Varsity Soccer |

GAME RECAP
“Sometimes you are the windshield and sometimes you’re the bug.”  Tonight, in the IHSA Sectional Championship matched hosted at Fremd HS, we experienced a devastating 8-1 loss, at the hands of the Libertyville Wildcats, and their Indiana-bound forward Ryan Wittenbrink.  Mr. Wittenbrink scored FIVE goals in the FIRST HALF, as he was a man on a mission, and a player whose determination and talent would not be denied.  He scored them with his feet and his head.  He scored them in the run of play, on designed set pieces, and also directly from free kicks that he took.  It was his night.  It was not a great night for us, unfortunately.

Tonight, Libertyville was simply the stronger team and they deserved the win as a group.  While the individual effort Wittenbrink provided fueled them, it was not a one man team.  They played with great togetherness, confidence, intelligence and skill.  Their whole team should be commended for their play.

The night was not without a few great highlights from our boys though.  Brett Sprengel, playing his final match in goal did allow many more goals than any goalkeeper would ever want to, but he also made several spectacular saves.  His performances in each of the last two playoff games were excellent and he should be proud of his play.  Another senior, midfielder Gio Guarnero, scored his first goal of the season just before the end of the first half.  One of our most outstanding players throughout this season, it was nice to see Gio get a goal.  Due to the lopsided score we didn’t get to see his magnificent smile in full effect, but we will all remember Gio and his play for a long, long time.  He had a great year!

Also notable tonight would be the way our boys kept playing throughout the entire game.  Regardless of the score, our guys never quit or hung their heads.  We didn’t display any negativity towards each other and we stayed together as a team.  Coach Steib is proud of them for the class and character they showed, even when the wheels had come off of the bus.  Perhaps nobody exemplified this more that our two center backs, Nathan Patterson and Charlie Frank.  They are class acts, both on and off of the field.  Each are the kind of men who you know will be great in life, because they are great in all things.

We will miss all of these seniors, including standouts Enrico Ruffolo and Connor Delahunt.  The desire and leadership provided by each of them was inspirational and hopefully sets a great standard for our younger players to aspire to.  Enrico played with a substantial injury for the entire season, never complaining or allowing it to be an excuse.  He showed old-school toughness and grit.

Players like seniors Jose Esparza and Ryan Ford, while not logging as many minutes as some others, still served the team well by being ready all the time, and filling whatever role they were asked.  These two were awesome teammates and players.

Senior midfielder Ethan Lew was a workhorse from the first day to the last. A leader by example, he ran the wing hard, and fueled much of the pressure we hoped to put on our opponents.

Another truly great teammate that we will miss is senior utility-man Justin Funk.  Justin played just about every position on the field this season except goalkeeper.  Justin started games and came off of the bench in others, but regardless of his role for the day he was always ready for the day.  With a mid-season scoring spree, Funk helped us win the MSL when he scored goals against Wheeling and Palatine at the end of the regular season.

Klaus Pallan, one of the most prolific goal scorers in program history, will also be missed.  His 2016 campaign, which saw him score 31 goals which helped lead to us to the IHSA State Championship match is one of the greatest seasons ever by an individual player.  He scored in 17 straight games at one point, and his finishing was as clinical as any player can be.  Pallan led the team in goals again this year with 13 goals scored before embarking on his European dream-quest.

Lastly, our tandem of managers, Seniors Jack Davis and Alex Kremer, were phenomenal! These two helped out everyday and loved being able to be part of our team.  Although they may not have featured in matches, the work the did was incredibly important to our success.  Managing the equipment each day, videotaping games, and encouraging the boys were things Jack and Alex both excelled in.  We cannot thank them enough!

Our Broncos have much to be proud of though, as this season truly was one of the best in our school history.  Winning 20 games, winning our tournament, winning the MSL Championship, and making a nice run in the state playoffs (including wins in three playoff games and an IHSA Regional Championship,) all provided special moments and memories, and should be more than enough to allow our boys to walk away from the season with big smiles.  Well done men, well done.  Be proud!

GO BRONCOS… ALWAYS!
AND REMEMBER YOU’LL NEVER WALK ALONE!

SCORING SUMMARY
LHS – 4th minute
LHS – 15th minute
LHS – 30th minute
LHS – 31st minute
BHS – Gio Guarnero (Caleb Wilson) — 32nd minute
LHS – 34th minute
LHS –  — 49th minute
LHS –  — 59th minute
LHS – (PK – awarded for a handball) — 65th minute

STATS SUMMARY
Shots:  BHS 5, LHS 21
Corner Kicks:  BHS 3, LHS 6
Fouls: BHS 7, LHS 11
Offsides: BHS 0, LHS 0