Boys soccer: Vostal making good first impression for Geneva

Hayden Vostal was making just his second start in goal Thursday night, first at home - and did so in the slick rain.

Geneva's freshman goalkeeper more than held his own.

Vostal made seven saves, and the Vikings played to a 1-1 draw with visiting Wheaton North on Thursday in the DuKane Conference.

"He's got good size. He's getting used to the game. At first he was a little timid and wide-eyed freshman, so we've been trying to ease him in and get him some minutes," Geneva coach Jason Bhatta said.

"We've been trying to ease him in and get some minutes," Bhatta continued. "He split some games with Cal [Parise] and started some. He's been impressive. He hasn't made any glaring errors as a freshman so that's a positive. We're just trying to look to get him minutes and get him in for four years here because he's only going to get better."

Vostal was excited to play, but hardly content with the result.

"Little disappointing not to keep a clean sheet, though," Vostal said. "But, yeah, very exciting to be the freshman in goal and I'm glad to get this opportunity. I've played with a few of the guys through club. I feel I've adjusted [to varsity] pretty well ... still getting to know a few of the guys and how we all work together."

Wheaton North, meanwhile, lost its keeper, Peter Tiesman, to an apparent injury after taking a ball to the face on a save attempt with 14 minutes left in the first half.

Tiesman, it turns out, isn't normally a keeper. He was forced to play in goal after starting keeper Samuel Wakeman earned a red card the previous game, making him unavailable Thursday. So Tiesman, normally a defender, moved to goal.

After Tiesman left, Gyan Patel filled in. The Vikings (3-1-4, 2-1-3) took 1-0 lead on Dominik Barwiolek's goal with 12:25 left in the first half.

The Falcons (3-1-2, 3-1-2) scored the equalizer in the fourth minute of the second half on Diego Evangelista's header after Vostal misplayed a save opportunity. Both teams had solid scoring chances in the seesaw battle - including one last Falcons rush in the final minute - but Vostal held firm.

"We were flat in the first half. First half, I was just saying to the guys 'You just played individually'," Falcons coach Rob Stassen said. "They couldn't get the ball out because of the wind. The environment is the environment. We got excited and just started shooting fish in a barrel ... we didn't play our team game.

"But we bounced back. I was happy how we bounced back. Came back with a goal against the wind. Once they got the ball moving, both teams can play, we saw that today."

The Vikings are incorporating some new formation looks on their back line.

"It's gone well so far. We kind of played this new system with this three in the back and wing backs," Bhatta said. "We're leaking some goals every once in awhile. We haven't had many clean sheets. We haven't had very many games where we haven't given up a goal, so that's still something we're working on."

"[Earlier against] Batavia, we got punished for one mental error where they had one chance. This game, we gave them one chance and they scored. They're still trying to work some things out," Bhatta continued. "We've got some experience back there the two, Jack Cannon and Evan [Horvath], have been on varsity for three years now."

The other, Landon O'Donoghue, is in his first season but has filled in nicely.

"There's not much time to train playing every other day, so trying to get some actual training in the back line has been tough," Bhatta said. "But, they're doing well."