New Trier tests Hersey
Junior Sam Markin scored with a short-range strike at seven minutes and later earned the helper on a late goal from teammate Phillipe Boury as visiting New Trier defeated Hersey 2-0 in the boys soccer season opener for both sides Tuesday night in Arlington Heights.
The hosts played with 10 men for the final 25 minutes after a controversial call saw keeper Irving Velasquez sent off following a 50-50 challenge on which the center official ruled Velasquez failed to play the ball, instead taking down the onrushing Markin just outside the box.
The Huskies tightened things up following the call in the 55th minute, and with backup keeper Jimmy Tinaglia making a pair of terrific saves, they stayed within one of drawing even until Boury’s late score.
“We gave up a bad early goal, and our passing accuracy was very poor tonight, but we were able to finally get our first game under us,” said Hersey caoch Darren Llewellyn. “Now we will look at changing a few things, and maybe our formation, and get ready for our next match on Thursday against Brother Rice.”
The Trevians, who fell to Fremd in supersectional play last fall, were ravaged by the loss of five players to club soccer during the off-season. But according to long-time head coach Craig Fairbairn, the loss of those players opens the door for others.
“Our losses were right up the middle, including our keeper, but despite them it gives several players the opportunity to show what they can do, and many of them did just that tonight,” said Fairbairn.
The Trevians looked in midseason form in the early stages, combining quick touches and ball movement with plenty of play through the center of the park courtesy Boury and David Resnekov. They found Markin up top, who gave the Huskies’ revamped backline from a year ago more work than it would have liked.
Markin would turn a well paced corner from Resnekov into the eventual game-winner when his header eluded the glove of a diving Velasquez.
Hersey tried all night to find junior John Cappuccitti, who was clearly the most dangerous player for Llewellyn’s club. But except for a go at New Trier keeper Andrew Gjersten at the quarter hour, Cappuccitti and his mates were unable to challenge the visitors in close.
“It was good to finally get our first game in, and hopefully we will learn from our mistakes and play better in our next game,” said the Huskies captain, who is back in the program after playing football last year.
Cappuccitti, who was a key figure for Team Evanston over the summer in its run to a State Cup championship in the under-16 age group, brought the Hersey crowd alive when,, on the tail end of a nicely played counter with Nikola Vukovic, his right-footed blast crashed into the side netting at the near post.
Moments later, Tinaglia came on for Velasquez, and it wasn’t long before he was called upon to stop Resenkov on the right side. Again later, at the end of a well-played build-up by the Trevians, Tinaglia turned around a seemingly sure goal from Resnekov.
“Jimmy came in and really stepped it up to help us stay in the game,” said Cappuccitti.
Markin collected a loose ball in the Huskies’ end and quickly found Boury, who calmly found the back of the net to all but end the Huskies’ hopes.
Charlie Davenport’s long-range free kick three minutes from time ended with Gjersten easily pulling down the shot.
“”We didn’t agree with that call against Irving, but we played pretty well after going a man down,” said Llewellyn. “We’re going to have to find a way to get the ball on the feet of our best attacking players to allow them to take people on and create some chances for us . That’s what we’ll work on in training (Wednesday) before our match with Brother Rice.”