Zell tries to grab 1 last
conference win vs. Hope
By Bobby Narang
Rochelle Zell one last crack at Hope on Thursday afternoon.
After defeating the Eagles in their first two meetings in the spring season, Rochelle Zell lost to Hope in the Chicago Prep Conference championship game.
Hope extended its series winning streak to two following a 4-3 win over Rochelle Zell on Aug. 30 in Chicago. The Tigers get their shot for revenge when they host the Eagles at 5 p.m. in Deerfield.
Rochelle Zell (7-4-2, 2-4-2) enters its final conference showdown with hopes to build momentum and stop Hope (8-3-0, 6-2-0), which gave league champion Cristo Rey its only league loss with a 3-1 decision Wednesday.
Rochelle Zell coach David Martinez said Hope's playing style represents a tough challenge for his team.
“Hope is a strong possession-oriented team,” Martinez said. “They’re technically savvy and know their roles. We need to step quickly to deny them space, challenge aggressively and stay with our marks.
“We must quickly shift defensively as Hope possesses the ball around the field. We must counterattack with numbers if we want to find the net.”
Hope coach Jorge Linares said his young team is brimming with confidence but face a tough road challenge.
“Rochelle (Zell) is a really well-coached team,” Linares said. “We had a tough spring, but we beat them in the conference championship. We had trouble with them in the regular season. We have to play hard and stay focused. They’re a very good team with good players.”
Martinez said he’s been encouraged by the play of Harrison Harkavy and Zach Rosen in recent weeks. The Tigers defeated Schaumburg Christian and Ida Crown by a combined score of 11-0 before dropping a 4-3 decision to Northtown on Monday.
“Harrison Harkavy has scored in at least one goal in the last six games,” he said. “Another big factor has been the aggressive play from newly developed forward and captain Zach Rosen. Also, since the change in our formation, we have outscored our opponents 33 to 15 goals."
Linares said his team is exceeding expectations this season. He admitted the youth on his roster led to some preseason concerns, though the Eagles opened the season by reeling off four-straight victories.
Hope dropped three of its next four games before rebounding with a three-game winning streak. The Eagles have pounded the ball into the net, outscoring their opponents 12-3 during the run.
“I think our team will be really good in two years,” Linares said. “That’s what I was expecting. We have a lot of potential."
conference win vs. Hope
By Bobby Narang
Rochelle Zell one last crack at Hope on Thursday afternoon.
After defeating the Eagles in their first two meetings in the spring season, Rochelle Zell lost to Hope in the Chicago Prep Conference championship game.
Hope extended its series winning streak to two following a 4-3 win over Rochelle Zell on Aug. 30 in Chicago. The Tigers get their shot for revenge when they host the Eagles at 5 p.m. in Deerfield.
Rochelle Zell (7-4-2, 2-4-2) enters its final conference showdown with hopes to build momentum and stop Hope (8-3-0, 6-2-0), which gave league champion Cristo Rey its only league loss with a 3-1 decision Wednesday.
Rochelle Zell coach David Martinez said Hope's playing style represents a tough challenge for his team.
“Hope is a strong possession-oriented team,” Martinez said. “They’re technically savvy and know their roles. We need to step quickly to deny them space, challenge aggressively and stay with our marks.
“We must quickly shift defensively as Hope possesses the ball around the field. We must counterattack with numbers if we want to find the net.”
Hope coach Jorge Linares said his young team is brimming with confidence but face a tough road challenge.
“Rochelle (Zell) is a really well-coached team,” Linares said. “We had a tough spring, but we beat them in the conference championship. We had trouble with them in the regular season. We have to play hard and stay focused. They’re a very good team with good players.”
Martinez said he’s been encouraged by the play of Harrison Harkavy and Zach Rosen in recent weeks. The Tigers defeated Schaumburg Christian and Ida Crown by a combined score of 11-0 before dropping a 4-3 decision to Northtown on Monday.
“Harrison Harkavy has scored in at least one goal in the last six games,” he said. “Another big factor has been the aggressive play from newly developed forward and captain Zach Rosen. Also, since the change in our formation, we have outscored our opponents 33 to 15 goals."
Linares said his team is exceeding expectations this season. He admitted the youth on his roster led to some preseason concerns, though the Eagles opened the season by reeling off four-straight victories.
Hope dropped three of its next four games before rebounding with a three-game winning streak. The Eagles have pounded the ball into the net, outscoring their opponents 12-3 during the run.
“I think our team will be really good in two years,” Linares said. “That’s what I was expecting. We have a lot of potential."