Wide latitude for Wadowski
Sophomore central defender has ‘green light,’ scores first goal in Chesterton’s 2-0 win
Josh Wadowski’s goal didn’t come as a surprise.
Starting at central defender, the sophomore put Chesterton on the board Wednesday night in a 2-0 Duneland Athletic Conference win against visiting Valparaiso.
“I make that run all the time in practice and scrimmages,” Wadowski said. “It was there in the game, so I just took it.
“I saw an opening, and I just took it. I saw the players cheating and just cut in. We hadn’t tested the goalie yet all game, so I just took a shot.”
When Wadowski scored with 10 minutes left in the first half on an assist from junior midfielder Liam Grimes, he had pushed wide to left defender.
“We give Josh the green light to move forward,” Chesterton coach Lucas Sabedra said. “We’re not going to pull the reins on him when he has the ability to score goals.
“He’s been doing that in practice this whole summer. We know what he can do and bring to the table offensively is pretty special.”
Senior forward Zack Bowser also scored for Chesterton (3-0, 2-0), which is ranked No. 3 in the Class 3A state coaches poll.
The Vikings (1-1, 1-1) competed well, pleasing first-year coach Mike Enghofer.
“We rose to the occasion,” he said. “It’s easy to come to their house and be intimidated, but we didn’t show that at all. We came in and played. For the first time, we were able to publicize our brand of soccer.
“It’s a funny game. You can have the better 30 minutes, then one or two plays can change the game. Obviously you want to win, and it’s a tough pill to swallow because you feel like you had a chance. But it’s early, and we’re going to get better.”
Bowser, who scored 46 goals over the past two seasons, gave Chesterton a 2-0 lead with 28 minutes left in the game. Facing consistent double-teams, he had been relatively quiet before all but sealing the win for the Trojans.
“He’s one of those players, you know he’s going to have his moments,” Enghofer said of Bowser. “He has that quality. If you can limit him and not make it easy for him, that’s a win. He still managed to get on the score sheet. But he didn’t have his way. I’m happy with the way we dealt with him.”
Sabedra liked the way his team responded as a group.
“They had that high press as soon as we touched the ball, so our key players didn’t have time or space to do much,” he said. “But in those moments, we came together as a team and got the ball moving. That’s what defines this team — our unity and how we move the ball.
“It was the first game we were tested in a very physical matchup, and against an organized and disciplined defense. It was good to see what we were capable of when our backs were against the wall.”
Chesterton’s standout senior goalkeeper, Charlie Eaton, made three saves to record the shutout. Two stops were particularly difficult.
“You have to give credit to Charlie — he made some unbelievable saves,” Enghofer said. “That might’ve been the difference in the game, but that’s what big-time players do.
“If you’re in green or maroon or a neutral, it was a fun game. That’s what you say walking away from it. The rivalry’s on now, right? We’re just trying to do our part.”