A familiar face is helping the Oak Park and River Forest High School boys soccer team maintain its lofty standards despite its’ head coach being away.
Under the direction of interim coach Dave Bernthal, the Huskies are off to a 4-1 start this season. Bernthal, who is filling in for Jason Fried (Fried is scheduled to return next year), coached most of the current team on the junior varsity level.
“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to carry the torch while (Fried) is away,” Bernthal told Wednesday Journal. “Things are going well. It’s a great group of guys who’ve been working really hard.”
OPRF returns 13 players, including seven starters, from last year’s team which went 12-5-3 and lost in a Class 4A regional final. Among them is senior co-captain and center back Zach Goldberg, who feels the team has adjusted well.
“At first, it hit pretty hard because of the relationship the team had built with Coach Fried over the years,” he said. “Obviously, we miss having Coach Fried around the team and this program but also don’t think there’s a better person to fill his place than Coach Bernthal.
Goldberg added, “Coach Bernthal was my coach during my sophomore year and we didn’t lose a game. We love the mentality and passion he has to make our team as strong as possible.”
Junior forward Joaquin Carlstrom has been a spark for the Huskies with a team leading four goals. In the final of the Joe Nov Classic at Addison Trail, Sept. 6, he scored late to tie the match at 1-1 and force extra time. However, OPRF would lose to Addison Trail on penalty kicks.
Senior forward/midfielder Adrian Bondartsov is right behind Carlstrom with three goals. At goalkeeper, seniors Thomas Howe and Christian Kellogg have combined for four clean sheets (shutouts).
“So far, this season has been super fun and we have played good soccer,” Goldberg said. “Something that (assistant coach Jon) Cummings says is that we are a good team right now, but we have great players that need to grow as a team. I really like that because we can never be satisfied with where we’re at and always strive for more.”
“The boys bring passion and skill to the table,” Bernthal said. “They are eager to work and hungry to win. Working with them is a privilege.”
OPRF traditionally plays a rigorous schedule that is designed to get the team ready for the postseason. Among the non-conference highlights for the Huskies are the Sabres Fall Classic hosted by Streamwood, Sept. 13-20; the Great River Classic at the TBK Complex in Bettendorf, Iowa, Sept. 26-27; and the annual East Avenue Showdown against visiting Fenwick, Oct. 4.
The West Suburban Silver is perennially one of the most difficult leagues for boys soccer. In last week’s Chicagoland Soccer Top 25 poll, Lyons Township was ranked second. OPRF was ninth, and Glenbard West 23rd.
When asked how he saw the conference race shaping up, Bernthal made a simple point.
“All schools are tough in the West Suburban Silver,” he said.
While the Huskies figure to contend for the WSC Silver title and hope to make a deep postseason run, those aren’t necessarily the primary goals.
“I’m really pleased with where we’re at and obviously there are ways to improve,” Bernthal said. “We want to work hard, have fun, win as many games as possible, and enjoy the journey.”
“My individual goals for this season consist of being the best leader I can and finding joy in the team I am on and playing the sport I love,” said Goldberg. “As a team, there’s one main goal that I don’t think needs to be mentioned yet, but a goal I will say is winning our next game and practicing as hard as possible. I think it’s important not to think too far ahead and stay in the present.”
