 5 p.m. Oct. 25.
rising Glenbrook North in playoff prep
Both teams enter nonconference match on hot streaks
By Ken Keenan
One of the top teams in the area will face a squad on the rise when Warren hosts Glenbrook North in a nonconference tilt at 7:15 p.m. Thursday.
The Blue Devils, ranked no. 17 in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, stand at 12-3-4 overall following a 1-1 tie at no. 15 Round Lake on Tuesday. After snapping a 0-3-2 mid-season skid with a 7-0 win over Grayslake Central on Sept. 30, Warren enters the regular season finale with Glenbrook North on a 4-0-2 unbeaten streak.
"The players, we try to prepare them as best as possible to deal with the highs and lows of a season," said Blue Devils head coach Jason Ahonen. "The (winless) skid was a low, and they were able to come out of it. We had a great start (8-0-1), so we've had a lot of highs. With the skid, we made adjustments that were necessary."
Ahonen said that his team endured a similar rough patch in 2018, en route to a middle-of-the-road 7-7-5 overall mark.
"We were very young last year," Ahonen said. "So it's a year of growth, and this year we pulled out of it. But even during the skid, we weren't losing to teams where we were guaranteed a 'W.' We've also been without some key players."
One of those players is senior midfielder Clayton Mobile, who is in the lineup for the first time this season after recovering from an ACL injury. Mobile was Warren's leading scorer in 2018 with 8 goals and 4 assists.
"I'm expecting him to do what he does -- give us a full effort and be tenacious (and bring) a lot of heart and drive," Ahonen said. "It's been a long road for him. He's champing at the bit to get some minutes."
Another key returnee from injury is senior defender Nolan Ehlers, who missed seven games due to a concussion. Ehlers, a two-time team captain, has 6 goals and an assist in 11 games this year.
"It's nice to have him back," Ahonen said. "He's by far the vocal leader of the team."
Leading the Blue Devils' attack is the high-scoring trio of junior forward Ishaan Shah (8 goals, 6 assists), senior forward Luke Schoenbrunn (7 goals, 6 assists) and junior center-mid Max Floriani (10 goals, assist).
"Shah is one of the hardest workers I've ever had," Ahonen said. "He's full gas, no brakes all the time. He presses the opposing defense and makes them work with his effort and energy.
"Luke (Schoenbrunn) is a big-bodied, fast, very skilled one-on-one player. He previously played center back, but we moved him up-top. He's a grinder -- doesn't give an inch -- and he's worked terribly hard at buying into what we do.
"Max (Floriani) is kind of the linchpin. Everything goes through him. He's a big key for us ... highly skilled and a very nice touch from the center mid spot."
Besides Ehlers, key members of Warren's defensive core include junior goalkeeper Nic Diana (0.94 goals-against average), a pair of outside backs (senior Cory Melchor and junior Edward Luna), and two midfielders (senior Josh Segura and junior Alex Senko).
"Nic (Diana) is one of the most skilled keepers we've had," Ahonen said. "He's finally started to mature into the solid keeper he's become. He's taken over that position and is really making a nice impact."
Concerning Melchor and Luna, Ahonen said, "As outside backs, they aid the attack. But they also have the will to get back on defense. They've both done an outstanding job, and they're getting better each and every game."
Added Ahonen: "Josh (Segura) is a workhorse in the midfield. He takes some of the load defensively for us. Alex (Senko) has nice foot skills. He switches the point of attack and does a nice job reading the game."
Junior Sebastian Rodriguez has provided a boost from his midfield post with a team-high 7 assists.
"He's really picked it up," Ahonen said. "He finds ways to be impactful."
Meanwhile, Glenbrook North (8-8-2) has been on a 4-1-1 roll since ending a four-game losing streak with a 1-1 tie against Lake Forest on Sept. 28. The Spartans' only loss during the stretch was a 2-1 decision to Central Suburban League and neighborhood rival Glenbrook South on Oct. 1.
"We have been playing much better as of late," said Glenbrook North skipper Paul Vignocchi. "We are defending better as a team."
Glenbrook North's current four-game winning streak includes a 6-1 pasting of Mather on Tuesday, a 2-1 win over Central Suburban League North Division champ Highland Park on Oct. 7 and a pair of shutouts: 1-0 over Deerfield in CSL crossover action Oct. 10 and 3-0 over Hinsdale Central in nonconference action two days later.
"(Junior goalkeeper) Jeff Greene has done a very good job in goal for us lately," Vignocchi said. "And the defenders in front of him -- David Schueler, Peyton Bernstein, Scott Phadnis (all seniors) and (junior) Jan Bogdan -- have contributed very well."
Both Vignocchi and his Warren counterpart are looking at Thursday's match through the same lens: play well in preparation for the upcoming postseason and emerge in one piece.
"This a great tune-up for the playoffs, and we expect it to be the same for Warren," Vignocchi said. "Coach Ahonen does a great job with those boys and has built a great program. I think he and I would agree that we just want to have a good game, and to have all players come out of it healthy."
Ahonen said, "Paul (Vignocchi) runs a great program over there, so that's a solid squad for a playoff tune-up. It's two traditional schools going at it, and we'll see where the results lie.
"But we can't worry about other teams. We're just focused on us. We want to do what we do, enjoy our Senior Night, and get out of there healthy."
Sixth-seeded Warren will begin postseason play against 11-seed Hersey of the Mid-Suburban League in the semifinals of the IHSA Class 3A Rolling Meadows Regional at 7 p.m. Oct. 22. The winner will face either (3) Round Lake or the host (15) Mustangs in the regional final at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 25.
Glenbrook North (seeded 12th) will head to the Class 3A Niles North Regional for a semifinal match with (5) Loyola at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 22. The field also includes (4) Glenbrook South and the host (14) Vikings, with the title match set for 5 p.m. Oct. 25.