Elk Grove, Prospect ready
to battle for elusive win
Struggling Knights, Grens square off in MSL battle
By Ken Keenan
It's no secret that both Prospect and Elk Grove have struggled so far this season -- the two teams count only six overall wins combined heading into Tuesday night's Mid-Suburban League match in Elk Grove.
But each squad has shown signs that things are turning around. The Knights (2-13-1 overall, 0-8-0 conference) recorded their first win since Aug. 28 with a 2-1 upset of host Crystal Lake South on Saturday.
"We played a more consistent game against Crystal Lake South," said Prospect head coach Jason Cohen. "We minimized our mistakes, and when we made them we recovered quickly. We moved the ball and made smart decisions, and (junior goalkeeper) Nick Jozefowski did a great job in covering the net on some of our giveaways."
Senior forward Alex Whiteman and senior midfielder Jake Cavaiani scored Prospect's goals in the win, with junior forward Maciel Lojewski assisting on each tally. Also aiding the Knights' cause was the return from injury of senior defender Ian Lenke and junior defender Dan Marshall.
"Whiteman, Lenke, Marshall and (senior midfielder) Dominick Taldone bring a sense of organization and structure to our team," Cohen said. "Unfortunately, we have been without all of them for a very long stretch, and that has pressed our inexperienced players into the forefront. It has taken time for the others to adjust, but positively, every player on the squad has gained from their experience.
"We're keeping things simple -- make the smart and safe play, build up support and recover as a team. When things break down, it's usually because of individual pressing and non-organization. We're working to sustain our rate of play and discipline."
After its down-to-the-wire fight with Hersey, Elk Grove returned to action Friday and fell 5-0 to host and league leader Fremd, which nabbed a 1-0 lead in the first minute and never looked back.
"We certainly weren't ready to start the game -- you could get that feel on the bus and as we prepared," said Grenadiers head coach Rob Shepard. "We played pretty well until the 15-minute mark of the second half, and then had a defensive lapse followed by two fluky goals in a short amount of time. I also look back at the first goal, and see that as a catalyst for the result. We found ourselves chasing the entire game."
The Grenadiers (4-8-2, 1-8-0) battled once-beaten MSL rival Hersey (4-1-3) to a 0-0 standstill for 99 minutes Sept. 30 before falling 1-0 on a rebound goal with only 20.4 seconds remaining in the second overtime. When Prospect visits, Elk Grove will be chasing its first victory since posting a 3-2 win over Hoffman Estates on Sept. 26.
"Prospect seems to have found some of its swagger, and they'll be hungry for their first MSL win, for sure," said Shepard, who cited senior defender Dan Hadler, senior midfielder Ivan Corona, junior defender Connor Emmerich and freshman midfielder Joey Weber for consistently staying on course during the season's rough patches. "From our perspective, we need to continue to execute within our formation and properly space the field. We need to be ready from the opening whistle, and we need 80 minutes of continual work.
"Nothing is ever easy in this conference, and Prospect will push hard for the win. We need to match and exceed that effort."
Cohen had a similar take regarding his crew as it looks to mark two wins in a row.
"We will have to continue to work as a group, and each player has to handle their role," Cohen said. "Elk Grove is always formidable, and a strong test all over the field. They do a lot of good things to create and shut down opportunities. We need everyone to have focus, self-motivation and discipline."
to battle for elusive win
Struggling Knights, Grens square off in MSL battle
By Ken Keenan
It's no secret that both Prospect and Elk Grove have struggled so far this season -- the two teams count only six overall wins combined heading into Tuesday night's Mid-Suburban League match in Elk Grove.
But each squad has shown signs that things are turning around. The Knights (2-13-1 overall, 0-8-0 conference) recorded their first win since Aug. 28 with a 2-1 upset of host Crystal Lake South on Saturday.
"We played a more consistent game against Crystal Lake South," said Prospect head coach Jason Cohen. "We minimized our mistakes, and when we made them we recovered quickly. We moved the ball and made smart decisions, and (junior goalkeeper) Nick Jozefowski did a great job in covering the net on some of our giveaways."
Senior forward Alex Whiteman and senior midfielder Jake Cavaiani scored Prospect's goals in the win, with junior forward Maciel Lojewski assisting on each tally. Also aiding the Knights' cause was the return from injury of senior defender Ian Lenke and junior defender Dan Marshall.
"Whiteman, Lenke, Marshall and (senior midfielder) Dominick Taldone bring a sense of organization and structure to our team," Cohen said. "Unfortunately, we have been without all of them for a very long stretch, and that has pressed our inexperienced players into the forefront. It has taken time for the others to adjust, but positively, every player on the squad has gained from their experience.
"We're keeping things simple -- make the smart and safe play, build up support and recover as a team. When things break down, it's usually because of individual pressing and non-organization. We're working to sustain our rate of play and discipline."
After its down-to-the-wire fight with Hersey, Elk Grove returned to action Friday and fell 5-0 to host and league leader Fremd, which nabbed a 1-0 lead in the first minute and never looked back.
"We certainly weren't ready to start the game -- you could get that feel on the bus and as we prepared," said Grenadiers head coach Rob Shepard. "We played pretty well until the 15-minute mark of the second half, and then had a defensive lapse followed by two fluky goals in a short amount of time. I also look back at the first goal, and see that as a catalyst for the result. We found ourselves chasing the entire game."
The Grenadiers (4-8-2, 1-8-0) battled once-beaten MSL rival Hersey (4-1-3) to a 0-0 standstill for 99 minutes Sept. 30 before falling 1-0 on a rebound goal with only 20.4 seconds remaining in the second overtime. When Prospect visits, Elk Grove will be chasing its first victory since posting a 3-2 win over Hoffman Estates on Sept. 26.
"Prospect seems to have found some of its swagger, and they'll be hungry for their first MSL win, for sure," said Shepard, who cited senior defender Dan Hadler, senior midfielder Ivan Corona, junior defender Connor Emmerich and freshman midfielder Joey Weber for consistently staying on course during the season's rough patches. "From our perspective, we need to continue to execute within our formation and properly space the field. We need to be ready from the opening whistle, and we need 80 minutes of continual work.
"Nothing is ever easy in this conference, and Prospect will push hard for the win. We need to match and exceed that effort."
Cohen had a similar take regarding his crew as it looks to mark two wins in a row.
"We will have to continue to work as a group, and each player has to handle their role," Cohen said. "Elk Grove is always formidable, and a strong test all over the field. They do a lot of good things to create and shut down opportunities. We need everyone to have focus, self-motivation and discipline."