Panthers hang tough with Huskies in DVC opener

By Matt Le Cren
Photos courtesy of James Homa

Kevin Anderson and Matt Vogel were both born September 7, 1993 in the same hospital in Downers Grove.

Nobody knew at the time what destiny had in store for them – a future as teammates on the Naperville North soccer team.

On Tuesday, Anderson and Vogel celebrated their 17th birthdays by helping the Huskies to a 2-0 victory over visiting Glenbard North in the DuPage Valley Conference opener.

Anderson had to make just one save between the pipes to record his second shutout as Vogel teamed with fellow fullbacks Max Auden, Lee Grander and Jimmy Butler on the latest in a string of great defensive efforts.

"We've got four tough games this week," Naperville North coach Jim Konrad said. "I challenged the boys to give up one goal or less this week, so we're on the path so far.

"I can't brag on our back four enough. They've done a real nice job."

With Bob Ren and Joe Sullivan scoring the goals and the Huskies (4-1, 1-0) outshooting the Panthers 16-1, Anderson felt little pressure.

"I have to give all the credit to [the defenders]," Anderson said. "They make it so easy. When I only have to come up with one save the entire game, it's so much fun to have that in front of you.

"It's not even that I don't get shots; it's that they play it so nicely that I don't ever feel worried about it."

The only time the Huskies had an inkling of worry came with 7:25 left in the second half as they clinged to a 1-0 lead.

Glenbard North's Jon Colucci led a quick counterattack and sent a long ball into the left side of the box to an open Eric Dailly, but Anderson rushed out and smothered the ball a split second before Dailly could get a toe on it.

"I just read it," Anderson said. "I saw it coming across the box and as soon as I saw it would be in the box I got off my line and got down."

Five minutes later, Auden set up the clinching goal, booming a long ball from the midfield into the Glenbard box.

Panthers goalie Eric Tenut came out to make the grab but was distracted by Ren running in front of him and the ball got past him. Sullivan fought off a defender and tapped it in with 2:05 left.

"Max Auden has been spectacular at left back," Konrad said. "He has taken to that position and been incredible. He plays great balls, he reads the game well.

"Lee Grander has already committed to Butler [as a junior], and hats off to Bob Ren. He created the second [goal] running across the [crease]."

On a squad that gives teams fits with a quick and accurate midfield, it has been the defense that has stood out so far for the Huskies.

"We were good tonight," Vogel said. "I didn't think we were as good as we have been but I think for the season it's been the communication. Me, Jimmy, Lee and Max are friends and we talk and I think that contributes to how we play on the field.

"It's definitely a good thing to start off with a win this week because we have a tough schedule and these guys battled pretty hard against us. It was nice to get a first-half goal just to kind of sit on that at halftime and I think we'll take this into Thursday, Friday and Saturday."

Ren put the Huskies ahead 1-0 with 2:56 to play in the first half, settling a ball that had glanced off Evan Trychta before turning to his left and firing a left-footed shot from 16 yards out just inside the left post.

But the Panthers (2-2-2, 0-1) otherwise did a good job of holding the Huskies in check.

The elusive Trychta sent one shot over the crossbar in the early going but did not get another shot off the rest of the way thanks to the defense of senior Kevin Homa.

"I think Kevin Homa stepped in today and had a great game," Glenbard North coach Greg Chrisman said. "He had the responsibility of marking Evan and some of their other quality forwards so I thought he did a great job along with the other [defenders]."

Homa and fellow backliners Zach Wagner, Paul Noordbrock, Tony Lumani, Nick Callard and Dom Ferreri found themselves under a lot of pressure for most of the contest but didn't back down.

Tenut, a sophomore, made four saves, the best of which came at the 31:00 mark of the second half when he stoned Madisen Gonzalez on a breakaway.

"I think overall we played really well," Homa said. "I'd say we were the underdogs today and we showed really well. We gave up two goals, but overall I thought we kept them out of the box well."

Homa offered a scouting report of sorts on defending Trychta.

"I really did not let him turn," Homa said. "He can't take a shot if he's not facing the goal.

"Their formation is what makes them dangerous. With having only three midfielders that stay in the middle of the field, other teams' outside mids don't have anyone marked, so [the Huskies] just run down the field 3-on-2 and Trychta is their playmaker and they just play off him."

The Panthers, who host Wheaton North on Thursday, were shut out for just the second time but aren't too worried.

"We're pleased so far," Homa said. "I'd say we've shown we can score [seven goals so far] and I think we'll keep up doing that."

"[It's tough when] you open up [league play] against Naperville North, a perennial power, but I thought we did a nice job," Chrisman said.

"Obviously, the result is not what we wanted, but we thought we played together as a team and that's what we're looking to do – good team defense and I think we accomplished that for a while."