Boys Soccer: Ryder Kohl, York ease past Glenbard North to 11th consecutive win, regional title

ROSELLE – Ryder Kohl knifed the penalty kick attempt through for a go-ahead goal with seemingly relative ease – but it’s perhaps the play he made after it that speaks to his overall value on the soccer pitch beyond his leg.

Kohl, a York senior defender, had just scored for the undefeated Dukes with six minutes left in Saturday’s Class 3A Lake Park Regional final with Glenbard North. Dukes junior Jayden Waski was taken down in the box by Panthers defender Diego Navarro-Saavedra in traffic to draw the penalty.

An ensuing Panthers rush about three minutes later was then stopped in its tracks by Kohl just past midfield by using his body to shield a pass attempt from getting any farther and flip the attack back the other direction.

“There’s a reason why Ryder is the player that he is,” Dukes coach Jordan Stopka said following York’s 1-0 victory. “He’s amazing [with] the ball at his feet, but he’s even better reading the play. He jumps passing lanes probably better than any player here that I’ve ever coached in my entire life.”

“He knows when to step in front of a player and win the ball. He also knows ‘hey, if I step in front and don’t get the ball, I’m going to put myself in a bad position to play defense,’” Stopka continued. “He’s an extremely cerebral player and he trusts his instincts.”

To Kohl, the collective success for his Dukes sumps up to them being a group of kids “that are just never satisfied.”

“We always want more,” Kohl said. “It’s kind of the slogan we live by. In the words of Kobe [Bryant]: ‘Job [is] not finished.”

Despite a spirited and stout defensive effort by Glenbard North for the near-entirety of two halves, York, the defending Class 3A state champions, still has more to play for.

The Dukes (17-0-3) have won 11 consecutive games dating back to Sept. 17 and will now face Addison Trail in the St. Charles East-hosted sectional semifinal at 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 26.

Saturday’s regional title was the York program’s third since 2019, but it took tinkering with the Dukes’ methodical style of play in space and touch passes.

“The big thing we were talking [about at half] is it seems like a lot of teams have been watching film on us and they got a good system on how to break down on our attack,” Stopka said “...Glenbard North played extremely disciplined. They played exactly like their coach wanted to and they were on us. Kudos to them.

The Panthers (9-9-3) were vying for the program’s first regional since 2015.

“The boys dove into the game plan. They adapted to it and they really bought in,” Panthers coach Spero Mandakas said. “It was evident and we [limited] them. Everything [York] got, they got by us twice and our keeper had to come up with a save...we just talked about not giving them space to be face-up. We’re going to to let them play in and we’re going to pressure their back and make them keep going backwards.”

“A few times, we weren’t there and they were able to turn. That’s how they were effective,” Mandakas continued. “We watched a lot of film on them, so a lot of credit to the guys. They worked their [butts] off, and it was really good to see them buy in and really leave it all out there; really limit what this team could do, a team that scored 70 goals on the season. And, they can’t score in run of play for us.”

While perhaps the effort fell a bit short, it could arguably speak to the collective body of work the Panthers defensively put in all season to be in that position against a defending state champion.

“We have guys in the back line that have been working all season,” Mandakas said. “We’ve got one guy sitting at home right now two days fresh out of surgery that really brought that group [along] and put the work rate in together, [senior] Tyler Nack. He wishes he could’ve been out here today with them, but Mike Bonsi stepped in; Mark Szklarczyk, he’s an all-stater. He’s the key to our defense in the back.”