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Wheaton Academy back on a winning track By Gary Larsen
Wheaton Academy controlled play and led 1-0 on a Tim Daniels goal scored just before the halftime buzzer, but Brooke made sure his boys knew they needed to put the spurs to the horse. “At halftime we talked about intensity,” Brooke said. “That can go up and down, especially when you’re playing in the Pepsi, and we didn’t have enough of it in the first half.” “But in the second half, I was pleased. It’s far more enjoyable to play your best every time you step on the field, and we were a bit too lethargic and quiet in the first half.” Daniels struck twice more in the second half in the Warriors’ 3-0 win, which came on the heels of consecutive losses to a pair of rock-solid team in Plainfield Central and defending Class 3A champion New Trier. There’s no shame in losing to either of those teams but the Warriors would like to have both of those games back. “Against Plainfield Central we were definitely dissatisfied with our work ethic,” Daniels said. “Same with New Trier in the second half.” “We came out hard and outplayed them in the first half,” Warriors senior Josh Kremers said of New Trier. “In the second half they took it to us.” Against Marist, the Warriors (4-2-1) defended well and had the better of the attack throughout. After Daniels capped a sluggish first half with a late goal, Wheaton Academy Five minutes into the second half Daniels struck again, running down a through-ball, getting behind the defense, cutting it right around Marist’s goalkeeper and calmly delivering the shot over the goal line. “We’ve been pretty good about finishing our chances when we get them,” Daniels said. “We built out of the back better in the second half, which is something we’d been getting away from in more intense moments,” said Brooke, who applauded the play in back thus far by central defenders Stephen Fernandes and Brian McLean. Brooke was also particularly pleased with the performance and continued development of goalkeeper Philip Oster, who left his line aggressively and stayed in good position throughout Saturday’s game. “He was only tested a couple times today but I don’t want to forget how important his role has been for this team,” Brooke said. “To see him man our back line and show leadership has been very positive for us. He has stepped into a major role this year.” Kremers’ steady presence at midfield also keyed Saturday’s win. “Kremers is non-stop in providing two-touch,” Brooke said. “A lot of us get away from that but his two-touch has been phenomenal. He just works all day long.” “I’m happy with the way we’re playing there,” Kremers said of the midfield play. “It’s usually Tim and Alex Varga and I in the middle, and when we’re keeping the ball at our feet and possessing, we can beat teams.”
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Man of the match: Tim Daniels By Gary Larsen
A hat-trick was in the cards for Wheaton Academy's Tim Daniels on Saturday against Marist. The Warriors' senior was dangerous throughout the eventual 3-0 win, wearing a forward's hat in place of his usual cap. "I'm usually at midfield but we thought it might add a little punch to the offense," Daniels said. Daniels roofed a shot from point-blank range in the 40th minute, and then added a pair in the second as the Warriors picked up their intensity and applied consistent pressure throughout the final 40 minutes. "We're starting to play for each other and believe in each other," Daniels said. "We just have to keep working hard." Warriors coach Jeff Brooke was happy to see his senior get rewarded on Saturday. "Tim is getting more recognition this year and he deserves it," Brooke said. "He's a great attacking player." |
When the bar is set as high as Wheaton Academy sets it for the school’s soccer programs, you get what you saw from Warriors’ coach Jeff Brooke at halftime of Saturday’s Pepsi Showdown game between the Warriors and Marist.
