Fremd (20-2-1) knows how to win games. They qualified for state for the 10th time in program history on Tuesday, Nov. 2, with a 1-0 win over Oak Park-River Forest (19-4).
It shouldn’t come as a surprise, senior All-State player Eli Schoffstall was the player who scored the game-winning goal. Schoffstall scored his team-high 12th goal of the season with 2:55 left in the game off an assist from fellow All-State senior Demetri Vlahos (5 goals, 13 assists this season).
Schoffstall, a two-time All-State selection in 2021 (named All-State in spring and fall), was a stud all four years on the varsity team.
“He came in big when we needed after a long, exhausting chess match, I would say,” said Fremd coach Steve Keller (309-171-73 record). “I was happy for him.”
Fremd boys soccer players celebrate their sectional championship win over Barrington last Friday night, Oct. 29, 2021. (Patrick Jasionowski/Special to the Journal)
Schoffstall found the left side of the back of the net after Fremd intercepted a ball and Vlahos sent the ball to Schoffstall to finish him off.
Having someone like Schoffstall on the team is huge, according to Keller.
“He’s a player,” Keller said of Schoffstall. “The bigger the game, the more excited he is to play. He’s been here for four years. He’s played a lot of different positions for us. He’s done a lot of things outside of scoring to help us get to where we are. He’s also been the player to put the ball in the back of the net in critical situations. He did that against Stevenson and scored one against Barrington as well. He’s scored a lot of game-winning goals this year. It’s important to have a player who can put the ball away when necessary These are rare players to find.
Fremd’s Eli Schoffstall runs for the ball during the Vikings’ Oct. 9, 2021, regular season game against Barrington. (Patrick Jasionowski/Special to the Journal)
The Vikings are very experienced with 13 seniors and 11 juniors. The only freshman on the roster this season is sophomore guard Bennett Ash.
The Vikings are 18-1 in the last 19 games and have won five in a row.
Besides Vlahos and Schoffstall (12 goals, 4 assists), Fremd was led this season by Leo Akashi (8 goals, 3 assists), Will Mayer (6 goals, 3 assists), Christian Tirado (5 goals, 1 assist), Kenan Mesic (4 goals, 3 assists), Ryan Sapiente (3 goals, 7 assists) and Caden Statz (3 goals, 2 assists).
The Vikings have had 16 different players score this season. Fremd has scored 57 goals this season and allowed only 10. They have 16 shutouts in 23 games. Junior goalkeeper Robby Remian has been in net all season, making 38 saves in his 16 shutouts. In the playoffs this season, Fremd has outscored its opponents 18-1.
Remian received help on defense from Statz, Adrian Blonski, Beck Smolak and a few others during this part of the season. It took some adjustments throughout the year to arrive at a lineup that was difficult for opponents to break through.
Fremd is guaranteed to win its ninth state trophy this weekend and first since 2014, when it placed third in Class 3A. Fremd won state in 1984 and 1997, while finishing second in 1993. Fremd went 9-1 in its first 10 state playoff games. Keller, Fremd’s current head coach, is 6-8 in his previous six appearances so far.
Since Keller took over in 1998, Fremd has finished third nationally in 1998, 2011 and 2014, as well as fourth place in 2000 and 2005. The Vikings have won more than 20 games three times during his tenure as head coach. Keller replaced Gerardo Pagnani (314-123-55 record) as Fremd’s head coach after Pagnani led the Vikings to a state title in 1997. Pagnani is an assistant coach at Fremd this season along with Matt Sriver, Nick Mamula and Chad Jonas.
The Vikings are 14-9 all-time in state play, which places them tied for seventh for the most postseason wins in Illinois men’s soccer history. Only Granite City (33-6), Peoria Notre Dame (21-13), Collinsville (19-5), Gibault Catholic (18-10), St. Viator (15-9) and New Trier (15-11) have more state series wins than Fremd and Quincy Notre Dame (14-8).
Now, Fremd faces another tough challenge on Friday, Nov. 5 in the Class 3A state semifinals in Hoffman Estates against Morton (21-1-3) at 7 p.m.
Morton is 20-0-3 against Illinois teams this season and 1-1 against out-of-state teams. Fremd is 19-1-1 against Illinois teams and 1-1 against out-of-state teams.
Morton finished second at state in 2019, the last year there was a state series. Morton fell to West Chicago in the championship game. Fremd narrowly missed out on status in 2019, losing 5-3 to St. Patrick in super-sectionals.
The Mustangs are 6-9 all-time in the state, winning the Class 3A title in 2011, finishing second in 1972 and 2019, third in the state in 2015 and fourth in 2006.
Morton enters the state semifinals with 10 straight wins. Morton’s only loss came Friday, Oct. 1, against Marquette University High School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 3-0.
Morton is outscoring its opponents 96-15 this season. The Mustangs are led by Giovanni Alvarez (21 goals, 17 assists), Max Aquino (21 goals, 9 assists), Deyair Ruiz (12 goals, 6 assists), Edgar Quintero (8 goals, 11 assists), Luis Gonzalez (8 goals, 8 assists) and Ismael Zepeda (7 goals, 9 assists). Alvarez and Braden Damotte were both named All-State this season. In goal, Morton has used Daniel Martinez, Sebastian Mayorga and Brandon Flores this season.
Morton has an incredible 452-70-42 overall record since 2000. They haven’t had a loss since 1999.
Morton has a very experienced team with 13 seniors and 8 juniors on its roster.
Other teams in attendance this season are Lockport (19-1-1) and York (21-2). Lockport, coached by Chris Beal (151-63-24), is making its state debut this year. York, coached by Jordan Stopka (28-5-1), also makes its state debut this season.
Even though it’s a tough challenge, Fremd is ready to fight for a chance to win his first state championship in 24 years.
“We have to play our game,” Keller said. “Whatever game plan we come up with, we have to execute it well. We’ve done a really good job defensively of limiting our opponents to very few chances. We always talk about defense winning in the league. I think if we can achieve that and find a way to put the ball in the net once or twice, that’s what we’re looking to do.”
Keller acknowledged that at this point in the season, every team is really good. Morton is no exception.
“It’s about who does the little things well and makes the fewest mental errors,” Keller said. “It depends on who can execute. Both teams have quality players. We have to be able to outplay them and hopefully outsmart them, find our chances and put them away.”
Fremd State scores (14-9):
1984 (1st place): Amundsen (F, 3-0), St. Joseph (F, 2-0), Quincy Notre Dame (F, 1-0)
1993 (2nd place): Evanston (W, 1-0), Brother Rice (W, 2-1), Sandburg (L, 1-0)
1997 (1st place): Lincoln-Way (F, 4-3), Boylan Catholic (F, 3-2), Edwardsville (F, 2-0)
1998 (3rd place): New Trier (W, 2-1), Boylan Catholic (D, 2-0), United (W, 3-1)
2000 (4th place): Evanston (W, 2-0), Lincoln-Way (L, 2-0), Waubonsie Valley (L, 3-2)
2001 (DNP): Lincoln-Way Central (D, 2-1)
2005 (4th place): Urbana (W, 2-1), Boylan Catholic (L, 1-0), Wheaton North (L, 1-0)
2011 (3rd place): Naperville Central (L, 4-3), Warren (V, 2-1)
2014 (3rd place): Hinsdale Central (V, 2-1), Streamwood (V, 4-0)
If you like this story, you can get much more almost every weekday by subscribing to journal-topics.com. Click here to choose your preference between print or online, or call 847-299-5511.
