CHICAGO – Generally, soccer isn’t a high-scoring game. 

Look at any day’s list of results and you’re bound to see numerous low scores. However, when Francis Parker and North Shore Country Day meet on the pitch, it’s almost a guarantee to see the opposite. The last game between the two that ended 1-0 or 0-0 was in the early portion of the 2019 season. 

Every other game since has put crooked numbers on the scoreboard.

That streak continued Wednesday when the North Shore Country Day traveled to the Lincoln Park neighborhood to play the Colonels on their home field nestled snugly behind the school.

It may have just taken a little longer than most expected to reach those slanted digits, but it got there in a 3-2 Parker win that featured three goals in a one-minute, 42-second span in the match’s closing minutes. 

“We communicated really well and picked each other up after their first goal,” said Parker’s Oberon Goldman. “We were covering for each other, telling each other ‘We got this.’ We recovered really well.”

After not getting much done offensively for a good portion of the game, the Raiders (1-8-1) finally got on the board with 3 minutes, 45 seconds remaining thanks to Ben Rodzynek.

“We needed a goal. The ball bounces, crazy mess in there, takes a couple of deflections and knew that I had to bury it,” Rodzynek said. “I really didn’t think much other than we needed to score. Somebody had to get the job done. Why not me?”

His goal was followed up by a Parker tally by Raffaello Franco 12 seconds later. That gave the home team a 3-1 lead and essentially clinched the match.

“I made a run and got out around the keeper and was able to put the ball in,” Franco said. “I was just focused on attacking the goal. When the keeper went off his line, it turned out to help, because my touch went around him.

“North Shore was attacking us throughout the entire game and once they got one past us, they kept pushing and gaining confidence.”

North Shore Country Day tried to claw back. A goal from Kaeden Ackley with 2:50 remaining got them close, but the Raiders could not find the equalizer.

“We knew that going through Henry (Gallun) was working, especially going through the air,” Rodzynek said. “We just kept forcing it down and knew at some point they’d crack.”

“We’re down 3-1, we need two,” Ackley said. “I won the ball at midfield, beat a guy or two, saw an opening and figured why not rip a shot?”

Both coaches liked what they saw from their squads.

“I liked that more than anything we came out and took it to North Shore right away,” Parker manager Neil Curran said. “One of our biggest problems this season has been starting really, really slow. We didn’t do that today.

“Our midfield played really well, possessed very well. Our forwards took it to their backline.”

North Shore Country Day manager Mike Pilger liked the fight in his club.

“We showed a lot of grit,” he said. “Played ‘til the end. Lots of pride. We're still learning, especially all the rookies. We took a lot from it. Helped us get a draw against a great team (a 1-1 tie against Latin on Thursday).”

Neither team did much in the first half. Parker controlled much of the possession but did not capitalize.

That changed seven minutes into the second half when Goldman broke the ice, and Malik Griffin added to the Colonels’ lead three minutes later.

“I got the ball and dribbled down the field with a couple teammates drawing the defenders out,” Goldman said. “At halftime we talked about how we just had to attack. Their defenders were playing scared; we just had to go at them. So, I just went.”

“We really had a lot of the possession in the first half, so I wasn’t worried,” Curran said. “I told them to find the wide channels, get the ball in early, isolate on their outside backs. See if we can get some of our forwards out there.”

North Shore Country Day also had a plan.

“We switched between a high press/don’t-let-them-do-anything style of play, to more of a play farther back, win balls in the air,” Ackley said. “Keep them on their toes.”

A big reason the Raiders, the defending Class A state champions, have struggled to pile up wins this season is that the team has been ravaged by injuries.

Razaan Ghazi, Kai Savala, Luke Hansen and Rodzynek have all missed time because of physical ailments. Ghazi has returned recently and Savala is getting close. So with three of the four back or nearing a return, the team is hopes to change its fortunes.

“We’re missing guys that were on the team last year, big-play-making guys that make a difference,” Ackley said. “Once we get those guys back, they’ll fill some holes we have and fix flaws we have. (Then) we should get back to where we should be.”

Both teams are starting to get into the thick of the conference season and know that this will be one of the most vital parts of their bodies of work. Conference wins will help position them not only for a title, but possibly a better seed in the playoffs, especially since many of their rivals are local and in the same class.

“This is the bulk of our conference schedule, with three or four of the top of the table,” Curran said. “The goal is to finish the week 3-0-0 to push toward the top of the table and look toward Northridge next week.”

North Shore Country Day participated in the BodyArmor tournament, playing teams they normally wouldn’t and also getting experience against bigger schools. Some of the games have been close, so the team feels like it’s only a matter of time before they break through.

“These games have been hard, close games,” Ackley said. “We just have to find ways to win. We’ve got some good things going. We just need to put them together.”

Starting lineups

North Shore Country Day
GK: Max Flemma
D: Thatcher Smith
D: Ben Rodzynek
D: Devin Hazan
MF: Razaan Ghazi
MF: Benjamin Levy
MF: Orson Swift
F: Anthony Merino
F: Henry Gallun
F: Kaeden Ackley
F: Nikash Bawa 

Parker
GK: Abraham Erlinger
D: Oberon Goldman
D: Jarin Pressman
D: Brandon Wolin
MF: Heath Albert
MF: Malik Griffin
MF: Edward McGuire
MF: Lucas Pelleissone
F: Kane Kiep
F: Rohan Liew
F: Eric Maset-Josa

Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Raffaello Franco, freshman, forward, Francis W. Parker

Scoring summary

First half 
No scoring

Second half
Parker - Oberon Goldman, 46th minute
Parker - Malik Griffin, 49th minute
North Shore Country Day - Ben Rodzynek, 76th minute 
Parker - Raffaello Franco (Oberon Goldman), 76th minute
North Shore Country Day - Kaeden Ackley, 77th minute