Big game comes up
early for Hersey, Prospect
By Mike Garofola
Hersey hits the road for a brief 3.2-mile trip to meet Prospect for an important Mid-Suburban League match at 6:45 p.m. Thursday.
The visitors enter George Gattas Stadium in Mt. Prospect with plenty of confidence following an impressive and convincing 4-0 victory over Schaumburg on Tuesday night.
East Division rival Prospect welcomes the Huskies with eager manager Mike Andrews looking forward to see how his lads perform after their 3-3 opening-night draw with Hoffman Estates.
"The last couple of games with Hersey have been incredibly close," said Andrews. "They have some dangerous, high-energy players up-top and in the midfield who can finish. We'll need to be organized and fearless with our defending.
"The guys got sharper with each session leading up to this first week of play, and they are determined to make the most of the next six weeks."
Two players Andrews will lean on are seniors Declan Flanagan and Eryk Limanowka, who appear ready to establish themselves among the best at their position in league play this season.
"Both guys are versatile. Eryk can be a very effective striker for us because he's great with his back to the goal, unpredictable and is very capable of finishing," Andrews said.
"Declan's vision is outstanding, which makes him an ideal center-midfielder, and he likes to get involved in the attack. I expect them to become a dynamic combination for us."
Flanagan, who plans on playing at the collegiate level next fall and hopes to earn a spot at top choice Nevada Las Vegas, relishes the opportunity to play the no. 10 spot for the Knights this campaign.
"(It's) a position I feel very comfortable in, because I like to be the facilitator and the player who kind of runs the show for our team," said Flanagan, who plans to study engineering in college.
Despite losing several starters from last year’s club including superb keeper Szymon Mocarski, Flanagan feels he and his mates are capable of challenging in the division.
"We have a good core of guys back and some players who can make a contribution," said Flanagan, who is a team captain. "So, it's important for us to go out and get ourselves as many wins for three points early on."
At Hersey, senior backline star Thomas Steger believes this the year for Huskies soccer to shine.
"We have a great keeper with Reese (Delahanty) back for us, as well as Ronan Wilcox (Chicagoland Soccer All-State MF) and Patryk Bujak up-top. We have plenty of other seniors returning with experience, so I feel expectations are real high with our team," said Steger, who along with Delahanty, his good friend since grade school, as well as Dawid Naborski, Sam Schuffler and Charlie Shifman all play club for the Arlington Aces.
"Thomas is a predominant part of our backline," said Hersey manager Mike Rusniak. "Last year he established himself as a top defender in the area and his combination of athleticism and leadership abilities make him truly special.
"With Thomas, Nathan Solarski, and a pair of newcomers, Chris See and Charlie Shifman, we look to be a tough, disciplined and cohesive defensive unit."
Steger has been accepted at both Purdue and Iowa State, and is beginning to sift through scholarship opportunities before making a final decision. He plans to study civil engineering.
The three-year starter likes the chances of his club of finishing atop the table in the MSL East for a variety of reasons, beginning with his good friend Delahanty.
"It's great to have a keeper like Reese playing behind us," Steger said. "He is someone you can always trust to make good decisions, direct play out of the back and to make big saves when we need them most. He's like an extra line of defense for us."
early for Hersey, Prospect
By Mike Garofola
Hersey hits the road for a brief 3.2-mile trip to meet Prospect for an important Mid-Suburban League match at 6:45 p.m. Thursday.
The visitors enter George Gattas Stadium in Mt. Prospect with plenty of confidence following an impressive and convincing 4-0 victory over Schaumburg on Tuesday night.
East Division rival Prospect welcomes the Huskies with eager manager Mike Andrews looking forward to see how his lads perform after their 3-3 opening-night draw with Hoffman Estates.
"The last couple of games with Hersey have been incredibly close," said Andrews. "They have some dangerous, high-energy players up-top and in the midfield who can finish. We'll need to be organized and fearless with our defending.
"The guys got sharper with each session leading up to this first week of play, and they are determined to make the most of the next six weeks."
Two players Andrews will lean on are seniors Declan Flanagan and Eryk Limanowka, who appear ready to establish themselves among the best at their position in league play this season.
"Both guys are versatile. Eryk can be a very effective striker for us because he's great with his back to the goal, unpredictable and is very capable of finishing," Andrews said.
"Declan's vision is outstanding, which makes him an ideal center-midfielder, and he likes to get involved in the attack. I expect them to become a dynamic combination for us."
Flanagan, who plans on playing at the collegiate level next fall and hopes to earn a spot at top choice Nevada Las Vegas, relishes the opportunity to play the no. 10 spot for the Knights this campaign.
"(It's) a position I feel very comfortable in, because I like to be the facilitator and the player who kind of runs the show for our team," said Flanagan, who plans to study engineering in college.
Despite losing several starters from last year’s club including superb keeper Szymon Mocarski, Flanagan feels he and his mates are capable of challenging in the division.
"We have a good core of guys back and some players who can make a contribution," said Flanagan, who is a team captain. "So, it's important for us to go out and get ourselves as many wins for three points early on."
At Hersey, senior backline star Thomas Steger believes this the year for Huskies soccer to shine.
"We have a great keeper with Reese (Delahanty) back for us, as well as Ronan Wilcox (Chicagoland Soccer All-State MF) and Patryk Bujak up-top. We have plenty of other seniors returning with experience, so I feel expectations are real high with our team," said Steger, who along with Delahanty, his good friend since grade school, as well as Dawid Naborski, Sam Schuffler and Charlie Shifman all play club for the Arlington Aces.
"Thomas is a predominant part of our backline," said Hersey manager Mike Rusniak. "Last year he established himself as a top defender in the area and his combination of athleticism and leadership abilities make him truly special.
"With Thomas, Nathan Solarski, and a pair of newcomers, Chris See and Charlie Shifman, we look to be a tough, disciplined and cohesive defensive unit."
Steger has been accepted at both Purdue and Iowa State, and is beginning to sift through scholarship opportunities before making a final decision. He plans to study civil engineering.
The three-year starter likes the chances of his club of finishing atop the table in the MSL East for a variety of reasons, beginning with his good friend Delahanty.
"It's great to have a keeper like Reese playing behind us," Steger said. "He is someone you can always trust to make good decisions, direct play out of the back and to make big saves when we need them most. He's like an extra line of defense for us."