Ishaan Shah’s first goal on Wednesday came at a price for Warren.
Shah headed the ball into the net in the 35th minute to break a scoreless tie but collided with teammate Cael Harris and Zion-Benton goalkeeper Kurtis Gurtowski in midair.
Harris left the game with a broken nose, prompting Warren coach Jason Ahonen to shift Max Floriani from defensive midfielder to the back line to replace Harris. That removed a key weapon from the Blue Devils’ attack, since Floriani often plays up and creates scoring opportunities.
So after three close wins to start the season, Warren went into the second half with a 1-0 lead and seemingly reduced offensive strength.
But then Shah took over. The senior midfielder scored two more goals in a span of six minutes to give Warren breathing room in a 4-0 North Suburban Conference victory.
In the end, it was the most convincing win yet for the Blue Devils (4-0, 3-0), who opened the season with a 1-0 win against Grayslake Central and followed that with a 2-0 win against Lake Zurich and a 2-1 comeback victory against Stevenson.
“It’s really going to boost the confidence, just knowing that we have that ability to put the ball in the back of the net,” Shah said. “A lot of teams try to sit in against us and know how we play. They try to pack it in. It shows that we can still break teams down.”
Shah, an all-conference and all-area selection in 2019, recorded his first career hat trick in the win against the Zee-Bees (1-1, 0-1).
“It feels great,” Shah said. “Knowing that we got this opportunity, I’m trying to do my best. Everyone on the team, we’re trying to take advantage of the chances that we have here.”
Shah scored his second goal on a penalty kick just two minutes into the second half. Six minutes later, he broke free in the box on a corner kick by Sebastian Rodriguez and tapped the ball past Gurtowski from point-blank range.
“I’m really proud of him,” Floriani said of Shah. “I was really happy that he was able to get his three goals.”
Floriani, a Saint Louis commit, added his first goal of the season when he converted a free kick from 28 yards in the 51st minute.
Later in the second half, Ahonen pulled most of his starters to get his bench players some extended game action for the first time this season.
Ahonen said Shah, a four-year varsity player who had 12 goals and nine assists in 2019, is one of the most coachable and hardworking athletes he’s had.
“This senior class speaks for itself,” Ahonen said. “Ish is a big part of that. You know what you’re going to get every day from him. He’s a big piece of our success over the last three years. He’s tremendous.”
Nick Frazier is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.
