Fenwick ready to defend
home turf in regional final vs. Pritzker
By Eli Ong
The match is set for the final of the Fenwick Regional. The third-seeded Friars host no. six-seed Pritzker with hardware on the line Friday (Oct. 22).
The home team comes into the game off a lopsided 7-0 victory against Schurz that featured a season-high offensive output. Pritzker enters the match after a 2-1 victory over North Grand.
Pritzker sports an 11-7-2 record that includes a 7-2-1 mark in the Chicago Public League’s Noble Athletic Conference.
Aside from three losses to co-conference champion Speer, Pritzker is 5-0-1 against all other opponents going back to Sept. 18.
Fenwick isn’t chopped liver. Before enduring a stretch where the Friars scored only one goal across six games during the back half of the regular season, they sat at 6-2-2 after a tie against Notre Dame, which finished at no. 10 in the final Chicagoland Soccer Top 25.
Coming off a semifinal game where goals were not in short supply, Friars head coach Craig Blazer hopes his team can keep the good vibes going.
“It’s starting to take shape,” said Blazer. “We (had) Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday to hold on to that good feeling that we really haven’t had in a while. That’s what we’re trying to build off of.”
Judging by Fenwick’s last practice before the game Friday, the team rely heavily on their trio of senior captains Ryan Bero, Luigi Mollo and Jack Powers.
“Jack has been outstanding all year and then Ryan Bero and Luigi Mollo have been great mobilizers as captains,” Blazer said. “Jack and Ryan are the guys that are going to score and that comes as no surprise.”
Powers tallied three goals and two assists, and Bero slotted three assists and sent a cross that resulted in an own-goal against Schurz on Tuesday.
Pritzker will pit a pair of talented juniors against Fenwick.
Forward Edgar Gomez and midfielder Javier Hernandez form a formidable tandem. Gomez, a talented scorer, leads the Jaguars with 15 goals on the year. Hernandez, a midfielder with arguably the best touch on his squad, tops the team with 11 assists.
The Fenwick defense features 6-foot-5 keeper Greg Price, a former baseball player who turned his attention to soccer.
“He’s had some outstanding games this year,” Blazer said. “His confidence is growing, and he’s shown a lot of toughness and maturity, a lot of growth. We’re looking forward to seeing more.”
Price doesn’t want to overthink things in the regional final, or anytime.
“I feel like it’s better to keep my brain in it as little as possible,” he said. “I feel like clarity of mind helps you make those saves, because if you think about it too much, then you’re overthinking and all of a sudden you’ll mess up.”
Kick off is 4 p.m. Friday at Dominican University’s Priory Campus in River Forest. Fenwick hope to end the afternoon with its first regional prize since the 2017 season.
home turf in regional final vs. Pritzker
By Eli Ong
The match is set for the final of the Fenwick Regional. The third-seeded Friars host no. six-seed Pritzker with hardware on the line Friday (Oct. 22).
The home team comes into the game off a lopsided 7-0 victory against Schurz that featured a season-high offensive output. Pritzker enters the match after a 2-1 victory over North Grand.
Pritzker sports an 11-7-2 record that includes a 7-2-1 mark in the Chicago Public League’s Noble Athletic Conference.
Aside from three losses to co-conference champion Speer, Pritzker is 5-0-1 against all other opponents going back to Sept. 18.
Fenwick isn’t chopped liver. Before enduring a stretch where the Friars scored only one goal across six games during the back half of the regular season, they sat at 6-2-2 after a tie against Notre Dame, which finished at no. 10 in the final Chicagoland Soccer Top 25.
Coming off a semifinal game where goals were not in short supply, Friars head coach Craig Blazer hopes his team can keep the good vibes going.
“It’s starting to take shape,” said Blazer. “We (had) Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday to hold on to that good feeling that we really haven’t had in a while. That’s what we’re trying to build off of.”
Judging by Fenwick’s last practice before the game Friday, the team rely heavily on their trio of senior captains Ryan Bero, Luigi Mollo and Jack Powers.
“Jack has been outstanding all year and then Ryan Bero and Luigi Mollo have been great mobilizers as captains,” Blazer said. “Jack and Ryan are the guys that are going to score and that comes as no surprise.”
Powers tallied three goals and two assists, and Bero slotted three assists and sent a cross that resulted in an own-goal against Schurz on Tuesday.
Pritzker will pit a pair of talented juniors against Fenwick.
Forward Edgar Gomez and midfielder Javier Hernandez form a formidable tandem. Gomez, a talented scorer, leads the Jaguars with 15 goals on the year. Hernandez, a midfielder with arguably the best touch on his squad, tops the team with 11 assists.
The Fenwick defense features 6-foot-5 keeper Greg Price, a former baseball player who turned his attention to soccer.
“He’s had some outstanding games this year,” Blazer said. “His confidence is growing, and he’s shown a lot of toughness and maturity, a lot of growth. We’re looking forward to seeing more.”
Price doesn’t want to overthink things in the regional final, or anytime.
“I feel like it’s better to keep my brain in it as little as possible,” he said. “I feel like clarity of mind helps you make those saves, because if you think about it too much, then you’re overthinking and all of a sudden you’ll mess up.”
Kick off is 4 p.m. Friday at Dominican University’s Priory Campus in River Forest. Fenwick hope to end the afternoon with its first regional prize since the 2017 season.