Lane tops Taft in PKs
in unforgettable city title game
Indians win 4-2 in penalties, Taft GK ties game in 80th minute
By Patrick Z. McGavin
CHICAGO -- It was simply a game for the ages.
The images, the sounds, the intensity of feeling electried by the fear on both sides that this could be their final game of the season because of possible teachers' strike produced something genuine, pure and electric. This game contained multitudes of emotions.
Forget Morton or Glenbrook North or Libertyville. As great as those teams are, the stage rightfully belonged to Taft and Lane. If whatever happens next in the state tournament can match what happened here Monday night at Lane Stadium between 10th-seeded Taft and top-seeded Lane, ranked 10th in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, seismographs will measure it.
A massive overflow crowd with intense student fans rapt and in the game, created a backdrop of sound, emotion and vibrant local color. They showcased everything divine and wondrous about city soccer, a game too often and unfairly undervalued when compared to higher profile suburban and private school programs.
Tonight the moment was owned by Taft and Lane.
“This game was just cinematic,” said Lane senior forward Seth Hultgren of the second time the Indians met Taft. “We tied (the first time). It was our first game of the year. There was a fight, there were dramatics. Tonight had to be the most dramatic finish.”
After nearly two and a half hours had passed, Lane senior forward Jose Terrazas — who never saw the field during regulation or the two overtimes — smashed his penalty-kick into the deep right corner and the Indians survived a gutsy and determined Taft side to win the Chicago Public League city championship.
Lane won the shootout 4-2 after the game ended tied at 2.
“There was a lot of pressure on me,” Terrazas said. “Two weeks ago, when we got into the (city) playoffs, I knew we could get into this situation. I just went in the morning and practiced penalties. I had a different way of running up before, but I changed tonight. I picked a spot, and I went for it.”
His shot just eluded the whirling dive of Taft’s brilliant keeper Patrick Mieczkowski.
“The first thing I felt was relief,” Terrazas said. “Full of joy and everybody running at me. It was a great way to end the season.”
Charlie Bauer, Marcin Kieta and Brandon Rivera also converted for the Indians (15-1-2), who won their ninth-straight game. Rivera earned the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match distinction for registering a goal, an assist and converting his penalty-kick.
taft keeper Mieczkowski occasioned the two overtimes and the shootout in the most electric way imaginable. The four-year starter made a promise to his coach, Jeffrey Lucco, and the rest of the Eagles he would do anything possible to capture the city crown.
He extended the night and punctuated the high drama by alertly pushed forward toward the Lane goal in the final minute. After a free-kick, he somehow managed to squeeze into the box and put a one-touch on the ball for the Eagles’ equalizer.
“This could be my last game in a Taft uniform, and I was not going to let it end that way,” said Mieczkowski, who spoke before the city and school board agreed to terms to avert a CPS teachers' strike that would have prevented teams from playing in the state tournament. “As soon as I got up there, I saw the ball in front of me, I got over, and I just put on a foot on it and saw it go in.”
The Taft bench erupted and Lane was stunned and shocked, just 31 seconds away from an apparent victory.
“I did not know what to do,” Mieczkowski said. “I just stayed on the ground. At the moment, I felt it was destined. We were destined to win city.”
What an extraordinary reversal from a year ago, when Taft and Lane combined to win nine games. In their matchup last season, Lane survived a late Taft push to pull out a 2-1 victory that prevented the proud Indians from being related to the First Division. Taft was sent there instead.
Dismayed at the defensive breakdown his team surrendered at the end, Lane coach Andrew Ricks courageously went to his gut and instinct and willingly allowed other input into the conversation. Ricks made two decisions that altered the fortunes of the shootout. Lane keepers Simon Jillson and Fabian Venegas, both juniors, have shared playing time the whole year.
Venegas played the entire match in the Indians’ overtime victory in a semifinal against UNO Soccer on Saturday. Jillson played the entire 100 minutes Monday night. At the moment of reckoning, Ricks switched him out in favor of Venegas for the penalty shootout.
After Taft appeared to gain the upper hand after Lane’s second shooter pulled his attempt wide. Venegas responded with a great block save on the Eagles’ second shooter with the shootout locked at 1-apiece.
“When I try to stop a penalty I try to look at the side of the foot and what side of the ball. If I can’t see the ball that much that means they are going to go a certain way,” Venegas said. “I see the other person’s foot, or I go a certain way. I am glad I barely saved it. It was a good shot that was going really fast. I did my best job to reach it, and I did.”
Ricks’ decisions played out perfectly.
“Honestly I listened to the players,” Ricks said. “J.T. [Terrazas] is a senior who was not happy about being on the bench for the whole game. He was saying things at the right time that were not emotional and that made sense. He said, two minutes left in the second overtime, ‘Coach, I want to take a PK.’ He’s a senior. I had to respect that, and I did.
“Fabian was doing well in practice. The players said put Fabian in. Fabian was a little bit wronged today, because he played in the semifinal and won the game. He was maybe a little angry. Fortunately he took his anger out when the moment came. That’s why we’re a good team. We have depth and so far the guys have been able to hold their egos in check.”
Ricks also made an impassioned speech after regulation.
“After we gave up that goal, I told them that you don’t get to win if you don’t play the full 80 minutes,” Ricks said. “You don’t get to be crowned champion unless you wrestle that trophy away from them. I said we could either cry away what happened and we’re doomed, or we could pick ourselves up and try and win the game. It was a testament to our character, because the momentum was clearly shifting.”
Taft (14-6-2) had its six-game winning streak ended. The Eagles took a 1-0 lead in the 16th minute on the 13th goal of the year by midfielder Jonathan Meneses. His playmaking and instinct for the ball has propelled the Eagles during their magnificent tournament run.
Jillson was pulled off the line by a Julio Zamora free-kick. Jillson deflected the initial ball, and Meneses got the second touch and lofted the ball into the empty net for the Eagles’ 1-0 advantage.
“That was a great feeling scoring that way,” he said. “I thought we had them at that point, but then they came right back.”
For the third-consecutive game, Lane went down one goal.
“I think we are a second half team,” Hultgren said. “We realize our mistakes and try to fix them. We always come out a little too soft, and then we find our rhythm in the second half.”
Rivera was a difference-maker for the Indians. His speed, versatility and creativity put constant pressure on the Eagles’ backline. Just minutes after the Meneses goal, Rivera made up the difference by drilling a free-kick from the left edge that froze the Eagles’ backline.
By the time Mieczkowski reacted, it was too late.
“I told them before the game both teams are going to score,” Lucco said. “There’s no way in a game like this neither team was going to not score. I was not that worried. In the second half, we looked sluggish. They were knocking the ball around the field. We were chasing and had no shape.”
Lane took its first lead in the 54th minute on a beautifully designed play as Rivera worked the ball in the middle and played a through-ball on the right wing to Kamil Piotrowski. His header cross had Hultgren perfectly placed for the finish.
That appeared to be the game-winner until the remarkable flourish of the closing seconds. The play typified the grit and determination of the Eagles.
“Credit to Taft,” Ricks said. “What a great run. I don’t think they have ever gotten into a city title. Their goalie was outstanding. He scored the goal and kept us out. I feel for them. They were a great opponent. I hope they can recognize what a great high school match that was.”
At one juncture in the game, at its most riveting, Lucco asked his players to look around at the size of the crowd and the emotion and intensity passed back and forth.
“It was amazing to be part of,” Lucco said. “That was one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen, to see both schools like that. It was really special. A game like this you can’t be upset if you lose. At least in my eyes we proved that we belonged. We beat four teams from the Premier. We tied [Lane] at the beginning of the year and then took them to penalties here.
“These guys should have the confidence they can play with anybody. Lane is a really good team this year. They have every piece you could ask for. We have not scored a lot of pretty goals, but our work ethic is just great.”
Starting lineups
Taft
GK: Patrick Mieczkowski
D: Marek Klimek
D: Mateusz Koziara
D: Byron Abayay
D: Melvin Zamora
MF: Konrad Knap
MF: Jonathan Meneses
MF: Julio Zamora
MF: Alex Labastida
MF: Sardor Naymanboyev
F: Aaron Mansilla
Lane
GK: Simon Jillson
D: Zachary Rogers
D: Alfredo Guzman
D: Charlie Bauer
D: Alex Rydberg
MF: Tiago Franco
MF: Brandon Rivera
MF: Marcin Kieta
MF: Kamil Piotrowski
F: Seth Hultgren
F: Alex Mezyk
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Brandon Rivera, MF, Lane
in unforgettable city title game
Indians win 4-2 in penalties, Taft GK ties game in 80th minute
By Patrick Z. McGavin
CHICAGO -- It was simply a game for the ages.
The images, the sounds, the intensity of feeling electried by the fear on both sides that this could be their final game of the season because of possible teachers' strike produced something genuine, pure and electric. This game contained multitudes of emotions.
Forget Morton or Glenbrook North or Libertyville. As great as those teams are, the stage rightfully belonged to Taft and Lane. If whatever happens next in the state tournament can match what happened here Monday night at Lane Stadium between 10th-seeded Taft and top-seeded Lane, ranked 10th in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, seismographs will measure it.
A massive overflow crowd with intense student fans rapt and in the game, created a backdrop of sound, emotion and vibrant local color. They showcased everything divine and wondrous about city soccer, a game too often and unfairly undervalued when compared to higher profile suburban and private school programs.
Tonight the moment was owned by Taft and Lane.
“This game was just cinematic,” said Lane senior forward Seth Hultgren of the second time the Indians met Taft. “We tied (the first time). It was our first game of the year. There was a fight, there were dramatics. Tonight had to be the most dramatic finish.”
After nearly two and a half hours had passed, Lane senior forward Jose Terrazas — who never saw the field during regulation or the two overtimes — smashed his penalty-kick into the deep right corner and the Indians survived a gutsy and determined Taft side to win the Chicago Public League city championship.
Lane won the shootout 4-2 after the game ended tied at 2.
“There was a lot of pressure on me,” Terrazas said. “Two weeks ago, when we got into the (city) playoffs, I knew we could get into this situation. I just went in the morning and practiced penalties. I had a different way of running up before, but I changed tonight. I picked a spot, and I went for it.”
His shot just eluded the whirling dive of Taft’s brilliant keeper Patrick Mieczkowski.
“The first thing I felt was relief,” Terrazas said. “Full of joy and everybody running at me. It was a great way to end the season.”
Charlie Bauer, Marcin Kieta and Brandon Rivera also converted for the Indians (15-1-2), who won their ninth-straight game. Rivera earned the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match distinction for registering a goal, an assist and converting his penalty-kick.
taft keeper Mieczkowski occasioned the two overtimes and the shootout in the most electric way imaginable. The four-year starter made a promise to his coach, Jeffrey Lucco, and the rest of the Eagles he would do anything possible to capture the city crown.
He extended the night and punctuated the high drama by alertly pushed forward toward the Lane goal in the final minute. After a free-kick, he somehow managed to squeeze into the box and put a one-touch on the ball for the Eagles’ equalizer.
“This could be my last game in a Taft uniform, and I was not going to let it end that way,” said Mieczkowski, who spoke before the city and school board agreed to terms to avert a CPS teachers' strike that would have prevented teams from playing in the state tournament. “As soon as I got up there, I saw the ball in front of me, I got over, and I just put on a foot on it and saw it go in.”
The Taft bench erupted and Lane was stunned and shocked, just 31 seconds away from an apparent victory.
“I did not know what to do,” Mieczkowski said. “I just stayed on the ground. At the moment, I felt it was destined. We were destined to win city.”
What an extraordinary reversal from a year ago, when Taft and Lane combined to win nine games. In their matchup last season, Lane survived a late Taft push to pull out a 2-1 victory that prevented the proud Indians from being related to the First Division. Taft was sent there instead.
Dismayed at the defensive breakdown his team surrendered at the end, Lane coach Andrew Ricks courageously went to his gut and instinct and willingly allowed other input into the conversation. Ricks made two decisions that altered the fortunes of the shootout. Lane keepers Simon Jillson and Fabian Venegas, both juniors, have shared playing time the whole year.
Venegas played the entire match in the Indians’ overtime victory in a semifinal against UNO Soccer on Saturday. Jillson played the entire 100 minutes Monday night. At the moment of reckoning, Ricks switched him out in favor of Venegas for the penalty shootout.
After Taft appeared to gain the upper hand after Lane’s second shooter pulled his attempt wide. Venegas responded with a great block save on the Eagles’ second shooter with the shootout locked at 1-apiece.
“When I try to stop a penalty I try to look at the side of the foot and what side of the ball. If I can’t see the ball that much that means they are going to go a certain way,” Venegas said. “I see the other person’s foot, or I go a certain way. I am glad I barely saved it. It was a good shot that was going really fast. I did my best job to reach it, and I did.”
Ricks’ decisions played out perfectly.
“Honestly I listened to the players,” Ricks said. “J.T. [Terrazas] is a senior who was not happy about being on the bench for the whole game. He was saying things at the right time that were not emotional and that made sense. He said, two minutes left in the second overtime, ‘Coach, I want to take a PK.’ He’s a senior. I had to respect that, and I did.
“Fabian was doing well in practice. The players said put Fabian in. Fabian was a little bit wronged today, because he played in the semifinal and won the game. He was maybe a little angry. Fortunately he took his anger out when the moment came. That’s why we’re a good team. We have depth and so far the guys have been able to hold their egos in check.”
Ricks also made an impassioned speech after regulation.
“After we gave up that goal, I told them that you don’t get to win if you don’t play the full 80 minutes,” Ricks said. “You don’t get to be crowned champion unless you wrestle that trophy away from them. I said we could either cry away what happened and we’re doomed, or we could pick ourselves up and try and win the game. It was a testament to our character, because the momentum was clearly shifting.”
Taft (14-6-2) had its six-game winning streak ended. The Eagles took a 1-0 lead in the 16th minute on the 13th goal of the year by midfielder Jonathan Meneses. His playmaking and instinct for the ball has propelled the Eagles during their magnificent tournament run.
Jillson was pulled off the line by a Julio Zamora free-kick. Jillson deflected the initial ball, and Meneses got the second touch and lofted the ball into the empty net for the Eagles’ 1-0 advantage.
“That was a great feeling scoring that way,” he said. “I thought we had them at that point, but then they came right back.”
For the third-consecutive game, Lane went down one goal.
“I think we are a second half team,” Hultgren said. “We realize our mistakes and try to fix them. We always come out a little too soft, and then we find our rhythm in the second half.”
Rivera was a difference-maker for the Indians. His speed, versatility and creativity put constant pressure on the Eagles’ backline. Just minutes after the Meneses goal, Rivera made up the difference by drilling a free-kick from the left edge that froze the Eagles’ backline.
By the time Mieczkowski reacted, it was too late.
“I told them before the game both teams are going to score,” Lucco said. “There’s no way in a game like this neither team was going to not score. I was not that worried. In the second half, we looked sluggish. They were knocking the ball around the field. We were chasing and had no shape.”
Lane took its first lead in the 54th minute on a beautifully designed play as Rivera worked the ball in the middle and played a through-ball on the right wing to Kamil Piotrowski. His header cross had Hultgren perfectly placed for the finish.
That appeared to be the game-winner until the remarkable flourish of the closing seconds. The play typified the grit and determination of the Eagles.
“Credit to Taft,” Ricks said. “What a great run. I don’t think they have ever gotten into a city title. Their goalie was outstanding. He scored the goal and kept us out. I feel for them. They were a great opponent. I hope they can recognize what a great high school match that was.”
At one juncture in the game, at its most riveting, Lucco asked his players to look around at the size of the crowd and the emotion and intensity passed back and forth.
“It was amazing to be part of,” Lucco said. “That was one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen, to see both schools like that. It was really special. A game like this you can’t be upset if you lose. At least in my eyes we proved that we belonged. We beat four teams from the Premier. We tied [Lane] at the beginning of the year and then took them to penalties here.
“These guys should have the confidence they can play with anybody. Lane is a really good team this year. They have every piece you could ask for. We have not scored a lot of pretty goals, but our work ethic is just great.”
Starting lineups
Taft
GK: Patrick Mieczkowski
D: Marek Klimek
D: Mateusz Koziara
D: Byron Abayay
D: Melvin Zamora
MF: Konrad Knap
MF: Jonathan Meneses
MF: Julio Zamora
MF: Alex Labastida
MF: Sardor Naymanboyev
F: Aaron Mansilla
Lane
GK: Simon Jillson
D: Zachary Rogers
D: Alfredo Guzman
D: Charlie Bauer
D: Alex Rydberg
MF: Tiago Franco
MF: Brandon Rivera
MF: Marcin Kieta
MF: Kamil Piotrowski
F: Seth Hultgren
F: Alex Mezyk
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Brandon Rivera, MF, Lane