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

Going into the regular season’s final week, the Oak Park and River Forest High School boys’ soccer team appears to be peaking at the perfect time.

Ranked first in all of Illinois with a record of 18 wins, no losses and two draws, the Huskies have recorded more shutouts (12) than allowed goals (11) this season. And they are coming off a 72-hour stretch on their home turf during which they outscored their three opponents by a 16-2 margin:

On Tuesday, October 3 vs. Downers Grove North:

A 6-0 win, with two goals from Easton Bogard and one each from Liam McGovern, Bryce Richards, Cole Shepherd (seven goals for the season) and Diego Zarate (nine goals).

On Thursday, October 5 vs. Lyons Township:

A 4-2 win, with goals from Bogard, Richards, Noah Cummings and Carlo Lissuzzo. The last goal, with 6:39 left, came after repeated Huskie threats that the Lions goalkeeper turned away.

Finally, off a scramble in front of the net, Lissuzzo swooped in to pound home the ball and give the Huskies breathing room. With the victory, OPRF lifted its West Suburban Silver Conference record to 5-0.

On Friday, October 6 vs. Fenwick:

Playing for Housing Forward's Prevail Cup in the match against the crosstown rival Friars, OPRF broke out with three goals in a four-minute first-half span. After intermission, the squad added another three tallies for its second 6-0 triumph (and goalkeeper Cam Smith’s second shutout) of the week.

Lissuzzo, Zarate and Nate Day each scored, while Bogard netted three goals, including a booming left-footed shot from 30 yards out after a nifty juggling maneuver to evade a few defenders. That came with 21 minutes to play and was his third three-goal performance (known as a “hat trick”) over the last eight matches.

In that span, Bogard has notched 16 goals, raising his total to 29 for the season. That equals a school record he tied as a sophomore, when he led OPRF to its first Class 3A Sectional championship.

Next up: a conference game on Tuesday at Glenbard West and a non-conference game on Wednesday at Riverside-Brookfield. The playoffs begin the following week, with OPRF—never a state title winner for boys’ soccer—a top contender to advance deep into the postseason.

Before Bogard, the school’s all-time record for career goals was 50; he shattered the mark midway through his junior season and is now up to 87 through the 72 games he has played.

And until the 5-foot-9, 155-pound Indiana University recruit came along, the most career assists for a Huskie was 32; Bogard has recorded 44 assists, including 14 this year, four shy of OPRF’s single-season mark.

But individual accolades and accomplishments are secondary to the team’s focus on preparing for each game as it comes.

“We know and respect how hard it is to hold onto that top ranking,” Coach Jason Fried said. “The coaching staff reminds the players that hard work, dedication, focus, hunger, and being a family is what got you here. If you want to stay ranked high, then focus on those standards that got you here and not the number.”

This year’s roster has extensive varsity experience, fostering a cohesive, resilient group of players who have elevated the Huskies’ level of play over the past few seasons, Fried said.

Defensively, the team is bolstered by the likes of Charlie Maguire, Ben Naber and Izzy Erwin.

Offensively, key players include Richards, the Huskies’ second-leading scorer with nine goals and eight assists, as well as Isaac Felder, Day and Zarate, whom Fried described as "an all-around player who can be dynamic at any position."

“Bryce Richards is a very talented attacker and a great team player,” Fried noted. “He is able to beat teams on the dribble and with passing."

Felder “does so much unnoticed work for our team,” Fried continued. “He’s great at winning one-on-one battles and keeping the ball for our team and he plays with so much heart.”

In his eighth season as coach, Fried’s career mark is 117 wins, 33 losses and 10 draws.

Although the Huskies have outscored opponents by a whopping 70-to-11 margin so far in 2023, their path to undefeated status has had close calls.

In addition to the two draws—scoreless ties against Leyden and Streamwood—OPRF barely survived against York, edging the Dukes, 6-5, on Sept. 15th in a shootout after a scoreless 100 minutes of action—all of regulation plus two 10-minute periods.

Four days later, the Huskies eked out a 4-3 triumph over Hinsdale Central. In that match, OPRF bounced back three times from one-goal deficits to force extra time. Then, with one second left in the first 10-minute period, Bogard ended it with a dramatic “golden goal.”

“We have had some amazing teams in the past that have shared a lot of traits this team has had,” Fried said. “This team, though, has bought into the idea of demanding a lot from one another but at the same time always having each other’s back.”

Fried praised the team’s passion for its willingness to sacrifice to continue developing.

“I am really proud of these players,” he said. “Not only because they want to compete, but the way we win is just as important as winning.”