Huskies' veterans, young players shine vs. Red Devils

By Gary Larsen

Naperville North’s first game on its new artificial surface couldn’t have gone any better against visiting Hinsdale Central.

“I hate to say I’m shocked,” said North coach Jim Konrad. “But we looked like Naperville North, even though we had all those young guys out there.”

The box score will show that Huskies sophomore Evan Trychta scored both goals in the 2-0 win. What won’t show up in the box is the level of intensity and hard play that Konrad got out of his younger players.

Konrad applauded a senior core that included Mike Wiest, Jake Remegi, Ramsey Elshafei, and Chris Boswell for setting the tone that was required to play against one of the state’s top teams in Hinsdale Central.

“We thought we had a disadvantage going in with a young team but we pulled it out,” Boswell said. “We just worked our (backsides) off, pretty much, and that’s what it comes down to in the end.”

Hinsdale Central pressured well through 20 minutes, reaching the corners and sending in a few dangerous crosses, with Wiest leaving his line aggressively to intercept them.

“At times we did some nice things in the attack but we weren’t nearly as dangerous as we could have been in the middle third and the final third,” said Hinsdale Central coach Mike Wiggins.

Trychta scored the first official goal on the new field in the 21st minute. A North corner kick popped out to the sophomore and he volleyed it perfectly to the back netting from 16 yards out.

Central’s Michael Oleszkiewicz sent a head shot just wide of the post in the 24th minute. Teammate Cameron Legan sent a hard shot from long range just wide of the post in the 39th minute of play.

North’s Bob Ren hit a long shot just wide of post at the halftime buzzer, and the Huskies were sitting on a 1-0 lead.

After Hinsdale Central’s strong opening, Naperville North picked raised the contest’s level of physicality.

“I think maybe we hit them in the mouth a little bit, and our physical play put them on their heels a little bit,” Konrad said. “We just tried to emphasize to play hard, try to run through every ball, focus on your tackling, and support each other.”

Trychta nearly scored again in the 57th minute on a good chance sent just high inside the box, before netting his second goal in the 69th minute.

“On the first goal it kind of came out after the corner and I just let it rip,” Trychta said. “On the second goal I just had to beat that last defender and get it around the keeper.”

“Those were two world-class goals and he could have had a third,” Konrad said. “You can tell that he’s special.”

Konrad also credited a newly-formed back line of Remegi, Elshafei, Lee Grander, and Jimmy Butler in their first varsity game playing together.

“Mike Wiest is a legitimate D-I goalkeeper. He’s just clean on everything,” Konrad said. “And I was impressed with our back four. Four new guys and none of them had a stitch of varsity experience, but you couldn’t tell.”

He also got a good gauge on the attitude of this year’s team.

“One of the best things to come out of this is that there was no negative talk on our team. All game, the boys were positive,” Konrad said.

The Huskies also benefited from a raucous student cheering section. Five of Boswell’s friends had the letters of his nickname painted on their chests.

“They told me before the game they were going to do it,” Boswell said. “I didn’t know they would but that’s just fun. It’s always nice to have a good crowd cheering you on. It adds to the fire and makes you ready to play.”

Player of the match: Evan Trychta

By Gary Larsen

Evan Trychta was paid a mighty compliment by Naperville North coach Jim Konrad, when Konrad compared his sophomore forward to former Downers Grove South standout Mike McCormack.

McCormack, who scored more than 30 goals for the Mustangs’ 2005 state title team, was never the biggest player on the field. But no one was scrappier and played with more guts or heart.

Trychta lived up to the comparison on Tuesday, not only scoring twice in a 2-0 North win over visiting Hinsdale Central but also leaving the field to change jerseys because he spilled some of his own blood on his starting jersey.

“Trychta is special. He’s a tough kid,” Konrad said. “He’s also very gifted, he understands the game, has a knack for the game, and makes the right runs.”

Trychta volleyed a shot into net from 16 yards out in the first half, and showed composure in beating a defender in the box and calmly poking a shot past a charging goalkeeper in the second.

After leading North’s sophomore team in scoring last year as a freshman, Trychta played with reckless abandon throughout Tuesday’s varsity season opener.

“I was ready for the speed of play because I’ve always played up an age group in club,” Trychta said. “The physical play – everyone just brings it in high school. You can’t get a ball without expecting someone to be on you. But I’m used to having those big old guys on my back.”

Afterwards, North senior Chris Boswell was quick to applaud the sophomore’s play.

“Little Ronaldinho,” Boswell said. “He’s a wizard. He did a great job today. Without him it probably would have been zero-zero.”