PLAINFIELD – Just seconds after kickoff of the Oswego East-Downers Grove North game Wednesday, two hang gliders inexplicably flew over the field at Plainfield South stadium.

Many in the crowd cast their eyes to the sky to get a glimpse, but nary a player paused to look up.

The athletes were too focused on the match at hand. In the end, it was the Wolves who took flight.

Oswego East won 8-1 in a cross-over match in the final pool play round of the Plainfield Classic to earn a berth in the semifinals. Seniors M.J. Hoffman and Dylan Drendel, and junior Vakaris Majus each tallied a brace and a assist.

The Wolves improved to 7-2-0 overall and went 3-0-0 in the tournament to win Group D.

“Everyone on this team plays a part, and it’s just like a puzzle,” said Hoffman, who took Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honors for setting the early tone with a goal and assist and his inspiring work-rate. “If I get a goal, it brings energy. It’s the same for Vakaris and Drendel (or anyone).”

Downers Grove North’s Marty Manzke stepped in for the interview while head man Rafal Slomba led the postgame team talk. The assistant coach felt the Trojans could learn from the match. 

“Whenever you play a game like this, you’re talking about going up against tough competition,” he said.

“Seeing really good teams like this (Oswego East) early in the season, you try and learn and make changes as best you can.”

Oswego East midfielder Majus said Oswego East had a plan and they were able to execute it.

“I think communication,” he said when asked about the reason for the wildly successful outing.

“Communication from the back, and long balls over the top. Their (Downers Grove North) backline was not as strong as ours, and we just capitalized on that.”

Hoffman got things going for Oswego East early. His shot from 18 yards on the right flank, after a pass from Drendel, found paydirt and gave the Wolves the lead in just the 6th minute.

“Honestly, I just brought a little bit of energy and put it away,” Hoffman said.

“During practice we work on that angle a lot. So basically, I just scored it.”

In the 18th minute, Majus took a shot from just about the same spot, but this time Downers Grove North keeper Aidan Schuh made the save.

Oswego East doubled its advantage in the 23rd minute when Majus found space on the right side, settled a pass from Hoffman and finished.

Majus earned his brace in the 34th minute with an assist from an unusual source.

Goalkeeper Carter Lucas, a sophomore, booted a soaring long ball that sailed into Downers Grove North territory.

Majus used his speed to outrace several defenders to the ball and put it away from 16 yards.

“Our goalie got the free kick,” the junior stated, “and he looked at me and told me to make the run.

“I made the run over every single person and just one-timed it and placed it.”

Downers Grove North got a boost of momentum just 50 seconds later.

After bouncing a shot off the post, senior defender Danny Graham cleaned up his own rebound. He knocked the ball past Lucas from two yards to make it 3-1.

That score stood into the break. When play restarted, Oswego East took back control.

Hoffman got his second tally from 13 yards less than three minutes after intermission after corralling a nice feed from classmate Elyas Edders.

Drendel followed that up with the first of his two scores, settling a pass from senior defender Diego Godinez and hammering home a goal from 26 yards in the 47th minute.

Next in line was brilliant play between Josh Lopez and Matt Lopez. Matt used his speed to chase down a ball in the right corner near the flag, and crossed it to Josh, who finished from 18 yards in the 60th minute to make it 6-1.
    
That made it 6-1. Drendel (64th minute, 17 yards, unassisted) and Godinez (75th minute, 25 yards, Austin Ward helper) completed the scoring.

The Wolves meet Waubonsie Valley in the 9:45 a.m. semifinal at Plainfield Central. There, they will try to avenge a 2-1 nonconference loss Sept. 4. 

They championship game features the Plainfield North/East Aurora winner at 1:15 p.m.

With the loss, Downers Grove North fell to 2-7-0 on the season, 0-3-0 in the Classic.

After the match, Manzke, who played his prep ball at Sandburg and wore the Lewis University kit, talked about the Trojans program this year and beyond.

It’s his second year of association with the Downers Grove North boys program.
 
“I went straight into coaching,” he said. “I just couldn’t get enough of soccer.

“Kudos to Oswego East tonight. The way they were able to control this game, I have nothing but respect for them. They’re one of the best teams I’ve seen.

“We need to improve,” he continued, “but it’s not going to take one day. It’ll take time and effort.

“It starts with students who want to play soccer. Downers Grove is a great area for football, we were second in state last year, and boys basketball went to the elite eight after going to the final four the year previous.

“Boys cross country took first in state as well, so you can see that we have all kinds of great athletes in the area. We’re trying to get kids into soccer and get them to want to stay in soccer for a long period of time.

“Overall, there is still time for us (to improve) this season.”

The Trojans finish the tournament with a consolation match-up at 10 a.m. at Oswego.
 

 

Starting lineups

Oswego East
GK: Carter Lucas
D: Elyas Edders
D: Diego Godinez
D: Cade Cummings
D: Caleb Pankiewicz
MF: Julian Nino
MF: Dillan Max
MF: Dylan Drendel
MF: Austin Ward
MF: Jonathan Carranza
F: M.J. Hoffman

Downers Grove North
GK: Aidan Schuh
D: Kyle Wilson
D: Daniel Umana
D: Danny Graham
D: Aaron Ericksen
MF: John Lazarz
MF: Connor Shewe
MF: Mantas Patubinska
MF: Will Maher
MF: Oliver Davies
F: Ty Peboontom

Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: M.J. Hoffman, sr., F, Oswego East

Scoring summary

First half
OE: Hoffman (Drendel), 6'
OE: Majus (Hoffman), 23'
OE: Majus (Lucas), 34'
DGN: Graham (unassisted), 35'

Second half
OE: Hoffman (Edders), 43'
OE: Drendel (Godinez), 47'
OE: J. Lopez (M. Lopez), 60'
OE: Drendel (unassisted), 64'
OE: Godinez (Ward), 75'