Summer success fans Niles West’s hopes for conference repeat

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Niles West's Daniel Rozen (right) returns to the midfield this season, where the Wolves lost two talented starters to graduation. | Buzz Orr~Sun-Times Media

Updated: November 4, 2011 5:14PM

The Niles West soccer team returns many key players from last year’s team that went 16-3-4 and won the CSL South.

On the other hand, the Wolves did lose arguably their three most influential players.

Midfielder Thomas Villamil (Illinois-Chicago) was an all-state and all-Midwest selection as a senior after scoring a team-high 16 goals and picking up five assists.

Villamil’s midfield mate David Dawod, an all-sectional selection, is now playing at North Park.

“They might have been the two best midfielders in the state combination-wise,” West head coach Scott Ackman said.

The Wolves also need to replace starting goalkeeper Danny Niedzielski, who was an honorable-mention all-sectional selection in 2010, who now is at Oakton.

Senior Dange Gillespie has been drafted in as the starting keeper after backing up Niedzielski last fall. Gillespie likely will need some time to settle into the starting role. Luckily, he is playing behind a vastly experienced backline.

Senior captain Michael Tabar, a central defender, anchors that unit. Seniors Lane Mita, also a captain, Justin Andrada and Erik Lopez, are three other returning backliners. Meanwhile, freshman Mario Ljubic is playing next to Tabar on D.

Sophomore Robert Ljubic, Mario’s older brother, is part of the midfield pairing looking to fill the big void left by the departures of Villmil and Dawod. The elder Ljubic did play on the varsity as a freshman last season. He is playing next to returning junior Robert Urosev, a captain.

Returning starter Danny Rozen, a junior, is back on one wing, while sophomore Pawel Dabek is playing on the other side.

The Wolves may attack down flanks more this season due to the inexperience in the middle. Niles West does return two talented forwards, however, neither has been available early in the campaign.

Senior Jaime Zepeda, last year’s second leading scorer, has been out with an injury, and promising sophomore Dzenan Nezirevic, the third leading scorer, is out of the country on a family trip.

Zepeda and Nezirevic formed a fine partnership over the summer when the Wolves finished fourth out of 32 teams at a tournament in Iowa and upended last year’s Iowa state champions.

“We were very good (at the tournament),” Ackman said. “Those two (Zapeda and Nezirevic) are a great attacking pair. When they come back, we’ll be in pretty good shape.”

In their absence, juniors Chris Tomuta and Sam Essa have been playing forward. Essa manned a wing throughout the summer and could move back to that position when the starters return.

Niles West will be looking to repeat as conference champions for the first time in program history. One thing the Wolves hope to change is their stay in the playoffs: Last year they fell to Mather in the sectional semifinal.

Results: The Wolves (1-2) opened this season with a 1-0 win over Barrington on Aug. 22. West then lost a pair of games in the Lake Park Tournament, falling 3-0 to the host Lancers Aug. 25 and dropping a 2-1 decision to Glenbard East on Saturday.

Niles West was scheduled to play three more games in the Lake Park tournament this week, including Wheaton North at 5 p.m. Thursday and Streamwood at 3 p.m Saturday.

The Wolves make their debut in the prestigious Pepsi Showdown when they host St. Rita at 6 p.m. Tuesday.