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ONE
GOAL BY MARIA THAMES & ZACHARY FORD


BOYS SOCCER SURGES
INTO THE POSTSEASON
WITH HIGH EXPECTATIONS

PHOTOS BY ABBEY HUMBERT

LAYOUT BY NATE SWEITZER

BITTA’S RETIREMENT

R
Last year, the team had a major change. Former coach Andy Bitta,
Ranked as one of the best teams after 32 years of coaching boys soccer and 23 years of coaching girls
in the nation by Max Preps, soccer, retired after the fall season was over, due to his diagnosis of
Libertyville boys varsity soccer Parkinson’s disease.
ended their regular season with
a record of 14-0-2. This success, Bitta cares not only about the game, but about what the game has
however, has not come without given to his players, as he sees soccer as much more than learning and
challenges or hard work. The successfully executing plays.
players practice day in and day
out and are faced with pressure “It’s not so much about the game. It’s more being disciplined, teach-
to perform to their best abilities. ing yourself discipline . . . being punctual [and the] responsibility that
However, despite the pressure and you have for your teammates on and off the field,” he said. “You don’t
all the work it takes to perform at learn that in regular life. If you’re a good coach, it should go past [the
such a high level, they compare program]. And I hope I was a good coach to these kids.”And from what
their bonds to that of a family. his former players had to say, he certainly was a good coach. Accord-
ing to senior forward Ryan Wittenbrink, Coach Bitta shaped him as a
Note: This story was last edited on Monday, Oct. 16, and will be updat- player:
ed on our website (www.lhsdoi.com) with postseason scores.

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““ Every day someone is looking at us as a

target. We’ve got a bullseye on our jer-
seys every game... It’s fun [being a nationally
ranked team], we’re embracing it, but it is a
““
little nerve wracking. COACH KEVIN THUNHOLM

“He instilled a lot of confidence in me because I played [on varsity] as

a sophomore. He made me a big part of the team at a younger age . . . He THUNHOLM TAKES OVER
was very easy to get along with---he got along with [all] the players re-
ally well. [He was] really personable and understanding of [the players’] After Coach Bitta retired, the team had to find a replacement. The new
perspective and our side of things, but at the same time, he definitely head coach, Mr. Kevin Thunholm, was coached by Bitta when he played
held us accountable.” soccer at LHS and has been coaching soccer for 10 years: four years at
Vernon Hills High School and the past six at LHS.

THE ROAD TO STATE - 2015 Bitta left a large impact on Thunholm as both a player and a coach:
“He’s taught me a lot . . . a lot of patience, not necessarily x’s and o’s
Going into the 2015 playoffs, Wittenbrink felt opposing teams viewed of the game, but just how to handle adversity with the players, families,
the Wildcats as an underdog, but all of their hard work from the season parents, what’s going on with school, all different aspects of not neces-
quickly prevailed. They defeated Evanston in the super-sectional by a sarily on the field, but how to do things around the community, how to
score of 1-0, which marked the soccer team’s first time making it down be a leader, and how to be a mentor,” Thunholm explained.
state since they placed second in the 2010 IHSA State Championship.
With both his knowledge as a past player and what he learned from Bit-
Coach Bitta continued to push the team going into their state playoff ta, Thunholm implemented notable changes to the team from the day he
game, knowing that they had worked all season for this moment. Coming started coaching. Giving the boys only a week of true summer vacation,
out of a close elimination game against Evanston, the team refused to let Thunholm began their preseason practices on June 1 and as a result, the
up, keeping their winning streak of 19 wins alive when they won against team has already seen a difference in their performance.
Quincy in the state finals with a score of 2-1.
Not only did the team’s preseason change, but their new playing tactics
“Obviously it wasn’t a straight and easy road. [We had] a lot of ups and have become more aggressive: “We’re much more athletic, we can run
downs, but obviously you have to have luck on your side and I think we for longer, [we have] more endurance and we get quicker goals and
had that,” Wittenbrink said. “We had a really good, talented team that score a lot more with the high press,” junior center forward Evan Ras-
play[ed] well during the playoffs.” mussen said.

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““ they’re kind of like a big family. They

know who the leaders are or they know
who to look [to] for strength and guid- ““
ance on and off the FIeld. COACH KEVIN THUNHOLM

is keeping the players fit by conditioning them a healthy amount.

This new tactic of a higher press is something many other teams don’t
typically do. When the opposing team’s defenders have the ball on
He intends to simplify his practices while still maintaining a competitive
the backline, most teams would sit back and allow for them to keep
aspect to things. Instead of practicing at their typical time of 3:30 right after
the ball, as it doesn’t pose a direct threat to them. Instead of allowing
school, once postseason begins, the team will practice in the evening; this
the other team’s defenders to keep the ball, Coach Thunholm makes
way, they will practice at the same time their games would be at.
his players take a more aggressive approach. He sends his outside
midfielders forward, which doesn’t allow the opponents to maintain
“I think we need to focus more on finishing the chances that we get .
defensive possession of the ball and in turn, can make them nervous.
. . because especially in the postseason, we’re gonna get less chances
This nervousness potentially allows for the Wildcats to quickly coun-
than [during the regular season], so they’re gonna be more valuable,”
terattack and have more scoring opportunities.
said junior center and defender Grant Herbek, explaining what the team
needs to do in order to perform well in the postseason.
TEAM UNDER PRESSURE The team, ranked No. 1 in its regional, started the playoffs on Tuesday,
Oct. 17. The State semifinals and final games are Nov. 3-4 at Hoffman
More so than in past years, it seems that there is a common friendship
Estates High School.
that unifies the team, according to both the players and Coach Thunholm.
“They all seem to get along very well. They like to hang out. Honestly, I
“I think we definitely have the potential to make it [to State] . . . but
know you hear [it] a lot, but they’re kind of like a big family. They know
obviously it depends on how we’re playing during the playoffs. Hopefully
who the leaders are or they know who to look for strength and guidance
we can keep on the upward trend of the quality we’re playing and keep
on and off the field,” Thumholm said. “We had some adversity in [a]
working hard to get there,” Wittenbrink said. “We’re working hard to try
game, and no one was bickering or anything. They were all supportive.
and have that happen again.”
So I think that’s the number one thing -- it’s the way they jell. If [any-
thing], they support each other instead of trying to one-up each other.”
WILDCAT
SOCCER
With all of the success the team has had and all of the recognition that
has resulted from it, there is pressure for them to constantly perform at
their best.

“We just try and stay calm and do what we’ve been doing all season,
and just try not to think anything of it really,” explained Rasmussen.
14-0-2
REGULAR SEA-
Not only is this pressure felt by the players, but it is also put upon the
coaches.
soN RECORD

“Every day someone is looking at us as a target. We’ve got a bullseye RANKED

#3
on our jerseys every game...It’s fun [being a nationally ranked team],
we’re embracing it, but it is a little nerve wracking,” Thumholm said.
“It’s a lot of pressure and I’m trying to take [it] off of those guys over
there and put it on my shoulders so that they can just go out and play.”

IN THE
SEEKING STATE NATION
Before he became head coach, Thunholm coached many of the current *AS OF OCT. 16
varsity players during their freshman years. As he has seen these play-
ers progress over the past few years, he doesn’t plan to change much
tactically as they enter the postseason, but he wants to make sure he

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