Varsity Soccer |

GAME RECAP

Tonight’s “Barrington Classic” Tournament Championship featured our own Barrington Broncos and the Cadets from Marmion Academy.  Barrington entered the game off of back to back wins over Lake Zurich and Jacobs, winning the Red Group with 6 points.  Marmion won the Black Divison, having allowed no goals against in their three group play matches, earning 7 points.   The Broncos would be playing for the championship for the fourth time in the last five years, while the Cadets were playing in the title game for the first time since 2008.

The game started and quickly became a battle of two hard playing teams.  Marmion seemed the more frustrated side, struggling to cope with the intensity of the Barrington pressure.  After a short period where our Broncos were a little inaccurate with their passes, they eventually settled in and were the team in control of play and looked to be the team that would manage to break the other down.  Henry Wachsman played the role of distributor,  with Chris Guerra, CJ Steib and Niko Argyros benefiting from Wachsman’s deliveries; each having quality chances at the Cadets goal.  Michael Horak also had a quality effort from the near post, this time with Steib being the provider.  Despite the chances, the game was deadlocked at 0-0 at the half.

At halftime, the boys were asked to work to exploit the flanks and to use the wide pitch to our advantage.  Immediately in the second half, they did just that.  CJ Steib dispossessed a Marmion midfielder and quickly pushed the ball into the attacking third, getting the Cadet backline to commit.  As soon as they did, Steib played the ball to Chris Guerra who had slipped out to the right.  From there, Guerra beat the Marmion left back and sent a perfect ball across the six yard box, where a sprinting Michael Horak guided it into the goal!   Now the game felt like it was ours.

The steady backline play of Jo Cidulka, Nate Horn, Aidan Lew and Bryan Guarnero, along with the stellar defensive work of holding midfielder Brendan Lodl, kept Marmion from creating much of a chance throughout the match.  Bronco goalkeeper Daniel Hesselbein was asked to make two saves, both from a safe distance.

The chances for a championship victory for our Broncos were highly increased when Nate Horn tallied his first varsity goal in the 60th minute, heading home a rebound from a Brian Yang blast, giving us the 2-0 lead.  Horn’s header did lead to him leaving the match, heading to the ER and receiving seven stitches, so here’s wishing Big Nate a quick recovery from the gash!

Brian Yang, who came close to scoring himself just before Horn’s goal, was able to extend the little to 3-0 in the 75th minute after a terrific piece of play from our boys, when Hector Rodriguez served a back post ball to Drew Tuerck, who headed the ball back to the opposite post for Yang, who gladly punched the ball into the net.  It was a piece of play almost identical to some work done on the training field just a few days earlier.

The progress shown by the team during the last week has been impressive.  We have gone from being a solid team in between the eighteens, to a team who is able to play across all thirds of the pitch.  In our first three games of the season, we managed just one goal scored.  In the last three contests we have scored eight goals.  Michael Horak’s goal tonight game him three goals in three straight matches, so well done Michael and keep it up!  The tactical switch of CJ Steib and Aidan Lew also seems to be giving our boys a little more UMMMPPHH in the attack, with CJ’s energy being a clear factor offensively and Lew’s play on the back line being solid as well.

Next up, our Broncos travel to Conant High School on Tuesday, for the season’s first MSL West contest of the season.  The game is at 6:30pm.

We also play Wednesday night, at home against Elk Grove, also at 6:30pm.

We hope to see you all there, cheering on the Broncos!  As always, GO BRONCOS!  YNWA!

SCORING SUMMARY
BHS – Michael Horak  (Chris Guerra, CJ Steib)  –  46th minute
BHS – Nate Horn  (Brian Yang)  –  60th minute
BHS – Brian Yang  (Drew Tuerck, Hector Rodriguez)  –  75th minute

STATS SUMMARY
Fouls:  BHS 15, MA 8
Corner Kicks:  BHS 4, MA 2
Offsides:  BHS 1, MA 0

BRONCOS “MAN OF THE MATCH”
Nate Horn