Boys soccer: Zion-Benton rallies to earn draw with Warren
Changes and playing a better style of soccer has been a good kick for Warren's boys team this fall.
The Blue Devils have been on a roll and playing competitively against some of the best teams in the North Suburban Conference lately.
Warren jumped out to a 2-goal lead against visiting Zion-Benton, but ended in a 2-2 draw in NSC play in Gurnee on Tuesday night.
Ishaan Shan scored his eighth goal of the season, while Nolan Ehlers netted one on a penalty kick and picked up an assist for the Blue Devils.
"It's been a great ride right now, we just have to get these W's instead of these ties," Shah said. "How much we've grown in the last two years, it's amazing. We know that we're more and more capable, we're trying to reach our maximum, and we're not there yet."
The Blue Devils are growing and learning how to work together as a strong group on and off the field.
"Our culture has gotten stronger and I feel we have a very good bond between the players," Shah said. "Our attitude between the games has been tremendous from last year to this year. That's part of the reason that we've been successful. We know that we can do even more than this and we can keep building on it for the future."
"In this league, you take a finish when you get them, because all the points will add up," Warren coach Jason Ahonen said. "Last week, we had a hard time scoring and today we put two in the back of the net. Both teams did a nice job of attacking and playing a fast paced brand of soccer."
The Blue Devils (8-1-2, 1-1-2) started with a pair of goals in the opening half. Brandon Medina was tripped up in the box by a Zee-Bees' defender and then Ehlers converted a penalty kick in the 21st minute for a 1-0 lead.
Shah made it 2-0 in the 29th minute after taking a service from Ehlers.
But Zion-Benton (9-1-2, 3-0-1) came back to cut the lead before the break in the 33rd minute, when Oscar Montejano took a deflected ball in front of the goal and scored.
The Zee-Bees tied the match in the second half off a free kick at midfield from Luis Flores. Osmar Barojas went up in the air challenging the ball with Blue Devils' keeper Nicholas Diana and the ball glanced off the head of Barojas into the goal in the 56th minute.
"You come in and this is the best soccer conference in the state," Zion-Benton coach Cliff Pontillo said. "Every game, I can't care what their record is or who you are playing, it's going to be a battle every night. For me, down 2-0 at half, to battle back, says everything of what my team is. They will never give up and they will fight to the end. We had plenty of opportunities for a go-ahead goal. I'll take that any day of the week. I'll take a tie. (Warren) is so much improved and they're doing a great job with these guys."