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| Season preview: Hinsdale Central
“We don’t have a player out there right now that isn’t giving everything they’ve got,” said Red Devils coach Mike Wiggins. “It’s nice because you don’t always have that.” Ten players with strong varsity experience return to the fold in Hinsdale, with seven starting seniors in the mix. Are there a leading handful of candidates set for stardom this year? “We won’t know that until the season gets going, but what stands out to me about this team is its strength by position, and its depth,” Wiggins said. The Red Devils figure to field a balanced lineup this season. Senior captain Jack O’Donnell brings instant leadership in net, where the Red Devils under Wiggins have a rock-solid tradition. Former keepers Patrick Sperry, John Shakon, and Sean Donovan have kept a virtual lid on net in Hinsdale since 2002. Backing up O’Donnell in net is talented sophomore in Will Meyer. A pair of central defenders junior Andrew Worthington and sophomore Lenny Zavala anchor the back line, with the 6-foot, 165-pound Zavala entering his maiden varsity season. Taylor Cole moves from outside mid to outside back this year for the Red Devils, and his coach believes the junior will prove to be one of the best outside backs around. Cole started and played as an effective outside mid in his freshman and sophomore seasons. “He’s a very technical, tactically-sharp player so we’re excited about him,” Wiggins said. Seniors Andrew Virgili and Peter Santulli are both expected to contribute at the other outside defender spot.
Wiggins describes forwards in senior Michael Oleszkiewicz and sophomore Mitch Reavis as “relentless.” Oleszkiewicz is strong in the air, Reavis is tireless, and the two play off of each other well. The Red Devils’ depth features seniors Ryan Johnson, Paul Girgis, Charlie Hetke, and Mike Bucheleres, and juniors Mike Oleferchik and Michael Hrisstov. “Every last guy on the bench is capable of stepping in and contributing,” Wiggins said. “We have 19 players on the roster and they’re going to be pressing each other for playing time.” “They’re training for a very competitive year. Not every year is the same and this year what we’ve got is not only a very hard-working group, but also a very talented group. They enjoy being around each other and they come prepared to train every day. They’re fun to be around and it’s been great.” Assisting Wiggins this season is former Bradley player Michael Smith, now an English teacher at Hinsdale Central, and former Red Devil standout Peter Grasso. Grasso joins Wiggins’ coaching staff as a volunteer assistant this year after being named the team MVP as a senior at Georgetown last year. |
2009 Roster
2009 Schedule
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There is good, hard competitive training and then there’s that training turned up a notch. This year’s squad at Hinsdale Central has embraced the latter during the 2009 preseason.
Steering the ship at midfield will be seniors Cameron Legan and Robbie LaRocque, who both bring athleticism to the central midfield. Senior Eric Loebig returns as a starting outside mid, with senior David Grasso at the other outside spot. Grasso returns after missing his entire junior season due to injury.
