OPRF Beats Niles West, 2-0, to Take Regional Boys' Soccer Title

When Colin Hayes scored after only 89 seconds had elapsed Friday evening, it was tempting to think the Oak Park and River Forest boys’ soccer team would cruise to another of its familiar lopsided victories.

Instead, their path to a regional title traversed a physical, emotionally charged match against a rough-and-tumble Niles West squad. In the end, the Huskies secured a 2-0 triumph for their fifth consecutive win, and second in the playoffs, at OPRF Stadium. Ranked 11th in the state heading into the action, the Huskies' overall season record is now 17-3.

“They did a good job of knocking us off our game a little bit with (the physical play),” said OPRF coach Jason Fried. “We got too emotional and we lost our focus. But I thought overall, we did a good job.”

Though it was not an artistic success, the victory may have carried even more meaning because Fried relied heavily on reserves to outlast Niles West. “I’m so proud of all of them,” he said. “They came focused.”

Four or five of the top Huskie players sat for much of the second half to prevent injury as well as a second yellow card that would have knocked them out of not only the rest of the game, but OPRF’s next match entirely.

Case in point: sophomore Easton Bogard—OPRF’s leading scorer (25 goals, 10 assists) and recently selected All-State by the Illinois High School Soccer Coaches Association—played only about five of the final 28 minutes. That decision came on the heels of Bogard getting a yellow card after he got tangled up with a defender during a rush toward the Niles West goal.

Though he didn’t score in the contest, Bogard’s swift, attacking style had a significant impact: it led to multiple Niles West players fouling him so roughly that they incurred yellow cards. For one, a second such card amounted to a red card and an automatic heave-ho from the match.

From that point onward, for the game’s final 32 minutes, the Huskies enjoyed a 10-on-9 advantage (aside from goalkeepers) that would prove insurmountable. Sophomore Charlie Maguire added the Huskies’ second goal with 24 minutes left—his shot caroming off the left post and into the net.

In addition to a few other Huskie shots likewise finding the post--but not going in--Niles West goalkeeper Eron Qorri made some impressive saves as OPRF easily had more offensive opportunities. Those moments kept it from becoming a blowout, similar to OPRF’s 5-1 rout of Maine West on Tuesday in their first postseason game.

That match was also 1-0, OPRF, at the half, with Bogard scoring. The Huskies pulled away on a pair of goals by Hayes, a junior, then scores by senior Sebastian Aguilar-Ripley and junior Hodari Motley.

In addition to Bogard’s All-State laurels, OPRF senior Alex Hauck received All-Sectional recognition. “He is a leader, he is always calm,” said Fried. “He knows the game so well and is such a smart player. He deserves it.”

The victory Friday gave the Huskies a third regional championship in five tries during Fried’s tenure. The next goal is to capture the Sectional title—a crown that has eluded the program since the Illinois High School Association reclassification placed OPRF in Class 3A in 1998.

Next up: the Semi-Sectional on Tuesday, October 26th, at New Trier High School. The Huskies will play the winner of Saturday afternoon's New Trier vs. St. Patrick match. If OPRF wins that contest on Tuesday, their next game is for the Sectional title, which will also be played at host New Trier.