Fremd welcomes Prospect on Senior Night
By Bill McLean
For Fremd, Thursday night’s home match versus Prospect has the prospect of a bounce game written all over it.
The Vikings, after all, edged host Palatine 2-1 in double overtime Tuesday night for the Kinsella Cup — the prize that goes to the winner of the annual crosstown-rivalry meeting — and earned a berth in the next week’s Mid-Suburban League Cup on the same night.
But Fremd boys soccer coach Steve Keller won’t allow his boys (9-1-4, 8-0-2 in the MSL table) to lose focus, to look ahead, to rest for even a second on their laurels before or after the 7 p.m. kickoff in Palatine.
Nothing means more to the Vikes’ boss than to see his club reach its potential -- not to mention that it's Senior Night.
He thinks his boys still have more to show.
“We need to be a little more dangerous in our attack and create more chances,” Keller said some 30 minutes after Fremd senior defender Jake Schoffstall struck a blistering free kick from 23 yards to give the visitors a sudden victory in the second minute of the second overtime.
Prospect’s Knights enter the tilt with an overall record of 7-6-3 and an MSL table mark of 4-5-1.
“It will be a mix of tactics and physicality,” Prospect coach Michael Andrews said. “We are going to have to stay organized and focused defensively and minimize their opportunities, especially on set pieces. We will have to counter quickly and bury our chances when we have them.
“Everyone,” he added, “knows Fremd is a skilled, aggressive and well-coached team. We find the challenge exciting.”
Senior co-captain Bryan Morrison, a midfielder, and senior forward Jakub Niemiec pace the Knights with five goals apiece; each also has dished out a pair of assists. Junior forward Aedon Wesselink has three goals and three assists.
Prospect senior goalkeeper and co-captain Szymon Mocarski has blanked four opponents.
“Their fighting spirit is remarkable,” Andrews said of his varsity members. “We’ve had our ups and downs and, like any family, sometimes they get frustrated with each other.
“But it's a group of guys that will give everything on the turf. You can’t ask for much more than that. They love the experience, and none of them takes it for granted.”
Schoffstall, who also created the play that led to the Vikings first goal in the Kinsella Cup, leads Fremd with 10 goals, one more than younger brother Eli Schoffstall’s total through Oct. 9. Eli is a sophomore midfielder.
Speedy senior forward Josh Bennett has contributed three goals and three assists for the reigning MSL Cup runner-up.
“[Fremd’s] combination play has always impressed me,” Andrews said. “They work the ball up the field effectively, and their ability to finish on corners, long throws and set pieces is top-notch.
“Our defensive awareness must be relentless.”
By Bill McLean
For Fremd, Thursday night’s home match versus Prospect has the prospect of a bounce game written all over it.
The Vikings, after all, edged host Palatine 2-1 in double overtime Tuesday night for the Kinsella Cup — the prize that goes to the winner of the annual crosstown-rivalry meeting — and earned a berth in the next week’s Mid-Suburban League Cup on the same night.
But Fremd boys soccer coach Steve Keller won’t allow his boys (9-1-4, 8-0-2 in the MSL table) to lose focus, to look ahead, to rest for even a second on their laurels before or after the 7 p.m. kickoff in Palatine.
Nothing means more to the Vikes’ boss than to see his club reach its potential -- not to mention that it's Senior Night.
He thinks his boys still have more to show.
“We need to be a little more dangerous in our attack and create more chances,” Keller said some 30 minutes after Fremd senior defender Jake Schoffstall struck a blistering free kick from 23 yards to give the visitors a sudden victory in the second minute of the second overtime.
Prospect’s Knights enter the tilt with an overall record of 7-6-3 and an MSL table mark of 4-5-1.
“It will be a mix of tactics and physicality,” Prospect coach Michael Andrews said. “We are going to have to stay organized and focused defensively and minimize their opportunities, especially on set pieces. We will have to counter quickly and bury our chances when we have them.
“Everyone,” he added, “knows Fremd is a skilled, aggressive and well-coached team. We find the challenge exciting.”
Senior co-captain Bryan Morrison, a midfielder, and senior forward Jakub Niemiec pace the Knights with five goals apiece; each also has dished out a pair of assists. Junior forward Aedon Wesselink has three goals and three assists.
Prospect senior goalkeeper and co-captain Szymon Mocarski has blanked four opponents.
“Their fighting spirit is remarkable,” Andrews said of his varsity members. “We’ve had our ups and downs and, like any family, sometimes they get frustrated with each other.
“But it's a group of guys that will give everything on the turf. You can’t ask for much more than that. They love the experience, and none of them takes it for granted.”
Schoffstall, who also created the play that led to the Vikings first goal in the Kinsella Cup, leads Fremd with 10 goals, one more than younger brother Eli Schoffstall’s total through Oct. 9. Eli is a sophomore midfielder.
Speedy senior forward Josh Bennett has contributed three goals and three assists for the reigning MSL Cup runner-up.
“[Fremd’s] combination play has always impressed me,” Andrews said. “They work the ball up the field effectively, and their ability to finish on corners, long throws and set pieces is top-notch.
“Our defensive awareness must be relentless.”