OPRF Boys' Soccer Team Pulls Off 1-0 Upset of Top-Rated New Trier

An exquisitely executed give-and-go play early in the second half netted the game’s only score, and the Oak Park and River Forest High School boys’ soccer team stonewalled New Trier High School on Tuesday night to advance to the Class 3A Sectional.

The triumph was significant for the Huskies, who entered as underdogs with a 17-3 record and 13th state ranking. Having been selected as Sectional host, the Trevians were playing on their home field as the state’s top-rated team with a 17-1-1 mark.

“It feels really good but honestly the only thing that matters now is the next game,” said OPRF coach Jason Fried. “We just need to keep looking to make improvements going forward.”

At 4 p.m. Saturday, OPRF will face Evanston Township, the only other team to vanquish New Trier this season—a 2-0 match on September 18th pitting the longtime rivals. If the Huskies win that match, it will mark their first Sectional title since the Illinois High School Association reclassification placed OPRF in Class 3A in 1998.

Evanston Township defeated Glenbrook South in overtime immediately before the Huskies-Trevians clash, which was likewise evenly matched. Neither OPRF nor New Trier had many scoring threats, and New Trier—playing a similar style as OPRF’s emphasis on retaining possession—had control of the ball for most of the night.

Beforehand, OPRF sophomore Easton Bogard had a feeling that he wouldn’t get many chances against the disciplined New Trier squad.

“I knew that I had to make the most of any opportunities that I got,” said Bogard, an All-State selection who entered the game with a team-high 25 goals this season.

His moment came with 32 minutes to go. After receiving a pass from Isaac Cummings on the left side of the field, Bogard crossed the ball to Alex Hauck at the 45-yard-line, slightly on the New Trier side of the field. As Bogard angled to an opening at the 20-yard line, Hauck crisply delivered a perfect return pass.

Bogard and the ball met a split-second before another defender, the last one in front of goalkeeper Aidan Crawford, could disrupt the play. The needle now threaded, Bogard surged ahead with a touch.

A Trevian defender closed in from behind just as Bogard’s left foot booted the ball. Crawford was leaning to his right, and Bogard sent the ball scooting to the goalkeeper’s left. By the time it had kissed the net, Bogard was sprawled on the turf, where he began his celebration.

The clock read: 31 minutes and 49 seconds to go. There was still this important matter of the remaining 40 percent of the contest to be played. For the next 20 minutes, OPRF kept pressing its attack—at one point seeming to draw a surefire red card when sophomore Charlie Maguire was wiped out by the last Trevian defender desperately trying to prevent a breakaway.

Instead, the referee issued only a yellow card, whereas a red card would have given the Huskies a one-man advantage for the balance of the game.

Fried credited his squad—in particular the back line of Tukura Hess, Ben Nisbet and David Schalich-Ayllon—with defending well and growing stronger as the game went on.

“We knew it was going to be a tough game and New Trier is a great team,” said Fried. “New Trier really made it hard to possess the ball and our boys had to adjust…I was really impressed how we took what we discussed at halftime and found ways to have success.”

“It wasn’t pretty,” noted Bogard, “but we gutted it out.”

OPRF goalkeeper Clark Turk was a steady force in net.

“He did a great job tonight, really coming out and catching balls out of the air, which neutralized their chances,” said Fried. “Clark has been working hard at this—I’m happy for him to see such success through hard work.”

Possibly the most perilous moment came in the second half when a New Trier player intercepted a ball at the top of the box that Turk had tried rolling to a teammate. As with every other Trevian opportunity, the Huskies hustled to cut off any clear shooting lane to stave off the threat.

“Our defense did a great job closing space and containing all night,” said Fried. “They really prevented a lot of chances on net.”

To see the moments leading up to the Huskie goal, go to the 1-hour, 57-minute mark of the game video here, courtesy of the New Trier athletic department's YouTube channel.

Previous stories on the OPRF boys’ soccer team:

October 22, 2021: OPRF Beats Niles West, 2-0, to Take Regional Boys' Soccer Title

October 4, 2021: Oak Park & River Forest Boys' Soccer Team Boasts 11-2 Record