Tall order for St. Francis against Wheaton A
Spartans hope home field advantage leads to upset win
By Chris Walker
How long has it been since St. Francis beat rival Wheaton Academy?
Both teams were still playing on natural surfaces when it last happened.
But like you’ve undoubtedly heard countless times when it comes to a rivalry game, “You can throw out the records when these two teams play.”
Certainly the game will be filled with emotions. Numerous players are familiar with each other and bragging rights are at stake, but it’s a fact that Wheaton Academy is rolling over teams while St. Francis is fighting for consistency.
Wheaton Academy (16-1-0, 5-0-0) returned to Illinois after spending the weekend in Burlington, Ia., and had no trouble disposing of Riverside-Brookfield 4-1 on Monday.
The Warriors come off a great effort in the Go 4 the Goal tournament: beating Rock Island 5-0; edging Evanston 1-0, and then rallying for a 2-1 victory over Normal West to win the Heartland Lodge Bracket. Daniel Rychenkov, Seamus Kilgallon and Logan Finnegan all had big offensive displays in the tournament for the Wheaton Academy.
The Warriors aren’t sneaking up on anybody this season. They've enjoyed their greatest success in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25 this season and are currently ranked fourth.
St. Francis (5-7-3, 2-2-0) defeated strong Class A side Timothy in PKs last week but was shut out by Elmwood Park 3-0 on Monday.
The Spartans have shown they can compete against top-level teams. After a 3-0 loss to Lake Park in the Hillner Classic, St. Francis closed the gap with a 2-1 loss at the Plainfield Classic. Currently ranked at no. 11, Lake Park has been ranked among the elite Chicago-area teams this fall.
Wheaton Academy has won five-straight games against the St. Francis dating back to 2011 and have shut them out in the past four meetings.
The Spartans lost 3-1 in the regular season in 2011, but beat the Warriors when it mattered most, prevailing 4-3 to win a Class AA regional title on Oct. 22, 2011.
Prior to that, the Spartans hadn’t beaten the Warriors since 2005. Back then IHSSCA Hall of Fame coach Tim Dailey was leading the team.
With some home cooking, St. Francis hopes to earn a headline Wednesday and prevent Wheaton Academy from recording another blemish-free final conference mark Wednesday night.
Spartans hope home field advantage leads to upset win
By Chris Walker
How long has it been since St. Francis beat rival Wheaton Academy?
Both teams were still playing on natural surfaces when it last happened.
But like you’ve undoubtedly heard countless times when it comes to a rivalry game, “You can throw out the records when these two teams play.”
Certainly the game will be filled with emotions. Numerous players are familiar with each other and bragging rights are at stake, but it’s a fact that Wheaton Academy is rolling over teams while St. Francis is fighting for consistency.
Wheaton Academy (16-1-0, 5-0-0) returned to Illinois after spending the weekend in Burlington, Ia., and had no trouble disposing of Riverside-Brookfield 4-1 on Monday.
The Warriors come off a great effort in the Go 4 the Goal tournament: beating Rock Island 5-0; edging Evanston 1-0, and then rallying for a 2-1 victory over Normal West to win the Heartland Lodge Bracket. Daniel Rychenkov, Seamus Kilgallon and Logan Finnegan all had big offensive displays in the tournament for the Wheaton Academy.
The Warriors aren’t sneaking up on anybody this season. They've enjoyed their greatest success in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25 this season and are currently ranked fourth.
St. Francis (5-7-3, 2-2-0) defeated strong Class A side Timothy in PKs last week but was shut out by Elmwood Park 3-0 on Monday.
The Spartans have shown they can compete against top-level teams. After a 3-0 loss to Lake Park in the Hillner Classic, St. Francis closed the gap with a 2-1 loss at the Plainfield Classic. Currently ranked at no. 11, Lake Park has been ranked among the elite Chicago-area teams this fall.
Wheaton Academy has won five-straight games against the St. Francis dating back to 2011 and have shut them out in the past four meetings.
The Spartans lost 3-1 in the regular season in 2011, but beat the Warriors when it mattered most, prevailing 4-3 to win a Class AA regional title on Oct. 22, 2011.
Prior to that, the Spartans hadn’t beaten the Warriors since 2005. Back then IHSSCA Hall of Fame coach Tim Dailey was leading the team.
With some home cooking, St. Francis hopes to earn a headline Wednesday and prevent Wheaton Academy from recording another blemish-free final conference mark Wednesday night.