Prospect tips Elk Grove
in 'strange' MSL battle
Late goal by Soltys the difference
By Ken Keenan
MOUNT PROSPECT -- A first half downpour, a penalty kick, a red card
and only two officials to start the match all played a part in
Prospect's 2-1 win over Elk Grove in Mid-Suburban League action
Tuesday night.
Knights senior forward Eryk Soltys netted the game-winner, one-timing
a beautiful cross from senior forward Ross LaCamera with 8:07 left in
the second half to snap a 1-1 tie. LaCamera also opened the scoring,
delivering on a penalty kick 10 minutes into the contest (with one
official not yet on the field) during a driving rainstorm.
"The weather made an impact -- it was a little harder to gain
possession," said Elk Grove sophomore midfielder Joey Weber, who saw
his team fall to 2-2-0 in its first conference match of
the 2015 campaign.
Elk Grove sophomore forward Misa Contreras evened things up when he
headed in a perfectly placed free kick by senior midfielder Oscar
Suarez with 32:57 to go in the match. Pressing for the equalizer, the
Grenadiers were forced to play a man short over the final 6:39 after
junior defender Noe Centeno was issued a red card following a
collision.
"It was an interesting game ... a little strange," said Prospect head
coach Paul Elkins, whose team improved to 3-2-0 overall and 1-1 in
conference play with the win. "It was back and forth, and there was
some atypical stuff -- the rain, the two referees, the penalty kick.
Eventually, we came out with the win."
The penalty kick came after Prospect senior forward Yarko Snihuri
tracked down a long ball and was fouled on a breakaway. LaCamera then
buried the PK into the top right corner past Grenadiers senior
goalkeeper Dylan Ingebrigsten for a 1-0 lead.
"The penalty kick set the tone," Weber said. "But in the end, we have
to put away our chances, and that's something we can improve upon."
One of those chances came in the fifth minute. After a throw-in,
Suarez found senior forward Edgar Soto, whose shot was stopped by
Prospect senior keeper Nick Jozefowski as rain swept across the field.
Just prior to the PK, Elk Grove junior midfielder Danny Martinez
scooted a shot wide left after settling a free kick by senior defender
Connor Emmerich.
Speedy Grenadiers forward Edgar Soto had a close-in try in the 19th
minute, but Prospect's defense -- led by junior Grant Whitebloom,
Chicagoland Soccer's Man of the Match -- teamed up to block Soto's
shot. Less than two minutes later, Soto fed Suarez, who weaved through
traffic before being denied a shot by Whitebloom and Co.
"He's a brick wall -- nothing gets by (Whitebloom)," LaCamera said.
"He also gets into the attack."
After stealing a ball in the 24th minute, Whitebloom -- who also plays
baseball and basketball for the Knights -- rifled a long shot wide.
With 2:15 to go before the break, he set up senior middie Celso Soto,
whose low shot from 25 yards out hit the left post.
"(Whitebloom is) kind of our unsung hero," Elkins said. "You can count
on him being a 100-percent competitor at all times. He's a rock back
there (on defense) for us."
Whitebloom said, "It was a team effort. Everyone played good 'D,' from
the defense to the midfielders to the forwards. It was a physical
game, both sides. We had to play a full 80 minutes to get the job
done."
Added Soltys: "(Elk Grove) wanted it just as bad as we did. Our second
goal really lifted the team."
LaCamera started the play with a corner kick, which found senior
forward Chris Cooney. Cooney lost the handle, but LaCamera recovered
the ball, and zipped a pass to Soltys, who cut in from the right side
and banged it home.
"It was a great ball by Ross (LaCamera)," Elkins said. "He played it
across to the front, and Eryk (Soltys) gave everything he had to
finish it off."
Soltys, who also hit the crossbar on a header off of a free kick by
LaCamera in the 76th minute, said, "It was really packed in the
middle, so I looped around an outside defender and broke free, and
Ross delivered a perfect cross."
Added LaCamera: "I saw him moving out of the corner of my eye, and he
was able to tip it in."
Elk Grove's lone goal was a thing of beauty as well. Lining up a free
kick from a wide angle on the right side, Suarez floated the ball into
the box, where Contreras was in just the right spot to head it in.
"The second half, we made some adjustments, and we were more
dangerous," said Elk Grove head coach Rob Shepard. "And our backs did
a good job. Weber, he's undersized, but he isn't afraid to challenge
anyone out there. (Jerry) Benitez, did a nice job out there as well."
Benitez, a senior defender, was a Johnny-on-the-spot all night,
clearing several balls out of danger -- especially during the
rain-soaked first half. He also displayed strong passing skills in the
midfield, looking to spring Suarez and Soto on the attack.
"I thought we all did a good job in the back," Benitez said. "Connor
(Emmerich, also a senior defender) and I were talking a lot, keeping
it solid back there on the 'D.' "
Weber said, "We fought hard. I'm proud of our effort, but to lose is
very disappointing."
Added Shepard: "A PK call with two officials, then the red card. It
was frustrating. The effort was there, but there are no moral victories.
That's always been my mantra. There are things we can improve on."
Elkins said, "It was a very hard-fought game. Elk Grove was dangerous,
and we were fortunate to get that last goal. It's important to win
these one-goal games -- and it was very important for us to stay above
.500, because we talked about keeping our good start."
LaCamera said he got the message, loud and clear.
"It feels good to have a winning record," he said. "Now we have to
keep it going."
Starting lineups
Elk Grove
GK: Dylan Ingebrigsten
D: Jerry Benitez
D: Noe Centeno
D: Connor Emmerich
D: Memo Contreras
M: Joey Weber
M: Oscar Suarez
M: Danny Martinez
M: Ronaldo Olague
F: Edgar Soto
F: Charlie Konsolakis
Prospect
GK: Nick Jozefowski
D: Yarko Snihuri
D: Patrick Walsh
D: James Estrella
D: Grant Whitebloom
M: Scott Gumowski
M: Nick Kosla
M: Max Pacini
F: Elai Kobayashi-Solomon
F: Ross LaCamera
F: Felipe Campos
Man of the Match: Grant Whitebloom, D, Prospect
Officials: George Albig, Mike Davros, Marcin Sierik
in 'strange' MSL battle
Late goal by Soltys the difference
By Ken Keenan
MOUNT PROSPECT -- A first half downpour, a penalty kick, a red card
and only two officials to start the match all played a part in
Prospect's 2-1 win over Elk Grove in Mid-Suburban League action
Tuesday night.
Knights senior forward Eryk Soltys netted the game-winner, one-timing
a beautiful cross from senior forward Ross LaCamera with 8:07 left in
the second half to snap a 1-1 tie. LaCamera also opened the scoring,
delivering on a penalty kick 10 minutes into the contest (with one
official not yet on the field) during a driving rainstorm.
"The weather made an impact -- it was a little harder to gain
possession," said Elk Grove sophomore midfielder Joey Weber, who saw
his team fall to 2-2-0 in its first conference match of
the 2015 campaign.
Elk Grove sophomore forward Misa Contreras evened things up when he
headed in a perfectly placed free kick by senior midfielder Oscar
Suarez with 32:57 to go in the match. Pressing for the equalizer, the
Grenadiers were forced to play a man short over the final 6:39 after
junior defender Noe Centeno was issued a red card following a
collision.
"It was an interesting game ... a little strange," said Prospect head
coach Paul Elkins, whose team improved to 3-2-0 overall and 1-1 in
conference play with the win. "It was back and forth, and there was
some atypical stuff -- the rain, the two referees, the penalty kick.
Eventually, we came out with the win."
The penalty kick came after Prospect senior forward Yarko Snihuri
tracked down a long ball and was fouled on a breakaway. LaCamera then
buried the PK into the top right corner past Grenadiers senior
goalkeeper Dylan Ingebrigsten for a 1-0 lead.
"The penalty kick set the tone," Weber said. "But in the end, we have
to put away our chances, and that's something we can improve upon."
One of those chances came in the fifth minute. After a throw-in,
Suarez found senior forward Edgar Soto, whose shot was stopped by
Prospect senior keeper Nick Jozefowski as rain swept across the field.
Just prior to the PK, Elk Grove junior midfielder Danny Martinez
scooted a shot wide left after settling a free kick by senior defender
Connor Emmerich.
Speedy Grenadiers forward Edgar Soto had a close-in try in the 19th
minute, but Prospect's defense -- led by junior Grant Whitebloom,
Chicagoland Soccer's Man of the Match -- teamed up to block Soto's
shot. Less than two minutes later, Soto fed Suarez, who weaved through
traffic before being denied a shot by Whitebloom and Co.
"He's a brick wall -- nothing gets by (Whitebloom)," LaCamera said.
"He also gets into the attack."
After stealing a ball in the 24th minute, Whitebloom -- who also plays
baseball and basketball for the Knights -- rifled a long shot wide.
With 2:15 to go before the break, he set up senior middie Celso Soto,
whose low shot from 25 yards out hit the left post.
"(Whitebloom is) kind of our unsung hero," Elkins said. "You can count
on him being a 100-percent competitor at all times. He's a rock back
there (on defense) for us."
Whitebloom said, "It was a team effort. Everyone played good 'D,' from
the defense to the midfielders to the forwards. It was a physical
game, both sides. We had to play a full 80 minutes to get the job
done."
Added Soltys: "(Elk Grove) wanted it just as bad as we did. Our second
goal really lifted the team."
LaCamera started the play with a corner kick, which found senior
forward Chris Cooney. Cooney lost the handle, but LaCamera recovered
the ball, and zipped a pass to Soltys, who cut in from the right side
and banged it home.
"It was a great ball by Ross (LaCamera)," Elkins said. "He played it
across to the front, and Eryk (Soltys) gave everything he had to
finish it off."
Soltys, who also hit the crossbar on a header off of a free kick by
LaCamera in the 76th minute, said, "It was really packed in the
middle, so I looped around an outside defender and broke free, and
Ross delivered a perfect cross."
Added LaCamera: "I saw him moving out of the corner of my eye, and he
was able to tip it in."
Elk Grove's lone goal was a thing of beauty as well. Lining up a free
kick from a wide angle on the right side, Suarez floated the ball into
the box, where Contreras was in just the right spot to head it in.
"The second half, we made some adjustments, and we were more
dangerous," said Elk Grove head coach Rob Shepard. "And our backs did
a good job. Weber, he's undersized, but he isn't afraid to challenge
anyone out there. (Jerry) Benitez, did a nice job out there as well."
Benitez, a senior defender, was a Johnny-on-the-spot all night,
clearing several balls out of danger -- especially during the
rain-soaked first half. He also displayed strong passing skills in the
midfield, looking to spring Suarez and Soto on the attack.
"I thought we all did a good job in the back," Benitez said. "Connor
(Emmerich, also a senior defender) and I were talking a lot, keeping
it solid back there on the 'D.' "
Weber said, "We fought hard. I'm proud of our effort, but to lose is
very disappointing."
Added Shepard: "A PK call with two officials, then the red card. It
was frustrating. The effort was there, but there are no moral victories.
That's always been my mantra. There are things we can improve on."
Elkins said, "It was a very hard-fought game. Elk Grove was dangerous,
and we were fortunate to get that last goal. It's important to win
these one-goal games -- and it was very important for us to stay above
.500, because we talked about keeping our good start."
LaCamera said he got the message, loud and clear.
"It feels good to have a winning record," he said. "Now we have to
keep it going."
Starting lineups
Elk Grove
GK: Dylan Ingebrigsten
D: Jerry Benitez
D: Noe Centeno
D: Connor Emmerich
D: Memo Contreras
M: Joey Weber
M: Oscar Suarez
M: Danny Martinez
M: Ronaldo Olague
F: Edgar Soto
F: Charlie Konsolakis
Prospect
GK: Nick Jozefowski
D: Yarko Snihuri
D: Patrick Walsh
D: James Estrella
D: Grant Whitebloom
M: Scott Gumowski
M: Nick Kosla
M: Max Pacini
F: Elai Kobayashi-Solomon
F: Ross LaCamera
F: Felipe Campos
Man of the Match: Grant Whitebloom, D, Prospect
Officials: George Albig, Mike Davros, Marcin Sierik