Boys soccer: St. Edward soccer is a family affair

Posing with a postseason plaque is now de riguer, but there was a twist to that first priority after St. Edward won the 1A Genoa-Kingston Sectional last Saturday.

Photo No. 1 was a group shot involving the players and staff with parents and relatives included because for the Green Wave, soccer is a family affair.

In addition to two large Green Wave flags, it'll be nearly impossible to miss the St. Edward supporters in the stands Friday for the 5 p.m. semifinal of the IHSA 1A finals at the EastSide Centre in East Peoria.

The majority of that good-sized contingent chanting "Let's Go Wave" will be related to the players, or the friends and classmates will be adopted.

St. Edward (23-1-1) is the only one of the 2018 Final Four back from the year before. The Green Wave face Chicago's Acero/Soto (16-6-2) which is making its first-ever state appearance. Friday's 7 p.m. semifinal pits another finals newcomer in Decatur St. Teresa (21-2-3) against a Quincy Notre Dame (19-5-2) program that does boast a state pedigree.

However, none of those teams have a family tree like the Green Wave.

Coach Tim Brieger has sons Chase and Tyler.

Jackson Godfrey's father is assistant coach Aaron, a St. Ed alum as are assistant coaches Kevin Dodgen and Emily Witt. The later played for the girls crews that reached state in 2010 and 2014.

Goalie Evan Sajtar's father was a St. Edward classmate to Brieger, who captained the first-ever Green Way boys team in 1990.

Aside from the Brieger brothers, there are the Carachures, Uriel and Yahir, whose older brother Eduardo preceded them while cousin Jasmine is a current girls team member.

Brothers Jacob and Sammy are following in the footsteps of brother Johnny as well as sister Shelby, who was with the 2008 and 2010 state units.

Brothers Josh and Eli Nordan put their cleat marks on the same Greg True Field where brother Isaac once played.

Additional Green Wave players donning the green and gold worn by older brothers include: Carson (Austin) Scarnegie, Zack (Mark and Kevin) Olenek, Aidan (A.J.) Franklin, plus Christopher (Nick and Alex) Semler.

Cameron Kruk's sister Allison set scoring records of her own as a member of the 2010 and 2014 state teams.

Current scoring leader Josh Johansen watched sister Emma play for St. Ed. Emilio Martinez's sister Ariel is a current player while cousin Miguel is an alum.

Team manager Ellys Stasinski is also on the current roster while sister Jess is an alumnae and brother Marc was on last year's third-place boys squad.

Replacing Franklin: In addition to all that family pride, many of the current players remember when last year's team was viewed strictly as an underdog despite the presence of the state's top scorer in A.J. Franklin.

"People doubted us last year and thinking about the talent that graduated, I'm so impressed with this team," Sajtar said following Tuesday's Supersectional (2-0) triumph over Francis Parker. Both those Colonels and sectional foe Rockford Christian were aiming to avenge losses in 2017 to the Green Wave.

Looking ahead: The closest thing to a common opponent between St. Ed and Acero Soto is a stretch.

The Wolves had a 1-0 win victory this year over Acero Garcia, the team the Green Wave defeated 4-1 last season for third place. Soto enters with a five-game win streak which was the same number St. Ed had going into the 2017 finals.

This year, the Green Wave are on a 17-game victory streak. Sajtar, known for naming his band of defensive brothers in back line players Scarnegie, Michael Lopez, Kruk and Martinez, have kept opponents from scoring 15 times while the Green Wave were blanked only once, the 4-0 loss to 3A Wheaton Academy. The Wolves own seven clean shuts.

St. Teresa's Bulldogs and St. Edward battled to a 3-3 draw back on Sept. 1 as part of the Herscher Shootout. Both own victories over Somonauk (ST winning 6-0 and SE winning 4-0). The Bulldogs were also shutout once while compiling 13 clean sheets.

Notre Dame's Raiders boast the next longest victory string with eight consecutive including 10 shutouts. Although there are no common foes, Notre Dame has an impressive history that includes state hardware. The 1A crown in 2011 after a runner-up finish in 2005. A second-place in the single-class days of 1984 and a state title in 1986. ===========================

The closest thing to a common opponent between St. Ed and Acero Soto is a stretch. The Wolves had a 1-0 win victory this year over Acero Garcia, the team the Green Wave defeated 4-1 last season for third place. Soto enters with a five-game win streak which was the same number St. Ed had going into the 2017 finals. This year, the Green Wave are on a 17-game victory streak. Sajtar, known for naming his band of defensive brothers in back line players Scarnegie, Michael Lopez, Kruk and Martinez, have kept opponents from scoring 15 times while the Green Wave were blanked only once, the 4-0 loss to 3A Wheaton Academy. The Wolves own seven clean shuts.

St. Teresa's Bulldogs and St. Edward battled to a 3-3 draw back on Sept. 1 as part of the Herscher Shootout. Both own victories over Somonauk (ST winning 6-0 and SE winning 4-0). The Bulldogs were also shutout once while compiling 13 clean sheets.

Notre Dame's Raiders boast the next longest victory string with eight consecutive including 10 shutouts. Although there are no common foes, Notre Dame has an impressive history that includes state hardware. The 1A crown in 2011 after a runner-up finish in 2005. A second-place in the single-class days of 1984 and a state title in 1986.