Lake Forest Hopes Tough Regular Season Bodes Well in Postseason

boys’ soccer team enjoys good company in the North Suburban Conference.

That is never more important than when the Class 3A state tournament rolls around.

Last year, Libertyville advanced to the Class 3A state finals. The year before it was Lake Zurich.

When the Scouts (13-4-1) take on Conant in the opening round of tonight’s, Oct. 18, 7 o’clock regional semifinal at Fremd High School in Palatine, they will be riding a 4-0-1 record over their last five games against five state-caliber programs, including Lake Zurich and Libertyville, plus New Trier and Loyola. Lake Forest Academy, which does not compete in the state tournament, was the only one of the five opponents to forge a 3-3 tie.

“Lake Forest Academy is as good as any sectional team,” said Lake Forest coach Rob Parry.

Tonight's winner faces the winner of No. 4-seed Fremd vs. No. 13 Wheeling at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21, at Fremd. The regional winner faces the winner of the Libertyville Regional at 5 p.m. Oct. 25 at Palatine High School.

Parry is hoping the tough schedule will pay off in the single-elimination state format. The Scouts still will be seen as an underdog as a No. 5 seed in the Palatine Sectional,  even though they beat two No. 1 seeds, Libertyville and Evanston, 2-1 and 3-1, respectively during the season.

“They did the seeding in late September,” Parry explained.

The players are not complaining, though.

“There’s less pressure on us,” Scouts goalie Sam Audley said. “We like it that way. The expectations aren’t there.” 

Audley could wind up playing a big role in Lake Forest’s state fortunes. The senior recorded 14 saves in the Oct. 13 NSC Championship game — a 3-2 victory over Lakes High for the school's first overall title since 1989.

The key has been focusing on that game and nothing else.

“We were up 3-2 and there was a lot of action at the end,” Audley said about Lakes’ onslaught in trying to tie the game. “I could only think about that game.”

The next day, his backup, Devin Gregory, held New Trier to one goal in a 2-1 Scouts victory.

Offensively, the Scouts will be hard to defend against because no one player has dominated the goal-scoring category. Sophomore John Moderwell leads with seven goals, senior Ian Forlow has six along with junior Peter Passalino. Seniors Kevin Goon, Jim Ankenman, Michael Shipp and Riley Scholer all have chipped in at least three goals to the season total.

“They all contribute,” Parry said. 

That makes “one for all and all for one” more than just a motto for Lake Forest. That’s how they play.

“I don’t do it, the guys do it,” Parry said of his team’s leadership. “The guys self-police. They follow the lead of (Michael) Shipp and (Kevin) Goon. Everybody does something so no one has to do everything.”

. This season has been about what they can accomplish together.

“We’re all together as a team,” Moderwell said. “Clubs are different than high school. We’re very well-organized.”