Boys soccer: Libertyville steps up, wins league opener

The second part of the boys soccer season - many would argue the most important part - is under way with the start of a competitive schedule in the North Suburban Conference.

Defending Class 3A state champion Libertyville still looks to be a power in the NSC after a 2-0 shutout of visiting Warren in Libertyville on Thursday night.

It was the second straight victory for the Wildcats (3-2) as they prevailed in their conference opener.

Ryan Wittenbrink and Austin Becker each had a goal and an assist to lead Libertyville, while keeper Thomas Pearson earned his second straight shutout after making 6 stops.

"I thought we played stronger than the recent tournament (Northside College Showcase at New Trier)," said assistant coach Al Beard, who filled in for coach Andy Bitta, still out with an illness. "We were in control going side-to-side and working the ball. Warren was a good team and they have a lot of firepower."

The best part of the Wildcats' game was defense. Libertyville was able to deal with what Warren had to offer going forward and limited the Blue Devils' scoring chances.

"Our back line did a good job," said Beard of Grant Herbek, Daniel Marks, Mike Quigley and Evan Rasmussen. "We were able to contain (Warren). But it really has taken some time to build our defense. We're doing it one game at a time."

Wittenbrink got the Wildcats on the board in the 27th minute off a pass from Becker for a 1-0 lead.

The same combination led to the second goal in the 38th minute, as Becker returned the favor after a pass from Wittenbrink.

Warren (8-1-1, 0-1) suffered its first loss after starting the season by going unbeaten over its first nine games.

"It was a really good match," Warren coach Jason Ahonen said. "There was a lot of our play going forward, but we couldn't find the back of the net. That's a North Suburban Conference match."

The Blue Devils' attacking style succeeded in bringing pressure, just not the result Ahonen wanted.

"We didn't use the flanks enough, and we were uneventful in the first half. We needed to open things up more to create more opportunities.

"I thought Libertyville played better and was physical. It's something that we really weren't ready for from the start."