Prospect's Cooney a natural against Hersey
2nd half hat trick and assist overcome 2-0 Knights deficit
By Dave Owen
MT. PROSPECT - Hersey’s roller coaster ride game against Fremd required four days, but had a happy ending.
The Huskies’ next ride Tuesday at Prospect had a costly injury and a less-than-ideal finish.
After rallying from a 2-0 deficit to beat Fremd 3-2 in overtime in Monday’s conclusion of a match suspended by lightning four days earlier, Hersey (3-5-4) endured almost the exact opposite ending 24 hours later against the Knights (4-5-0).
Up 2-0 with 34 minutes left, the Huskies were stung by a natural hat trick by Prospect’s Chris Cooney over the next 18 minutes in a tough 4-2 loss.
“Overall I would say the energy from yesterday’s game helped a lot with our start,” Hersey assistant coach Mike Rusniak said. “And then I think as a team we got a little complacent, forgot to play our soccer and continue the things that have been working for us.”
Health didn’t work in the Huskies’ favor, either. Standout midfielder Christian Castro limped off the field with a left foot injury with 23:19 to play and his team ahead 2-1.
Just over seven minutes later, Prospect led 3-2 as Hersey struggled to adjust to shifting roles in Castro’s absence.
“After the injury to one of our captains Christian Castro, we just lost our place and everyone started arguing about who’s who and what we were supposed to do,” Hersey junior Saul Casillas. “That really doesn’t help a team at all. We just lost our place right there.”
Everything seemed to fall into place until then for the Huskies, who continued to ride the momentum of Monday.
Alex Filian sent a 32-yard shot over the net in the 11th minute. Then with 20:35 until halftime, Filian broke wide open off a Jesse Lopez pass but lined a 15-yard try over the net.
The next Hersey chance generated by a Daniel Gritt attack to the right endline with 15:05 left in the half would pay off.
Gritt’s play produced a Filian corner kick that was initially batted away by Prospect goalkeeper Nicolas Jozefowski. But Casillas controlled the clearing attempt, turned into a sliver of daylight and lined a 10-yard shot inside the left post for a 1-0 Hersey lead.
“I saw the ball on the side and thought why not take a shot,” Casillas said.
On the other end of the field Hersey goalkeeper Brett Harris dove to cover a Nico Mho cross 13 minutes before the half, then outfought Dominik Limanowka for a long ball to the top of the box five minutes later.
The Huskies maintained their offensive pressure as Jozefowski barely beat Thomas Skiba to the ball on a nice send by Filian at 7:05.
Then just 1:10 before the half, passes by Evan Johnson and Casillas set up Lopez’s 12-yard straight-on shot that went just wide.
Even down 1-0, Prospect coach Paul Elkins liked his team’s chances.
“I told the guys at halftime that we played well and created a lot of chances, but we didn’t have that finishing touch in the first half,” Elkins said. “I knew this team (Hersey) had played five games in six days or something like that, and I said if we keep pushing, keep moving the ball and making them work, eventually we put one in, and they’re going to be tired. And that’s what happened.”
But not for a while.
The Huskies showed no signs of fatigue in the first six minutes of the second half. Jozefowski went over Casillas to bat away a cross to the crease three minutes in, then Filian sent a shot just wide off a Skiba feed.
Then with 34:26 on the clock, Casillas was fouled just outside the box. Castro took the ensuing 20-yard free kick, and Skiba stepped in front of the goalkeeper to deflect the high ball into the net for a 2-0 Hersey lead.
While Hersey celebrated and seemingly was in control, Prospect’s Cooney was preparing for a big answer.
“They’re a good team,” Cooney said, “but we didn’t think on either of their goals they beat us – they just had a few little dink-ins. We had been possessing the entire game, and all we had to do was put it in the back of the net.
“I decided to take some initiative and keep going forward. I got hit a few times and that helped. That got us all going.”
After a nice clear by Hersey’s Jack Rasmussen of an initial Prospect attack, Cooney raced into the box for a loose ball 30 seconds later and was tripped. His ensuing penalty kick made it 2-1 with 33:18 left.
Castro stepped up with a nice block of Cooney’s 25-yard shot with 26:40 left. But Castro’s exit due to injury just over three minutes later left the Huskies to adjust on the fly to his absence.
Cooney allowed no such time. With 21:28 left, he raced up the middle, nicely sidestepped two defenders and lined a tying 15-yard goal into the net.
“The second goal I knew the guy in the middle was cheating on me, so I decided to take him on rather than pass it off,” Cooney said. “At that point I had some momentum, and I actually know a lot of players on this (Hersey) team.
“The defender that I beat at the last moment is one of my teammates on club, so I knew him from that. I decided he would think I would go with my strong foot, so I went left and caught him off guard.”
A nice Steven Custer steal in deep denied Cooney’s chance with 16:25 to play. But the relentless Prospect forward was right back for more at 15:39.
On a powerful direct kick by Prospect’s James Estrella from 70 yards away, Cooney had a step on a Hersey defender near the top of the box and lined a 20-yarder into the upper part of the net for a 3-2 Prospect lead.
Elkins summed up the quick succession of events that sent Hersey from in command to in a hole.
“Chris won the penalty kick, and then he scored that second goal with just a great individual run,” Elkins said. “Then I could sense that their team was slow to recover and slow to stay organized.
“I think we just broke their spirit a little bit in the second half. I knew they’re a better team than they showed in the second half, but our guys kept fighting. I give our guys a lot of credit to keep fighting like that being down 2-0. We played really well.”
Hersey tried to answer. Skiba sent a header on goal off a Gritt throw-in with 14:50 left, and two-consecutive Skiba corner kicks followed in the next two minutes.
But with 9:26 to go, Prospect struck again for a 4-2 lead. As Cooney again burst up the middle, he passed to Limanowka for an 18-yard liner into the upper right hand corner of the net.
With head coach Darren Llewellyn lost after getting an unexpected red card for justifiably arguing a foul in the win over Fremd, Hersey persevered to build a 2-0 lead. But Prospect’s late response and the loss of Castro were too much for a virtually all-underclassmen Huskies squad.
“We still remain young,” Rusniak said, “and at times our discipline on the field and the structure of our formations isn’t as consistent as it needs to be. So we’ll use this as a learning opportunity and a growing opportunity.”
A hectic week of soccer had to add to the challenge, but Casillas dodged any excuses.
“Being down 2-0 and then winning in overtime, we thought we had this in the bag,” Casillas said. “Everyone told us we can’t just come into this game and think it’s going to be an easy one. We have to give 100 percent all the time.
“We have to find a leader in our group, and just keep practicing harder and better to beat these better teams right now. We’re a younger team full of juniors and some sophomores and a freshman.”
Down 4-2, Hersey tried to answer with 2:30 left on a Kevin Roman pass to Casillas. But the junior’s 25-yard shot was stopped at the left post by Jozefowski for the game’s final scoring chance.
“Prospect played a great game,” Rusniak said. “They’re strong, and at times they showed they wanted it more. And that’s what will win a soccer game.”
After leading his team’s rally over its nearby conference rival, Cooney had praise for both sides.
“These MSL games are huge,” Cooney said, “and the fact that we beat Hersey, such a prestigious team that’s been getting big wins like against Fremd in their comeback yesterday. This shows us that no game is out of our reach and that we can contest with anyone.”
Starting lineups
Hersey
GK- Brett Harris
D- Steven Custer
D- Collin Mallers
D- Jack Rasmussen
D- Giuseppe Scaletta
MF- Christian Castro
MF- Alex Filian
MF- Saul Casillas
MF- Dan Gritt
F- Thomas Skiba
F- Matt Dickey
Prospect
GK- Nicolas Jozefowski
D- Patrick Walsh
D- James Estrella
D- Nick Kosla
D- Grant Whitebloom
MF- Dominik Limanowka
MF- Eryk Soltys
MF- Celso Soto
MF- Nico Mho
F- Chris Cooney
F- Ross LaCamera
Man of the Match: Chris Cooney, F, Prospect
2nd half hat trick and assist overcome 2-0 Knights deficit
By Dave Owen
MT. PROSPECT - Hersey’s roller coaster ride game against Fremd required four days, but had a happy ending.
The Huskies’ next ride Tuesday at Prospect had a costly injury and a less-than-ideal finish.
After rallying from a 2-0 deficit to beat Fremd 3-2 in overtime in Monday’s conclusion of a match suspended by lightning four days earlier, Hersey (3-5-4) endured almost the exact opposite ending 24 hours later against the Knights (4-5-0).
Up 2-0 with 34 minutes left, the Huskies were stung by a natural hat trick by Prospect’s Chris Cooney over the next 18 minutes in a tough 4-2 loss.
“Overall I would say the energy from yesterday’s game helped a lot with our start,” Hersey assistant coach Mike Rusniak said. “And then I think as a team we got a little complacent, forgot to play our soccer and continue the things that have been working for us.”
Health didn’t work in the Huskies’ favor, either. Standout midfielder Christian Castro limped off the field with a left foot injury with 23:19 to play and his team ahead 2-1.
Just over seven minutes later, Prospect led 3-2 as Hersey struggled to adjust to shifting roles in Castro’s absence.
“After the injury to one of our captains Christian Castro, we just lost our place and everyone started arguing about who’s who and what we were supposed to do,” Hersey junior Saul Casillas. “That really doesn’t help a team at all. We just lost our place right there.”
Everything seemed to fall into place until then for the Huskies, who continued to ride the momentum of Monday.
Alex Filian sent a 32-yard shot over the net in the 11th minute. Then with 20:35 until halftime, Filian broke wide open off a Jesse Lopez pass but lined a 15-yard try over the net.
The next Hersey chance generated by a Daniel Gritt attack to the right endline with 15:05 left in the half would pay off.
Gritt’s play produced a Filian corner kick that was initially batted away by Prospect goalkeeper Nicolas Jozefowski. But Casillas controlled the clearing attempt, turned into a sliver of daylight and lined a 10-yard shot inside the left post for a 1-0 Hersey lead.
“I saw the ball on the side and thought why not take a shot,” Casillas said.
On the other end of the field Hersey goalkeeper Brett Harris dove to cover a Nico Mho cross 13 minutes before the half, then outfought Dominik Limanowka for a long ball to the top of the box five minutes later.
The Huskies maintained their offensive pressure as Jozefowski barely beat Thomas Skiba to the ball on a nice send by Filian at 7:05.
Then just 1:10 before the half, passes by Evan Johnson and Casillas set up Lopez’s 12-yard straight-on shot that went just wide.
Even down 1-0, Prospect coach Paul Elkins liked his team’s chances.
“I told the guys at halftime that we played well and created a lot of chances, but we didn’t have that finishing touch in the first half,” Elkins said. “I knew this team (Hersey) had played five games in six days or something like that, and I said if we keep pushing, keep moving the ball and making them work, eventually we put one in, and they’re going to be tired. And that’s what happened.”
But not for a while.
The Huskies showed no signs of fatigue in the first six minutes of the second half. Jozefowski went over Casillas to bat away a cross to the crease three minutes in, then Filian sent a shot just wide off a Skiba feed.
Then with 34:26 on the clock, Casillas was fouled just outside the box. Castro took the ensuing 20-yard free kick, and Skiba stepped in front of the goalkeeper to deflect the high ball into the net for a 2-0 Hersey lead.
While Hersey celebrated and seemingly was in control, Prospect’s Cooney was preparing for a big answer.
“They’re a good team,” Cooney said, “but we didn’t think on either of their goals they beat us – they just had a few little dink-ins. We had been possessing the entire game, and all we had to do was put it in the back of the net.
“I decided to take some initiative and keep going forward. I got hit a few times and that helped. That got us all going.”
After a nice clear by Hersey’s Jack Rasmussen of an initial Prospect attack, Cooney raced into the box for a loose ball 30 seconds later and was tripped. His ensuing penalty kick made it 2-1 with 33:18 left.
Castro stepped up with a nice block of Cooney’s 25-yard shot with 26:40 left. But Castro’s exit due to injury just over three minutes later left the Huskies to adjust on the fly to his absence.
Cooney allowed no such time. With 21:28 left, he raced up the middle, nicely sidestepped two defenders and lined a tying 15-yard goal into the net.
“The second goal I knew the guy in the middle was cheating on me, so I decided to take him on rather than pass it off,” Cooney said. “At that point I had some momentum, and I actually know a lot of players on this (Hersey) team.
“The defender that I beat at the last moment is one of my teammates on club, so I knew him from that. I decided he would think I would go with my strong foot, so I went left and caught him off guard.”
A nice Steven Custer steal in deep denied Cooney’s chance with 16:25 to play. But the relentless Prospect forward was right back for more at 15:39.
On a powerful direct kick by Prospect’s James Estrella from 70 yards away, Cooney had a step on a Hersey defender near the top of the box and lined a 20-yarder into the upper part of the net for a 3-2 Prospect lead.
Elkins summed up the quick succession of events that sent Hersey from in command to in a hole.
“Chris won the penalty kick, and then he scored that second goal with just a great individual run,” Elkins said. “Then I could sense that their team was slow to recover and slow to stay organized.
“I think we just broke their spirit a little bit in the second half. I knew they’re a better team than they showed in the second half, but our guys kept fighting. I give our guys a lot of credit to keep fighting like that being down 2-0. We played really well.”
Hersey tried to answer. Skiba sent a header on goal off a Gritt throw-in with 14:50 left, and two-consecutive Skiba corner kicks followed in the next two minutes.
But with 9:26 to go, Prospect struck again for a 4-2 lead. As Cooney again burst up the middle, he passed to Limanowka for an 18-yard liner into the upper right hand corner of the net.
With head coach Darren Llewellyn lost after getting an unexpected red card for justifiably arguing a foul in the win over Fremd, Hersey persevered to build a 2-0 lead. But Prospect’s late response and the loss of Castro were too much for a virtually all-underclassmen Huskies squad.
“We still remain young,” Rusniak said, “and at times our discipline on the field and the structure of our formations isn’t as consistent as it needs to be. So we’ll use this as a learning opportunity and a growing opportunity.”
A hectic week of soccer had to add to the challenge, but Casillas dodged any excuses.
“Being down 2-0 and then winning in overtime, we thought we had this in the bag,” Casillas said. “Everyone told us we can’t just come into this game and think it’s going to be an easy one. We have to give 100 percent all the time.
“We have to find a leader in our group, and just keep practicing harder and better to beat these better teams right now. We’re a younger team full of juniors and some sophomores and a freshman.”
Down 4-2, Hersey tried to answer with 2:30 left on a Kevin Roman pass to Casillas. But the junior’s 25-yard shot was stopped at the left post by Jozefowski for the game’s final scoring chance.
“Prospect played a great game,” Rusniak said. “They’re strong, and at times they showed they wanted it more. And that’s what will win a soccer game.”
After leading his team’s rally over its nearby conference rival, Cooney had praise for both sides.
“These MSL games are huge,” Cooney said, “and the fact that we beat Hersey, such a prestigious team that’s been getting big wins like against Fremd in their comeback yesterday. This shows us that no game is out of our reach and that we can contest with anyone.”
Starting lineups
Hersey
GK- Brett Harris
D- Steven Custer
D- Collin Mallers
D- Jack Rasmussen
D- Giuseppe Scaletta
MF- Christian Castro
MF- Alex Filian
MF- Saul Casillas
MF- Dan Gritt
F- Thomas Skiba
F- Matt Dickey
Prospect
GK- Nicolas Jozefowski
D- Patrick Walsh
D- James Estrella
D- Nick Kosla
D- Grant Whitebloom
MF- Dominik Limanowka
MF- Eryk Soltys
MF- Celso Soto
MF- Nico Mho
F- Chris Cooney
F- Ross LaCamera
Man of the Match: Chris Cooney, F, Prospect