2011 (14U) Boys State Premiership I

Rush North Shore Top the Division

The 2011 (14U) Boys State Premiership is a thrilling division to watch. The Game of the Week between Chicago Rush North Shore and Young Wolves ended in a 3-1 win for hosts, Rush and it secured their place at the top with nine points. Still only one point behind them sits Young Wolves, but third place FC-1 has two games in hand and sit at five points. With FC-1 winning both upcoming games, they would usurp the temporary first place. Still there is lots to play for and Rush North Shore and Young Wolves played in what could end up being a decisive game in the 2011 (14U) Boys State Premiership standings.

The first half began very well for Chicago Rush North Shore, the Wilmette side had very quick players on the wing and they started the game showing that off. Not two minutes into the game, Sebastian Malagon from Rush would show off his pace and run past defenders to get within inches from scoring. Max Steinhandler would show of his skill, footwork and his pace two minutes later, when he dribbled down the end line, laid it back for Tomas Urrea, who would tap it in and open the scoring. Chicago Rush North Shore would lead early, 1-0. Within five minutes, North Shore would yet again get an opportunity, but this time through the middle where Sebastian was quick and intelligent to lower his shoulder, beat his defender and go 1v1 with the keeper. He would slot it in for the 2-0 lead and it did not look good for Young Wolves at that moment. Not even 10 minutes in and Rush was simply relentless in their attack however, Young Wolves would get their first opportunity when Emily Kopec would make a brilliant run and get a shot off that was blocked to force a corner. Jacob Chrobak would bring Young Wolves back into the game and make it 2-1 off the corner. It seemed Young Wolves were in for a long night, but the team showed great composure, grit and resilience as they battled back quickly and would make it a back and forth affair for the rest of the half.

Second half began as quick as the first. This time it was a bit more physical, Young Wolves did not want this to begin like the first half did and they came out early and would really go at the home side. 15 minutes would quickly pass and the score remained 2-1, but it would not be without countless opportunities for both sides. Young Wolves looked more likely to tie up the match and open the scoring in the second half but Goalkeeper from Rush, Oliver Brown would show great security in the back to keep them in the lead. Olivier Kwiatek of Young Wolves would begin to get more and more dangerous for his side and it would become a great battle between himself and defender, Daniel Carlson of Rush North Shore. Olivier would get himself into the box and get opportunities but Daniel would use his size advantage and continuously be there to avoid Young Wolves from leveling. With 10 minutes remaining,

Young Wolves would get a countless number of corners and would bring the tension to the home fans as they would hold their breath with every corner kick. A loud sigh of relief, however, would come every time as Oliver Brown brilliantly commanded his box, it was as if he was a giant in there. On the other side, just as he was performing for the entirety of the match, Tomas Urrea would show his pace, good footwork, ability to get past defenders, and his vision as he would find his teammates in good positions and would threaten the box himself. Tomas would create from the midfield constantly and with two minutes left, found Toby Welling running down the right flank, where he would then lay it back to Finley Ford to make it 3-1 and finish off the game. Finley was another excellent player for the Wilmette side, and he was deserving of his goal after a few opportunities did not go his way. He is the top goal scorer for the division and there’s no wonder why. He is a taller more physical presence for the side, demands attention from the defenders due to his physicality and speed, he is good with the ball at his feet and is a composed finisher with 5 goals now in the season.

The referee would blow the whistle and the three points would go to the home side, Chicago Rush North Shore 3, Young Wolves 1.

Interview with Tomas Urrea

A big win against a very tough opponent who you guys just tied against, what makes this team so hard beat, and how were you guys able to manage the win?
They are a very physical team, they play well with the ball. Our think our boys played very well today though, we had a lot of attacking chances and connected very well up top.

This win puts you at the top of the table, what does this mean for you guys, and what does it mean moving forward?
It is really good for us but we still have to keep our heads up as the season is not over. We just have to keep these performances coming!

What do you guys have to do to keep these performances coming and staying consistent?

We have to keep working hard, keep working on our passing, shooting and working hard. With that maybe we can end at the top at the end of the season.

Final Thoughts

With three games left for both teams, they will all be crucial. Tomas knows very well what his team needs to do to sustain the great performances and he will be a leader in the group to try to make that happen. Lots to play for in the final month of competition, and what a final few games they will be. Rush North shore will host FC-1 for a game that might be even more decisive to their season. A win will put them firmly at the top with only themselves to depend on. Young Wolves will visit Pegasus for their first of two games against them. They know they will need all three points to stay alive in the standings and will hope FC-1 and Young Wolves will drop points in their final matchups.