Boys soccer: Win over Wheaton Academy a long time coming for Timothy Christian

Timothy Christian senior midfielder Josh Bode picked out a perfect patch on the pitch to spread his arms out on Monday night.

After scoring 3 second-half goals to lead the Trojans to a memorable 3-0 victory over Wheaton Academy, Bode celebrated by laying out near the 50-yard line.

After all, Bode deserved the rest - and to celebrate after a historic Metro Suburban Blue Conference win in front of a large home crowd.

The Trojans (3-1, 2-0) defeated the Warriors (4-2-1, 3-1) for the first time in 19 years, according to Timothy Christian coach Joel Zielke.

Bode, in his third full varsity season, said his third goal was his favorite. Bode credited his second hat trick this season to playing more loose in the second half.

"The first half I was really tight and then I just relaxed in the second half," Bode said. "I had fun with my teammates and it was just about positioning and finishing. This was a great win. We haven't had any fans in any sports, so it felt good to have a good crowd and see them involved. We've lost to Wheaton (Academy) my whole life, so this is special."

The Trojans also snapped Wheaton Academy's three-match winning streak and helped their chances for a conference title. The Warriors outscored the Trojans 34-4 in their last six meetings, so Monday's win led to a mini-party on the pitch after the final buzzer.

"We have a history with Wheaton Academy for sure," Zielke said. "I'm so proud of these boys. We knew it was going to be a battle. We had to have the right mindset."

The Warriors played without two starters, with Giovanni Nicoski and Kaiden Massie out for the entire week, Wheaton Academy coach Cody Snouffer said.

"They had a good game plan on their home field in front of a lot of fans," Snouffer said. "I wish we created more opportunities and wish we followed up on the pregame talk of overcoming obstacles. They threw some at us that we didn't overcome. We learned a lot today."

Bode, a Calvin University recruit, scored his 3 goals all within 27-minute segment in the second half. His first goal came on a short tap-in with his left foot just 72 seconds into the second half.

Timothy Christian senior defender Michael Vogt was all smiles following the win, the first of his four-year career over the Warriors. Senior goalie Jason Westra, a first-year starter, finished with 4 saves.

"The first half we realized we could hang with them, and it was just a matter of staying composed and staying aggressive in the midfield," Vogt said.'