Warriors suffer first loss of the season in Lisle

By Gary Larsen

Waubonsie Valley defended for a half and attacked for a half in a 2-2 tie against St. Charles North this week, and the Warriors did the same on Saturday against Benet.

The outcome wasn’t to the Warriors’ liking in Lisle, a 3-0 loss to the host Redwings, but coach Angelo DiBernardo wasn’t necessarily discouraged by his side’s play.

“There are just some things we have to get better at,” he said. “Benet’s a good team – strong, big, physical. It’s something we need to learn and get better at, to be more aggressive. We don’t have the size that they have but nonetheless, you still have to play the game.”
 
Waubonsie Valley is young this year, and may battle a size disadvantage against the area’s other top teams this season. But the Warriors are definitely on the rise.

“We thought after leading 2-0 we’d be able to dominate the second half,” Benet coach Sean Wesley said. “But we probably lost the possession battle in the second half. Waubonsie is young and building. You could see moments of brilliance that as an opposing coach can get you worried.”

Warriors’ senior Jason O’Brien also sees promise for a team that is now 1-1-1, a record that includes a 2-0 win over Streamwood. “We go hard in practice and now we just have to start bringing it to the game,” O’Brien said.

DiBernardo is similarly hopeful, for a team that has 7 sophomores on its varsity roster.

“I think We’ll be able to compete as long as we show progress, move some pieces around, and the young guys are going to have to step it up,” he said. “We’re throwing them to the wolves quite a bit.”

O’Brien started Saturday’s game in back, but the Warriors’ attack began winning the middle more consistently after halftime, when DiBernardo slid the senior to midfield. DiBernardo also liked what he got at midfield from sophomore Frankie Saiz on the day.

“We like Jason in the back but in order to gain something, sometimes you have to give up something,” he said. “So we have to figure it out. If Benet is one of the best teams in the area, this game gives us something to work towards.”

 “They had a lot of good guys,” O’Brien said of Benet. “Sean Mogan in the middle playing it out wide, Hunter Miller – they’re just hard to defend, and we have a small defense. We have to get up in the air better.”

As long as we’re playing the ball well and keeping it on the ground we’ll be okay. We can’t keep playing it over the top every single time. We played it better in the second half.”

Benet got first-half goals from Ben Kucera and Brad Bozych, both of whom scored on head shots, off a pair of feeds from Miller. Benet’s third goal came on a perfect free kick strike from Mogan in the second half.

Just prior to Mogan’s goal, the Warriors were awarded a penalty kick that was taken by O’Brien. Benet keeper Kyle DalSanto made a diving stop and then dove again to swat away the follow-up shot near the post.

“I put it exactly where I wanted to and the keeper made a great save,” O’Brien said. “He made a lot of good saves and that’s what killed us.”

Waubonsie opens tournament play in this year's Best of the West tournament on Tuesday against Carl Sandburg, in a game to be played at Naperville Central at 7:00 p.m. The Warriors will also square off with host Naperville Central and Fremd in tournament play.