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Red Devil Soccer Alumni On The World Stage
Nestor Battung, former boys soccer Red Devil under Coach Dick Flesher, is on the training staff with the U.S. Women U-20’s that are competing in the Women’s U-20 World Cup.
Read more on the U-20’s here…

David Tiemstra named to Big Ten All Freshman Team

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=248233

Neuqua Valley steps past Hinsdale Central

By Gary Larsen | Daily Herald CorrespondentContact writer

Two great feeds for two finishes, and Dan O'Leary became just the latest Neuqua Valley player to come up big for his soccer team.

"There are a lot of good players on this team," said Neuqua Valley coach Jim Johns. "(O'Leary) has played big for us. He's really done a great job."

Bryan Ciesiulka scored twice and Scott Davis netted a goal in the Wildcats' 3-0 win over Hinsdale Central, in a Class 3A supersectional game that advanced Neuqua Valley (21-4-2) to the state's Final Four on Friday.

The artificial surface at the Benedictine University seemed conducive to the Wildcats' fast style of play, which they hope to take onto the same surface at North Central College in Naperville on Friday.

"This surface is a lot better for us. We like to play it around," O'Leary said. "We're looking forward to that game."

The Red Devils (17-7-2) came out strong through 15 minutes, applying pressure and earning good free-kick chances in the process.

"We knew (Hinsdale Central) was a dangerous team, especially on free kicks," Johns said. "The first 10 minutes we were on our heels, until we settled down."

In the 17th minute O'Leary slotted a ball forward to Ciesiulka, who cut it back left and tucked it inside the near post from 10 yards out. Ciesiulka scored his 17th goal of the year early in the second half, and the Wildcats went up 3-0 in the 52nd minute when O'Leary hustled a ball to the end line and fed the goalmouth.

"On the first one, Jaymie (Bullard) sent me a great ball across, and I saw Bryan making that slotting run," O'Leary said. "The second one, I just saw Scotty (Davis) coming across, and I just had to put it on his foot."

The Red Devils fought for chances throughout but couldn't find a finish.

"This group came a long way this year and did some really good things along the way," said Red Devils coach Mike Wiggins. "It's been a proud, hard-working group and a fun group to coach."

Hinsdale Central reached Tuesday's game thanks to a 2-1 comeback win in a sectional final against Morton, a team that had beaten the Red Devils 5-0 early in the season.

The Wildcats will play in a state semifinal on Friday against New Trier, a 5-0 supersectional winner over Waukegan.

"To win 21 games - it's been an unbelievable year," Johns said. "Our average has been 20 (wins) over the last eight years, and that says something about the quality of the men that we have playing for us."

Copyright © 2008 Daily Herald Inc. All rights reserved.
CLASS 3A SOCCER: Red Devils' fall in 2nd straight trip to Elite Eight

By Adam Rosen, arosen@mysuburbanlife.com
Hinsdale Suburban Life
Wed Nov 05, 2008, 07:38 AM CST

Lisle, IL -
The chances certainly were there, but Hinsdale Central’s soccer team just couldn’t find a goal in Tuesday’s Class 3A supersectional game against Neuqua Valley.

The Red Devils (17-7-2) sent eight shots on net but lost 3-0 to the Wildcats (21-4-2) at Benedictine University in Lisle.

“Especially in the second half,” Red Devils senior Alex Scott said his squad’s missed chances. “We had a rebound that we could have got on, and that might have made a difference.”

The Wildcats scored once in the first half and twice in the second, all during the run of play. “We knew we were going up against a very, very good team,” said Red Devils coach Mike Wiggins.

“They’re great,” Scott said. “They were great at moving the ball around this field, great on head balls, good throw-ins, fast — they’re just a great team.”

The Red Devils topped Morton 2-1 in a sectional final on Friday to reach the state’s Elite Eight for the second consecutive season.

“It’s hard to talk right now, because this is such a good group to see go,” Wiggins said. “I’m very rarely without words, but this is hard right now. It’s just a proud group.”

Copyright
Hinsdale Suburban Life
Updated 11/4:

Red Devils fall in super-sectional
November 4, 2008By Bill Stone

Another great postseason run by the Hinsdale Central boys soccer team came to an end Tuesday with a 3-0 loss to Neuqua Valley in the Class 3A Lisle Super-Sectional at Benedictine University.
The Red Devils (17-7-2), who finished fourth in Class AA last season, reached this year's quarterfinals in the first year of the three-class state format for the best back-to-back postseason runs in program memory.

This year's team also set a single-season program record with 15 shutouts, 13.5 of them by senior goalie Sean Donovan, and allowed just 27 goals.

Neuqua Valley (21-4-2), second to Barrington in last year's Class AA state tournament, earns a state semifinal berth at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7, against New Trier (20-1-1).

The Red Devils controlled most the opening 15 minutes of play, but they never really could regain the momentum after Bryan Ciesiulka scored his first of two goals with 23 minutes, 16 seconds left until halftime.

The floodgates opened after Ciesiulka struck again just 4:15 into the second half. Scott Davis also scored with 28:44 remaining.

Neuqua led 18-13 in overall shots (10-7 in shots on goal) and 4-1 in corner kicks.

The Wildcats' defense recorded its 12th shutout of the season and third in the postseason after back-to-back 2-1 victories over Downers Grove South and Naperville North.

Things could have been much worse if not for great plays by Donovan.

In the first half, Donovan made a diving right-hand save 6:33 before halftime and then pushed a 25-yard blast over the net 2:07 before halftime after another shot deflected off the corner post less than 30 seconds earlier. The Wildcats had another shot go off the post with just under 25 minutes to go.

The Red Devils' Cameron Legan nearly scored just seconds before halftime on his 37-yard free kick, but goalie Jack Trancik stopped the ball just before it leaked away.

Legan also delivered a 27-yard blast 19 minutes before halftime that sailed just over the crossbar. Trancik made a diving save of Tucker Woolfolk's shot with 34:30 left in the game, and the Wildcats pounced on the rebound.

© Copyright 2008 Digital Chicago, Inc.


Grasso Named to BIG EAST Honor Roll

Sperry Earns National Team of the Week Honor

http://www.pioneerlocal.com/clarendonhills/sports/highschools/1254508,ch-hcsoccer-103108-s1.article
 

Updated 10/31: Red Devils rally, advance to super-sectional

October 31, 2008
By Bill Stone

The Hinsdale Central boys soccer team never had a come-from-behind victory this season.

That is, until Friday.

Defenders Cameron Legan and Alex Scott scored in the second half to lift the Red Devils to a 2-1 victory over Morton in the Class 3A Saint Ignatius Sectional final to advance to the Elite Eight for the second year in a row.

The Red Devils (17-6-2) will play in the Lisle Super-Sectional at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 4, at Benedictine University against Downers Grove South (17-6-1) or Neuqua Valley (19-4-2), who are scheduled to play in the Naperville Central Sectional final at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 1. Tuesday's winner advances to the state semifinals at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7, at North Central College in Naperville. The Red Devils have not played either of their potential super-sectional opponents this season.

In 2007, the Red Devils finished fourth in Class AA by beating two teams in the playoffs that had beaten them in the regular season (Oak Park and Lyons Township). In this year's first three-class state format, the Red Devils, the No. 3 seed in the sectional, keep going by beating the top-seeded Mustangs (24-3-1) after suffering their worst regular-season loss to them 5-0 Sept. 6.

Scott scored the game-winner with 29 minutes, 19 seconds left in regulation by taking a pass from Tucker Woolfolk from 30 yards, maneuvering around five defenders along the right side of the crease and blasting the ball into the opposite corner of the net. The opportunity came moments after Taylor Cole's free kick had been cleared out.

Legan tied the game just 1:21 into the second half with a beautiful free kick to the left of the goal from 40 yards out that appeared to glance off the heads of a couple Morton defenders as it went into the upper right corner of the net.

It was the first time this season Morton allowed more than one goal in a game.

The Mustangs took a 1-0 lead with 5:21 left until halftime when unmarked freshman Joel Salmeron headed in senior Daniel Ortiz's cross from right wing.

© Copyright 2008 Digital Chicago, Inc.
http://www.pioneerlocal.com/clarendonhills/sports/highschools/1250919,ch-hcltsoccer-102908-s1.article
 

Central tops rival LT to reach sectional final

October 29, 2008
By Ken Ryan

As the backup to all-stater John Shakon last season, Hinsdale Central senior goalkeeper Sean Donovan patiently waited for his opportunity.

He has certainly made the most of his starting role this season.

Donovan recorded 12 saves Wednesday to help the Red Devils beat rival Lyons Township 1-0 in the Class 3A St. Ignatius Sectional semifinals in Chicago.

“This was a big win.When the sectional (pairings) came out, we were definitely eyeing this game because it was LT,” Donovan said. “We were also kind of upset that they got the No. 2 seed and we got the No. 3 even though we beat them. We had this game circled and just came out motivated and ready to play.”

Hinsdale Central ( 16-6-2 ) will now take on No. 1 seed Morton in the sectional final at 3:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31. The Red Devils lost to Morton 5-0 Sept. 6.

The lone goal of the game came with 17 minutes remaining in the opening half when LaRocque headed in a free kick from
Cameron Legan.

Hinsdale Central beat LT 1-0 in overtime Sept. 23, but ended up finishing third in the West Suburban Conference Silver Division behind LT and York. The Red Devils also eliminated the Lions last season with a 1-0 win in the LT Sectional championship game en route to a fourth-place finish at state.

“In a game in which two teams are so familiar with each other, a 1-0 game is definitely what we thought it would be,” Donovan said. “We knew it would come down to knuckling down and doing the little things. The defense did most of it for us. (LT) had one shot that went wide in the second half, but other than that it was really just the throw-ins that they were dangerous on.”

The defense - led by Alex Scott, Cameron Legan, Paul Cooper and Andrew Virgili -came up huge for the Red Devils in support of Donovan.

The shutout was the 15th of the season for the Red Devils, breaking the previous program record of 14 set last season by Shakon. Donovan has contributed to 13 ½ of them, with junior Jack O’Donnell earning a shutout in a game in which Donovan was sick.

“It’s a good feeling,” Donovan said of the record. “I had to sit and see it from the bench last year, so it was just a matter of making the most of my chances when I got them.

“Hopefully we can build on this and improve upon our fourth-place finish from last year.”

© Copyright 2008 Digital Chicago, Inc.
http://www.pioneerlocal.com/clarendonhills/sports/highschools/1250515,ch-hcsoccer-103008-s1.article
 

Devils' regional title is win No. 200 for Wiggins

October 30, 2008
By BILL STONE

As Hinsdale Central soccer players began cooling down after clinching another regional title Saturday, senior forward Jeff Graham grabbed the hat of coach Mike Wiggins.

"I just decided to wear it for him. I thought it would look good on me," Graham said.

In this case, it was hats off for Wiggins in more ways than one. When the Red Devils defeated Mt. Carmel 2-0 in the Class 3A St. Rita Regional final, it was Wiggins' 200th victory as a varsity head coach. Wiggins (200-114-41) is 103-47-14 in seven seasons with the Red Devils after eight seasons coaching at Downers Grove South.

"Two hundred -- that's being around for a while. But there's a lot of kids that you start to think about that had a part in that, and that's kind of neat," Wiggins said. "It's not why I let (Graham) wear my hat."

The Red Devils (15-6-2), the No. 3 seed in the Saint Ignatius Sectional, played No. 2 Lyons Township Wednesday with the winner facing No. 1 Morton or No. 4 Oak Park for the sectional title at 3:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31, in Chicago. The sectional winner plays at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 4, at Benedictine University for a state semifinal berth.

On Saturday, junior forward Michael Oleszkiewicz scored with 28 minutes, 21 seconds left in the first half after Cameron Legan's sidelines throw-in was slipped into the crease by sophomore midfielder Taylor Cole. Alex Scott made it 2-0 just 2:47 before halftime by heading in a beautiful free kick by Tucker Woolfolk from 40 yards out.

"(The ball) just kind of bounced in front of me. It was going in the corner and deflected off some guy's back and went in luckily," Oleskiewicz said. "To score that quickly, it definitely boosted our morale a lot."

That was more than enough offense for the stanch defense of goalie Sean Donovan, Scott, Andrew Virgili, Paul Cooper and Legan, who returned to the starting lineup in the 4-1 regional semifinal victory over St. Rita Oct. 21 after suffering a concussion in mid-September.

Donovan made a diving save of center midfielder Hugo Mendez's blast in the opening minute of the second half. Graham spent the second half defending forward Antonio Aguilar, limiting him to one shot.

"Aguilar is by far the best player that we've seen this year. Jeff showed how we can match up speed for speed," Wiggins said. "It's a credit to all of our guys. We rose to the occasion against what I feel is a very, very strong Mt. Carmel team -- and shut them out."

Scott, Cooper, Hetke and Oleszkiewicz scored against St. Rita. Cole, Brian Kim and Robbie LaRocque had assists.

© Copyright 2008 Digital Chicago, Inc.
http://www.pioneerlocal.com/clarendonhills/sports/highschools/1223272,ch-hcsoccer-101608-s1.article

Red Devils seek another strong postseason run

October 16, 2008
By BILL STONE

The Hinsdale Central boys soccer team graduated most of its starters from last year's fourth-place Class AA state finisher, but Tucker Woolfolk and other seniors are ready to make the most of their first varsity chances.

In the new three-class format, the Red Devils (12-6-2) are the No. 3 seed in the in Class 3A St. Rita Regional. They open against No. 16 St. Rita or No. 19 Farragut at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 21, in Chicago.

"(The key for our team is) to have the same attitude as last year, wanting it as bad as everyone else did and just remembering how fun it was and what we need to do to get there and do our best," Woolfolk said. "We need to start focusing more and come together and just be ready. For the seniors, it's the last time we'll play. It means a lot to all of us."

The Red Devils had a strong effort in Friday's 1-0 homecoming victory over Sandburg. Alex Scott converted a penalty kick just four minutes, 12 seconds into the game, and the defense of goalie Sean Donovan, Paul Cooper, Andrew Virgili, Scott, Charlie Hetke and Eric Loebig posted the team's 12th shutout this season.

With Donovan sick, junior goalie Jack O'Donnell earned the shutout the day before in the Red Devils' 2-0 West Suburban Conference Silver Division victory over Downers Grove North and played the first 10 minutes Friday.

"I think we've got a pretty good feel for the way we kind of shape up overall with our system," Hinsdale Central coach Mike Wiggins said. "All in all, I think we've played decent soccer. I think we're going to hit our stride at the right time."

Woolfolk recently moved from outside defender to center midfielder, allowing Michael Oleszkiewicz to join top scorer Jeff Graham at forward. Outside midfielder Cameron Legan should return soon after being out one month following a concussion.

Alex Cole and Graham scored against Downers North with assists from Cooper and Oleszkiewicz, respectively.

In Silver action Oct. 7, the Red Devils (3-2 in Silver) lost 3-0 at Glenbard West to fall behind co-leaders Lyons Township and York (3-1).

© Copyright 2008 Digital Chicago, Inc.

5th ranked Akron’s Matt Tutich records goal and assist vs Buffalo

Peter Grasso scores game winner for Georgetown in Big East match vs Pitt

HC alums Matt Tutich (3) Akron hits game winner and David Tiemstra (16) Ohio State returns to Chicago in front of record crowd at UIC

Michigan Goalkeeper and HC Alum Patrick Sperry Named Big Ten Player of the Week
HC alums are making news in the most recent Soccer America collegiate soccer rankings – Patrick Sperry, GK for the 13th ranked University of Michigan Wolverines was just named Big Ten Player of the Week for his part in their 3-1 win over Notre Dame and the 1-0 shutout victory over Indiana.
 
Matt Tutich is at the 3rd ranked University of Akron. David Tiemstra visits Chicago this Wednesday as16th ranked Ohio State comes to (4) UIC for a 7pm start, where he is a starter at defense for the Buckeyes. Peter Grasso continues to put Georgetown on the map, starting up top for the 25th ranked Hoyas. Other Red Devils competing in collegiate soccer include Jack Smithson at the Univ. of New Mexico, Brian Collins at Missouri State, and 2007 Illinois High School Gatorade Player of the Year John Shakon at Univ. of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

BOYS SOCCER NAPERVILLE CENTRAL 0, HINSDALE CENTRAL 0

Hinsdale Central, Naperville Central tie
Scoreless tie gives both teams a little taste of satisfaction

By Steve Reaven | Special to the Chicago Tribune
12:12 AM CDT, September 28, 2008

Both Naperville Central and Hinsdale Central got something out of their non-conference scoreless tie Saturday afternoon.

For the host Red Devils, it broke a string of stern Saturday tests that had produced all four of their losses this season.

For the Redhawks (11-2-1), it was a way to shake off a tough eight-day stretch in which they suffered their first two losses—Sept. 20 to Downers Grove South and Thursday to crosstown rival Naperville North.

"Coach (Jay Konrad) has been talking about attitude and energy being the most important things, and we tried to bring that out today," Naperville Central forward Jerry Maddi said. "We both had our opportunities; we just couldn't finish."

The Redhawks' best two scoring chances came in the second half. Maddi's solid try on goal in the 53rd minute couldn't find the net, and his blast in the 69th minute grazed off a diving Sean Donovan, who notched his ninth shutout of the year in goal for the Red Devils.

Hinsdale Central (9-4-2) didn't manufacture much offensive firepower in the second half, but it did have a golden opportunity late in the first. The Red Devils failed to get a shot off on an open goal in the 38th minute, and senior forward Jeff Graham missed high from point-blank range less than a minute later.

"In the first half, we put them under some pressure, which gave us confidence," the Dartmouth-bound Donovan said. "In a lot of ways, no matter how they go, these matches are beneficial because you see what the teams you'll see in the playoffs are going to bring."

Copyright Chicago Tribune 2008
__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Naperville Central, Hinsdale Central end in tie
September 27, 2008 BY CURT HERRON

A lot of soccer coaches wouldn't be excited about a 0-0 tie, but that wasn't the case with Naperville Central's Jay Konrad and Hinsdale Central's Mike Wiggins on Saturday.

The two friends got the opportunity to watch their squads play an evenly-matched draw when the No. 2 Redhawks and Red Devils faced off in a nonconference game in Hinsdale.

"It's enjoyable when the game is played well," Red Devils coach Wiggins said. "And Jay is one of my closest friends so there's not much that we don't know about each others' teams. I thought we did a good job of matching up today."

The best scoring opportunities were also pretty even as Hinsdale Central (9-4-2) had the upper hand during the first half while Naperville Central (11-2-1) led in the second half.

Goalkeeper Sean Donovan posted his ninth shutout of the year for the Red Devils while Danny Altosino and Tyler Kelley combined to post the Redhawks' seventh shutout of the season.

"This was great because our teams are very even," Redhawks coach Konrad said. "I feel that we got better by playing them. We worked on what we needed to, had a great attitude and got our energy level back to where it needs to be."

Copyright Sun-Times News Group 2008
 

New twist to rivalry ends with Devils topping LT

September 25, 2008
By KEN RYAN

There is always plenty at stake when the Hinsdale Central boys soccer team takes on Lyons Township in a West Suburban Conference Silver Division contest.

The latest edition of the rivalry had something new, however.

Hinsdale Central beat LT 1-0 in overtime Tuesday and was presented with a Silver Brick that will be given annually to the winner of the contest, which often has conference title implications.

"We added the brick this year as a new tradition to the long-standing strong athletic tradition between these two schools," Hinsdale Central coach Mike Wiggins said of himself ant LT coach Paul Labbato. "This is a pretty special game. The brick stands for community and character, along with sportsmanship and pride and all the things that athletics should stand for."

Senior Alex Scott headed in a perfectly-placed corner kick from sophomore Taylor Cole with 4 minutes, 31 seconds left in the first 10-minute overtime period for the game-winner, as fans from the packed stands stormed the field to celebrate with the players.

It was the third straight season that the final score was 1-0, with LT winning last season and the Red Devils (9-4-1, 2-0 in Silver) pulling out the win in 2006.

LT (5-3-1, 1-0 in Silver) owns a 17-19-4 record in the series that dates back to 1975.

"The rivalry is something that is identified early on as one of the highlights of the season for the boys," Wiggins said. "Going into the game there is already hype. This game was exciting and that's all you can hope for. It was competitive and everything that the rivalry is about."

Hinsdale Central senior goalkeeper Sean Donovan came up with a couple clutch saves in the second half en route to his eighth shutout of the season.

On Sept. 16, the Red Devils opened Silver action with a 1-0 victory over Oak Park in Hinsdale on Eric Loebig's goal off a restart in the 73rd minute with assists by Michael Oleszkiewicz and goalie Donovan.

In nonconference action, the Red Devils defeated rival Hinsdale South 4-0 Sept. 18 in Hinsdale and lost at New Trier 5-0 Saturday in a rematch of last year's Class AA quarterfinals, which the Red Devils pulled out in overtime.

The Red Devils took a 2-0 halftime lead on Hinsdale South with goals by Graham on a ball dug out by Mitch Reavis and Scott off Tucker Woolfolk's corner kick. In the second half, Loebig scored with an assist from Oleszkiewicz, who added the final goal.

Copyright THE DOINGS 2008
Devils tested at Classic

THE DOINGS 9/18/08

SOCCER: Senior defender Alex Scott and his Hinsdale Central soccer teammates learned plenty in their return trip to the six-team Great Midwest Classic Friday and Saturday in Indianapolis.

The Red Devils (6-2-1) defeated Lexington (Ky.) Catholic 1-0 Friday but then lost to defending Class AA champion Barrington 2-0 and host school North Central 1-0 Saturday. The Red Devils' Scott, Paul Cooper, Jeff Graham and Michael Oleszkiewicz were named to the 14-player all-tournament team.

Hinsdale Central finished fourth in state last year after losing to Barrington 2-0 in the semifinals. Lexington Catholic and North Central were semifinal teams last year at their respective state tournaments.

The Red Devils beat Lexington on a goal by Oleszkiewicz as he headed in a Graham throw-in flicked along by Cooper. North Central edged the Red Devils on a goal in the final 10 minutes.

"(We learned) if we work hard like we did, we can get results and I think that'll be a key for the rest of the season, especially during the playoffs, as we know from last year," Scott said. "It's almost like a practice for the playoffs. You've got a fair amount of games in a certain amount of time. It was good for especially the new (varsity) players to see that level of play and be exposed to that."

Graham had three goals and an assist in the Red Devils' 5-0 victory over Juarez Sept. 9. Brian Kim and Robbie LaRocque also scored and Scott had an assist.

Copyright THE DOINGS 2008

Jack Smithson of the 19th ranked New Mexico Lobos named to the All Tournament Team at the Loyola Marymount Fall Classic in Los Angeles, Calif.
http://golobos.cstv.com/sports/m-soccer/recaps/083108aaa.html

Freshman Dave Tiemstra’s rebound goal in double-overtime gave the No. 9 Ohio State men’s soccer team a 2-1 win over Central Florida Sunday and the championship of the Bert and Iris Wolstein Classic in Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.

Senior forward Peter Grasso (Burr Ridge, Ill./Hinsdale Central) was one of five Georgetown players selected to the All-Tournament Team. Grasso scored two goals in two games and was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Offensive Player. http://guhoyas.cstv.com/sports/m-soccer/recaps/083108aaa.html

Boys Soccer players to watch

Red Devils ranked #3 in Chicago Tribune Preseason Poll

Fourth-place state finish fuels Devils' work ethic

Two former Red Devils Smithson (New Mexico) & Tutich (Akron) in NCAA Preseason Top 20

NSCAA All-American and Ohio State bound Tiemstra listed as a Top 100 Freshman

NSCAA 2007 High School Team Academic Award Winners:
http://www.nscaa.com/articles/20071128090532245.php