Crystal Lake South holds on
for 3-2 victory over WWS
Gators gain first victory of season in Barrington Classic opener
By Derek Wolff
BARRINGTON — After two ties to start the season, the final seconds of Monday afternoon’s tilt with Wheaton Warrenville South must have passed agonizingly slow for the Crystal Lake South players.
They certainly did for Gators head coach Brian Allen, who watched a two-goal lead at the half quickly cut to one and sweated out the final moments of a four-minute stoppage-time session in a 3-2 win.
“First win of the season is always great, get the monkey off the back,” Allen said. “To do it against a class program, a class coach like Guy (Callipari) means that much more.”
Trailing 3-1 at the half, Wheaton Warrenville South forward Danny Jiminez cashed in on a loose ball off a corner in the 45th minute to cut the gap to one.
The Gators (1-0-2) defense had to hold things together down the stretch to preserve the victory, clearing what looked like the equalizer off the goal line in the 67th minute.
Allen started his third different lineup in as many games and said that it was a learning experience as guys compete for spots. Still, he was grateful to hold out for the victory.
“We didn’t make it easy on ourselves,” Allen said. “There are areas for opportunity too, because we want to get better each week and we could have closed it with a fourth goal. We can’t give up set-piece goals so there are areas to improve on but absolutely, first one feels good.”
Victor Brito, Chicagoland Soccer’s Man of the Match, delivered what wound up being the game-winner in the 32nd minute on a left-footed strike from about 35 yards out.
Brito pounced on a loose ball and sent it on net, with the floater catching Tigers goalkeeper Adam Mrzlak off his line.
The goal gave the Gators some breathing room at 3-1.
“I have no idea,” Brito said, on why he took the shot from that distance. “I just kind of took it. At first it was a pass, but it was intercepted so I just saw it and took the shot.”
Brito came off the bench for the third-straight game and put in quality minutes. Allen praised his confidence to shoot on a broken play.
“That was huge for Victor,” Allen said. “We just want players with confidence who aren’t afraid to pull the trigger. Maybe he hits the screen one day, but today he scored a goal and it wound up holding for the game-winner so that was huge.”
Crystal Lake South wasted no time getting on the board with two quick strikes in the first six minutes of the first half.
Jeff Kirshenbaum drove into the left side of the 18 in the second minute, ringing one off the post before following up on his shot to best Mrzlak.
Nikolas Getzinger doubled the lead in the sixth minute after Andrew Grabowski dribbled around two defenders on the right side of the 18 and fed a perfect low cross for Getzinger to tap in.
“I was on the endline," Grabowski said. "I knew I had no angle to score so with someone right there calling for the ball, I just played it back in.”
Wheaton Warrenville South (0-3-0) put the pressure on for the next 10 minutes and scored on their fifth-of-eight, first-half corner kicks in the 15th minute.
Carlos Moyoti-Rosas spun a left-footed kick into the box, connecting with a leaping Jackson Keske, whose header cut the lead in half.
“I just saw that he was open, and I was trying to find him and I did,” Moyoti-Rosas said.
Wheaton Warrenville South's first half goal opportunities included one from Felipe Speraggi in the 34th minute. He dribbled around Crystal Lake South goalkeeper Spencer Traub only to see senior defender Jake Canfield clear the ball off the goal line.
The Tigers earned 10 corners throughout the game and had chances to equalize in the second half but were unable to complete the comeback.
Head coach Guy Callipari said slow starts have hindered the Tigers thus far and have left them winless in three tries.
“We’ve got to stop creating such a deficit early on,” Callipari said. “We don’t come out sharp enough, we just seemed so complacent. The first couple of goals were kinda soft, playing through tackles, running through tackles. We didn’t quite acclimate to the physicality or the hunt, and the want that the other team possessed early on and we’re down 2-0.”
The Tigers finished with 12 shots, a number that displays an improving effort, Callipari said.
“That’s a good indication that we are pressuring, that we are getting deep enough," he said. "They’re making a last-ditch effort to knock it over the endline. We’re creating, and we’re threatening in the final third.”
The Tigers have been too generous to opposing offenses so far and will look to rebound Wednesday against Warren (1-1-1), a 2-1 winner against St. Charles North on Monday.
“We have to stop the bleeding a little bit,” Callipari said. “Nine goals in three games is a bit hefty on that side of the ball and on the other side we’ve just got to take care of business. We missed some sitters, and we’ve just got to be a little more comfortable and composed in that moment and have a clear picture of what we need to do. They’re young, they’ll find a way.”
Crystal Lake South will meet St. Charles North on Wednesday with a newfound confidence after its first win of the season, Brito said.
“It gave us a huge boost in confidence, since at first we were down (emotionally)" Brito said. "But we just all talked it through, and this game showed that we can work as a team and get wins."
Starting lineups
Crystal Lake South
GK Spencer Traub
D Nick Langdon
D Jake Canfield
D Jeff Kirshenbaum
D Ryan Yazel
D Zach Schmidt
MF Mike Woeste
MF Carlos Merida
MF Skyler Pentico
MF Ryan Coughlin
F Andrew Grabowski
Wheaton Warrenville South
GK Adam Mrzlak
D Jackson Keske
D Chris Stamatopoulos
D Cesar Bucio
D Charlie Kerby
MF Mark Chrisostomo
MF Anthony Berardi
MF Carlos Moyoti-Rosas
MF Kyle Faith
F Felipe Speraggi
F Danny Jiminez
Man of the Match: Victor Brito, MF, Crystal Lake South
Scoring
CLS 3 0-3
WWS 1 1-2
CLS: Kirschenbaum 2’, Getzinger 6’, Brito 32’
WWS: Keske 15’, Jiminez 45’
for 3-2 victory over WWS
Gators gain first victory of season in Barrington Classic opener
By Derek Wolff
BARRINGTON — After two ties to start the season, the final seconds of Monday afternoon’s tilt with Wheaton Warrenville South must have passed agonizingly slow for the Crystal Lake South players.
They certainly did for Gators head coach Brian Allen, who watched a two-goal lead at the half quickly cut to one and sweated out the final moments of a four-minute stoppage-time session in a 3-2 win.
“First win of the season is always great, get the monkey off the back,” Allen said. “To do it against a class program, a class coach like Guy (Callipari) means that much more.”
Trailing 3-1 at the half, Wheaton Warrenville South forward Danny Jiminez cashed in on a loose ball off a corner in the 45th minute to cut the gap to one.
The Gators (1-0-2) defense had to hold things together down the stretch to preserve the victory, clearing what looked like the equalizer off the goal line in the 67th minute.
Allen started his third different lineup in as many games and said that it was a learning experience as guys compete for spots. Still, he was grateful to hold out for the victory.
“We didn’t make it easy on ourselves,” Allen said. “There are areas for opportunity too, because we want to get better each week and we could have closed it with a fourth goal. We can’t give up set-piece goals so there are areas to improve on but absolutely, first one feels good.”
Victor Brito, Chicagoland Soccer’s Man of the Match, delivered what wound up being the game-winner in the 32nd minute on a left-footed strike from about 35 yards out.
Brito pounced on a loose ball and sent it on net, with the floater catching Tigers goalkeeper Adam Mrzlak off his line.
The goal gave the Gators some breathing room at 3-1.
“I have no idea,” Brito said, on why he took the shot from that distance. “I just kind of took it. At first it was a pass, but it was intercepted so I just saw it and took the shot.”
Brito came off the bench for the third-straight game and put in quality minutes. Allen praised his confidence to shoot on a broken play.
“That was huge for Victor,” Allen said. “We just want players with confidence who aren’t afraid to pull the trigger. Maybe he hits the screen one day, but today he scored a goal and it wound up holding for the game-winner so that was huge.”
Crystal Lake South wasted no time getting on the board with two quick strikes in the first six minutes of the first half.
Jeff Kirshenbaum drove into the left side of the 18 in the second minute, ringing one off the post before following up on his shot to best Mrzlak.
Nikolas Getzinger doubled the lead in the sixth minute after Andrew Grabowski dribbled around two defenders on the right side of the 18 and fed a perfect low cross for Getzinger to tap in.
“I was on the endline," Grabowski said. "I knew I had no angle to score so with someone right there calling for the ball, I just played it back in.”
Wheaton Warrenville South (0-3-0) put the pressure on for the next 10 minutes and scored on their fifth-of-eight, first-half corner kicks in the 15th minute.
Carlos Moyoti-Rosas spun a left-footed kick into the box, connecting with a leaping Jackson Keske, whose header cut the lead in half.
“I just saw that he was open, and I was trying to find him and I did,” Moyoti-Rosas said.
Wheaton Warrenville South's first half goal opportunities included one from Felipe Speraggi in the 34th minute. He dribbled around Crystal Lake South goalkeeper Spencer Traub only to see senior defender Jake Canfield clear the ball off the goal line.
The Tigers earned 10 corners throughout the game and had chances to equalize in the second half but were unable to complete the comeback.
Head coach Guy Callipari said slow starts have hindered the Tigers thus far and have left them winless in three tries.
“We’ve got to stop creating such a deficit early on,” Callipari said. “We don’t come out sharp enough, we just seemed so complacent. The first couple of goals were kinda soft, playing through tackles, running through tackles. We didn’t quite acclimate to the physicality or the hunt, and the want that the other team possessed early on and we’re down 2-0.”
The Tigers finished with 12 shots, a number that displays an improving effort, Callipari said.
“That’s a good indication that we are pressuring, that we are getting deep enough," he said. "They’re making a last-ditch effort to knock it over the endline. We’re creating, and we’re threatening in the final third.”
The Tigers have been too generous to opposing offenses so far and will look to rebound Wednesday against Warren (1-1-1), a 2-1 winner against St. Charles North on Monday.
“We have to stop the bleeding a little bit,” Callipari said. “Nine goals in three games is a bit hefty on that side of the ball and on the other side we’ve just got to take care of business. We missed some sitters, and we’ve just got to be a little more comfortable and composed in that moment and have a clear picture of what we need to do. They’re young, they’ll find a way.”
Crystal Lake South will meet St. Charles North on Wednesday with a newfound confidence after its first win of the season, Brito said.
“It gave us a huge boost in confidence, since at first we were down (emotionally)" Brito said. "But we just all talked it through, and this game showed that we can work as a team and get wins."
Starting lineups
Crystal Lake South
GK Spencer Traub
D Nick Langdon
D Jake Canfield
D Jeff Kirshenbaum
D Ryan Yazel
D Zach Schmidt
MF Mike Woeste
MF Carlos Merida
MF Skyler Pentico
MF Ryan Coughlin
F Andrew Grabowski
Wheaton Warrenville South
GK Adam Mrzlak
D Jackson Keske
D Chris Stamatopoulos
D Cesar Bucio
D Charlie Kerby
MF Mark Chrisostomo
MF Anthony Berardi
MF Carlos Moyoti-Rosas
MF Kyle Faith
F Felipe Speraggi
F Danny Jiminez
Man of the Match: Victor Brito, MF, Crystal Lake South
Scoring
CLS 3 0-3
WWS 1 1-2
CLS: Kirschenbaum 2’, Getzinger 6’, Brito 32’
WWS: Keske 15’, Jiminez 45’