Beardmore: Injuries sideline St. Charles East grad Bren’s freshman season

Just when Jonny Bren was ready to return from a back injury that had sidelined him for nearly a month, a badly sprained ankle suffered last Friday once again delayed his return to the North Central lineup.

It’s just been one of those seasons for the former St. Charles East soccer standout.

Bren knew that a number of new experiences awaited him during his freshman year in college, yet little did he know he’d spend more of his time in the chiropractor’s office and training room than on the field for the Cardinals.

This is the first time Bren has been sidelined for an extended period because of injury.

“It’s tough to just watch and not be able to play,” he said Sept. 23 – 10 days after he last appeared in a game, a 2-1 victory over Concordia. “The chiropractor assured me that it just needs time to get the strength back. It will be nice once it’s fully healed. I’ve been trying to play when it’s not fine.”

Bren suffered strained back muscles this summer during North Central’s camp – an injury that first occurred during the end of his senior season at East – but he still broke into the Cardinals’ starting lineup for the team’s first three contests, notching his first two goals in a 5-0 home-opening victory over Rockford College on Sept. 7.

“That’s what Jonny’s capable of,” said North Central coach Matt Klosterman, who also coached Bren for one year on the Fox Valley Strikers. “He’s one of the few kids that I can remember just thinking that he’s probably going to score every game. He sort of has a knack for making things work out.”

His ability to physically overpower opponents, sneak up on defenders, and like Klosterman said, “attack every 50-50 ball like the other guy isn’t there,” makes Bren a tough cover for any defense.

“When you’re in the goal box, it’s all about getting the ball in the goal,” Bren said. “You can’t get too worried about getting injured.”

Bren’s focus this summer wasn’t his back or East’s heartbreaking 1-0 loss to Leyden in last season’s Class 3A Glenbard North Regional championship – a defeat you’ll find out still irks him if you mention how that match was lost in the final five minutes – but rather on a running program that had him hitting the pavement three times a week.

“I didn’t just run to run – I ran to push myself,” he said.

Klosterman couldn’t have been more pleased with how Bren prepared himself for the rigors of his first collegiate season.

“Jonny’s the fittest he’s been in his life,” he said. “It makes the transition (from high school) a lot more seamless when you come in that fit and are able to handle the demands of everyday practice.”

Bren finally was healthy enough to play last week when injury struck. Again. He missed Saturday’s 2-all draw versus Illinois Wesleyan, and Klosterman responded by email Monday night that there was just a slight chance the freshman forward would play in Wednesday’s matchup against Elmhurst.

“Jonny’s not the kind of guy that really gets down about too much,” Klosterman said. “... If there’s rehab he needs to do, he goes out there and is very proactive about getting healthy.”

Bren just hopes that happens soon.
 
• Matt Beardmore writes a weekly On Campus column for the Kane County Chronicle about area athletes competing in college. If you have a column idea, contact him at matt.beardmore@gmail.com.