Season preview: North Shore Country Day
By Patrick Z. McGavin
Whatever happens this season, Aidan Zavala is never going to forget this summer.
With 26 other members of the North Shore Country Day boys soccer program, Zavala spent eight memorable days in England and other regions of the United Kingdom as part of a unique training and travel session.
The players visited a centuries-old castle in Wales. They moved through the most evocative parts of London, soaked in the sights, sounds and atmosphere, took in the culture, the “tube,” the museums, architectural landmarks and the vibrant and living history. They took stadium tours of the top English Premier football clubs and saw two Premier League games.
“It was a great bonding experience,” said Zavala, a senior midfielder. “It was a great chance for the older players to get to know the younger players. At night, when we go out to eat, the coaches would have us take our phones out and place them in the center of the table, to remove that distraction and better able to interact with everybody else.”
The immersion in English culture and history was one part. The trip was not simply about pleasure and gaining perspective. Soccer was the connecting thread.
North Shore Country Day coach Kyle Jones grew up in Knutsford, a small town in Cheshire about 15 miles southwest of Manchester.
“This trip is something we do every four years so that every class has a chance to take part,” Jones said. “It’s a remarkable and unique experience for the kids. It is good for them to see the home of football and be right in the middle of the soccer education.”
Now entering his 12th year directing the boys soccer program, Jones has a keen understanding of the educational and athletic benefits underpinning the trip. As a teenager, Jones had the same galvanizing moment from a different perspective.
“When I was going to high school, I did the reverse trip, and we came to Boston, in Middlesex, Massachusetts, and one of the coaches there saw me play and asked me to stay on,” Jones said. “From there, I played and studied at Cornell University. After college, I was looking for a job, and I saw the [posting] at North Shore Country Day.”
Now Jones delivers meaningful experiences to his players. The recent trip balanced thrill and purpose.
“We treated it like a preseason,” Jones said. “We did a lot of playing and practicing. After we were done with the sessions, went to Liverpool, the castle in Wales, saw all the sights of London, and then we saw the Manchester United game. It was action-packed.”
Jones has performed two stints at North Shore: a five-year stretch followed by sabbatical spent in Manchester and his return for the last seven years. The private school of just 234 students, 125 of whom are boys, has a rich athletic tradition.
The boys golf team has won two state championships and finished runner-up twice in the last five years. The boys basketball team finished fourth in the state in 2012. The baseball team won four-consecutive regional titles from 2012 to 2015.
The Raiders played their first football game in 1919. They qualified for the state playoffs for the first time in 1978. An enrollment downturn, mixed with growing health and safety concerns about small-school football, led the school to discontinue the football program this year.
The elimination of football has not had a dramatic impact on the soccer team, according to Jones. There are 46 players in the program; last year there were 45.
The Independent School League (ISL) is arguably the best small-school soccer conference in the state. Latin won the Class AA state championship two years ago. Legendary coach Tom Bower has won more than 700-career games with his boys and girls programs, and won a state championship in each.
Parker has won three state trophies, including third place Class A performances in 2010 and 2012. University broke through last year in finishing 17-2-2 and winning the conference title.
North Shore has won the conference twice in the last five years. The program captured regional titles in 2012 and 2015. Jones has sought to transcend some of the structural disadvantages rather than fret over them.
“The numbers have always been a challenge,” Jones said. “I don’t think there’s ever been a game where we are not the smallest school. At times it is hard not to think the odds are stacked against you.”
The Raiders went 8-7-4 last year and lost in the regional championship to Chicago Public League program Sullivan. The team is hungry for a fuller and more satisfying run.
“My freshman year, I was fortunate enough to play on a team that won the regional and that’s what we want,” Zavala said. The midfielder is the fulcrum of the team’s attack. The Raiders are at their best operating through him. He finished with a team-high 14 assists last year.
The emerging star is sophomore forward Vincent Luglio. He scored a conference-high 23 goals last season and mixes speed with creativity and a sharp scoring presence with the ball. He is the game-breaking talent, the one capable of carrying his team when the offense fractures.
“I have always been an attacking player, that’s my mindset,” Luglio said. “I think I have always had an instinct for scoring and the ability of attacking the goal.”
The team features five returning starters and six other players who saw action. Jones is excited about the continual development of several talented underclassmen. Sophomore defender Axel Garcia had four goals and four assists. Sophomore midfielder Jacob Sherman finished with a goal and six assists. Junior Tyler Doornweerd is another promising and exciting talent who scored five goals and added three assists.
“We’re building into a really good team,” Jones said. “We have a lot of really good young guys who are going to help us combined with a few other guys who are going to build into the program.
“Three and four years ago, we were tremendous. Lately we have had a couple of quiet years. Now we are going to see what works and [show] the kids what you have to do be successful.”
The boys are also motivated by the outstanding performance of the girls’ team. The Raiders captured the first state trophy in program history by defeating conference rival University in the Class A state semifinal.
Behind electrifying sophomore Edith Edwards-Mizel, North Shore Country Day battled two-time defending champion Notre Dame (Quincy) admirably before falling in the state championship game.
“We were all very excited by what the girls did, and we definitely are using that as motivation for our team this year,” Zavala said.
The early signs are deeply encouraging. The Raiders finished second to host Notre Dame in the season-opening Don/Raider tournament. They showed moxie and heart, prevailing over Public League program Senn on penalty kicks and shutting out Guerin to finish 2-1-0.
Luglio is already back to where he left off with three goals in the tournament. Freshman keeper Nick Potter emerged as a viable, skilled young talent who filled in capably for normal starter Alessandro Colzi-Risaliti, who was injured making a crucial stop in the shootout phase against Senn.
Nine underclassmen started against Notre Dame. Midfielders Riley Jones, Adam Terhaerdt and forward Mason Roberts-Jones also impressed. Luglio, Zavala and Sherman earned all-tournament recognition.
On Friday, the team travels to Lincoln Park to play Parker in its conference debut. The Parker game kicks off a stretch of four-consecutive ISL games. Like in basketball, the conference plays home and away games.
Early games against substantially larger schools such as Notre Dame and Lake Forest are invaluable for developing toughness and a gauge on what the team is capable of.
North Shore Country Day is a small school of outsized importance and achievement. In meaningful ways, the players see the size and scope of the school as a badge of honor. Being part of such a close-knit school fosters an extraordinary identity between participant and institution.
“We are a small school,” Luglio said. “But when we play, we look up in the stands and everybody at our school is there watching us play.
“We are playing for North Shore Country Day, and that means something.”
By Patrick Z. McGavin
Whatever happens this season, Aidan Zavala is never going to forget this summer.
With 26 other members of the North Shore Country Day boys soccer program, Zavala spent eight memorable days in England and other regions of the United Kingdom as part of a unique training and travel session.
The players visited a centuries-old castle in Wales. They moved through the most evocative parts of London, soaked in the sights, sounds and atmosphere, took in the culture, the “tube,” the museums, architectural landmarks and the vibrant and living history. They took stadium tours of the top English Premier football clubs and saw two Premier League games.
“It was a great bonding experience,” said Zavala, a senior midfielder. “It was a great chance for the older players to get to know the younger players. At night, when we go out to eat, the coaches would have us take our phones out and place them in the center of the table, to remove that distraction and better able to interact with everybody else.”
The immersion in English culture and history was one part. The trip was not simply about pleasure and gaining perspective. Soccer was the connecting thread.
North Shore Country Day coach Kyle Jones grew up in Knutsford, a small town in Cheshire about 15 miles southwest of Manchester.
“This trip is something we do every four years so that every class has a chance to take part,” Jones said. “It’s a remarkable and unique experience for the kids. It is good for them to see the home of football and be right in the middle of the soccer education.”
Now entering his 12th year directing the boys soccer program, Jones has a keen understanding of the educational and athletic benefits underpinning the trip. As a teenager, Jones had the same galvanizing moment from a different perspective.
“When I was going to high school, I did the reverse trip, and we came to Boston, in Middlesex, Massachusetts, and one of the coaches there saw me play and asked me to stay on,” Jones said. “From there, I played and studied at Cornell University. After college, I was looking for a job, and I saw the [posting] at North Shore Country Day.”
Now Jones delivers meaningful experiences to his players. The recent trip balanced thrill and purpose.
“We treated it like a preseason,” Jones said. “We did a lot of playing and practicing. After we were done with the sessions, went to Liverpool, the castle in Wales, saw all the sights of London, and then we saw the Manchester United game. It was action-packed.”
Jones has performed two stints at North Shore: a five-year stretch followed by sabbatical spent in Manchester and his return for the last seven years. The private school of just 234 students, 125 of whom are boys, has a rich athletic tradition.
The boys golf team has won two state championships and finished runner-up twice in the last five years. The boys basketball team finished fourth in the state in 2012. The baseball team won four-consecutive regional titles from 2012 to 2015.
The Raiders played their first football game in 1919. They qualified for the state playoffs for the first time in 1978. An enrollment downturn, mixed with growing health and safety concerns about small-school football, led the school to discontinue the football program this year.
The elimination of football has not had a dramatic impact on the soccer team, according to Jones. There are 46 players in the program; last year there were 45.
The Independent School League (ISL) is arguably the best small-school soccer conference in the state. Latin won the Class AA state championship two years ago. Legendary coach Tom Bower has won more than 700-career games with his boys and girls programs, and won a state championship in each.
Parker has won three state trophies, including third place Class A performances in 2010 and 2012. University broke through last year in finishing 17-2-2 and winning the conference title.
North Shore has won the conference twice in the last five years. The program captured regional titles in 2012 and 2015. Jones has sought to transcend some of the structural disadvantages rather than fret over them.
“The numbers have always been a challenge,” Jones said. “I don’t think there’s ever been a game where we are not the smallest school. At times it is hard not to think the odds are stacked against you.”
The Raiders went 8-7-4 last year and lost in the regional championship to Chicago Public League program Sullivan. The team is hungry for a fuller and more satisfying run.
“My freshman year, I was fortunate enough to play on a team that won the regional and that’s what we want,” Zavala said. The midfielder is the fulcrum of the team’s attack. The Raiders are at their best operating through him. He finished with a team-high 14 assists last year.
The emerging star is sophomore forward Vincent Luglio. He scored a conference-high 23 goals last season and mixes speed with creativity and a sharp scoring presence with the ball. He is the game-breaking talent, the one capable of carrying his team when the offense fractures.
“I have always been an attacking player, that’s my mindset,” Luglio said. “I think I have always had an instinct for scoring and the ability of attacking the goal.”
The team features five returning starters and six other players who saw action. Jones is excited about the continual development of several talented underclassmen. Sophomore defender Axel Garcia had four goals and four assists. Sophomore midfielder Jacob Sherman finished with a goal and six assists. Junior Tyler Doornweerd is another promising and exciting talent who scored five goals and added three assists.
“We’re building into a really good team,” Jones said. “We have a lot of really good young guys who are going to help us combined with a few other guys who are going to build into the program.
“Three and four years ago, we were tremendous. Lately we have had a couple of quiet years. Now we are going to see what works and [show] the kids what you have to do be successful.”
The boys are also motivated by the outstanding performance of the girls’ team. The Raiders captured the first state trophy in program history by defeating conference rival University in the Class A state semifinal.
Behind electrifying sophomore Edith Edwards-Mizel, North Shore Country Day battled two-time defending champion Notre Dame (Quincy) admirably before falling in the state championship game.
“We were all very excited by what the girls did, and we definitely are using that as motivation for our team this year,” Zavala said.
The early signs are deeply encouraging. The Raiders finished second to host Notre Dame in the season-opening Don/Raider tournament. They showed moxie and heart, prevailing over Public League program Senn on penalty kicks and shutting out Guerin to finish 2-1-0.
Luglio is already back to where he left off with three goals in the tournament. Freshman keeper Nick Potter emerged as a viable, skilled young talent who filled in capably for normal starter Alessandro Colzi-Risaliti, who was injured making a crucial stop in the shootout phase against Senn.
Nine underclassmen started against Notre Dame. Midfielders Riley Jones, Adam Terhaerdt and forward Mason Roberts-Jones also impressed. Luglio, Zavala and Sherman earned all-tournament recognition.
On Friday, the team travels to Lincoln Park to play Parker in its conference debut. The Parker game kicks off a stretch of four-consecutive ISL games. Like in basketball, the conference plays home and away games.
Early games against substantially larger schools such as Notre Dame and Lake Forest are invaluable for developing toughness and a gauge on what the team is capable of.
North Shore Country Day is a small school of outsized importance and achievement. In meaningful ways, the players see the size and scope of the school as a badge of honor. Being part of such a close-knit school fosters an extraordinary identity between participant and institution.
“We are a small school,” Luglio said. “But when we play, we look up in the stands and everybody at our school is there watching us play.
“We are playing for North Shore Country Day, and that means something.”