Top-ranked OPRF boys’ soccer team dominates in two playoff tune-ups

On Tuesday, October 17 the undefeated and top-ranked Oak Park and River Forest boys' soccer team embarks on the postseason as strong contenders for a Class 3A Illinois High School Association championship.

To capture the school’s first-ever title, the Huskies will need to reel off seven straight wins, starting with its 4:30 p.m. regional semifinal game at Notre Dame College Prep in Niles. They will face the winner of the Von Steuben vs. Maine West match to be played on Monday afternoon.

In the IHSA’s unforgiving single-loss elimination setup, such a streak is no easy feat. The key to a successful playoff run, said OPRF Coach Jason Fried, “is not thinking about future games but what is in front of you, what got you there and what you control.”

“You cannot let the level of standards that were built all season drop at all because you must respect each opponent but also be confident in who you are individually and as a team,” Fried added.

That formula has enabled the team to hold onto a #1 state ranking for the past month as they ran their record to 20 wins, no losses and two draws. This past week, the Huskies outscored their two foes, 11-0.

Both lopsided victories came on the road and boosted OPRF's season advantage to 81 goals against only 11 allowed.

Tuesday, October 10 at Glenbard West (4-0 win)

After a scoreless opening 38 minutes, OPRF broke through with two minutes remaining in the first half as Easton Bogard lasered a free kick past the Hilltopper goalkeeper. It was Bogard’s 30th goal of the season, establishing a new Huskie single-season record for goals.

In the second half, Noah Cummings, Diego Zarate and Bryce Richards each notched goals, including a header by Zarate off a perfectly lofted Charlie Maguire free kick.

Another key moment came early in the second half. With OPRF up 2-0, sophomore goalkeeper Christian Kellogg, who replaced an injured Cam Smith earlier in the contest, made a crucial save at point-blank range.

Wednesday, October 11 at Riverside-Brookfield (7-0 win)

On a drizzly evening, the Huskies rained seven goals on the Bulldogs, who struggled with two own goals--a pair of OPRF passes that Riverside-Brookfield defenders accidentally booted into their own net. On the offensive end for R-B, none of their shots posed a serious challenge to Kellogg. For the season, OPRF now has 14 shutouts, or nearly twice out of every three games.

Bogard got the scoring started in the seventh minute—his 31st for the season and a school record-high 89 for his career. By the half, OPRF led 4-0; with 21:24 to go, Richards upped the lead to 7-0, prompting a 10-minute mercy rule clock runoff.

In addition to Bogard’s opening salvo and two goals from Richards (OPRF’s second-leading scorer this season, with 12 goals), Cummings and Robert Sambou were the other Huskie scorers.

Two years ago, the Huskies won their first Class 3A Sectional title, only to lose to Fremd in the Super-Sectional by a heart-breaking 1-0 margin.

Looking to this post-season, Fried praised the example set by the Huskies’ four leaders, as selected by coaches and teammates: Bogard, Maguire, Diego Zarate and Ben Naber.

“These four have really done a great job in demanding this team to meet our standards on a daily basis,” Fried said. “This is not easy to do because they need to hold themselves accountable as well. You need to lead by action and they have done a great job doing that this year.”

If the Huskies win their game on Tuesday, their next game (the regional final) is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 21, also at Notre Dame College Prep in Niles. The IHSA brackets are online here.

Related story: Undefeated & ranked #1 in Illinois, OPRF boys' soccer team is soaring