Crystal Lake S. dominates late vs. Jacobs
Last 25 minutes belong to Gators in 3-0 victory
By Kevin McGavin
CRYSTAL LAKE -- Julio Campos was not about to let another golden opportunity get away from him.
The Crystal Lake South senior, taking a feed from Orlando Tapia, scored exactly 15 minutes into the second half of the Gators’ Valley Division soccer opener Tuesday afternoon.
Crystal Lake South dominated the final 25 minutes of action against Jacobs, as Jake Canfield and Ryan Russmann added scores two minutes apart late to cement its 3-0 win.
The Gators are seeking their first Fox Valley Conference championship in four years.
Campos’ score came only moments after he had another collaboration with Tapia.
But Campos’ point-blank shot sailed innocuously over the crossbar.
“It was an open-goal shot, and I blew it over the goal,” Campos said. “I got motivated to get the next one in, which was the one I got a couple of minutes later.”
Campos’ shot was a thing of beauty. Despite an awkward angle to the left of Jacobs keeper Ethan Pickering, Campos hit a deft floater that arched in perfectly, just under the upper-right crossbar.
Tapia, Chicagoland Soccer's Man of the Match, was clearly the Eagles’ primary defensive antagonist. The senior midfielder orchestrated attack after attack for the Gators, energizing his teammates with his frenetic style of play.
“We have to lean on our seniors,” Crystal Lake Central coach Brian Allen said. “(Tapia) is a four-year player. They know the expectations of playing in a conference match.”
The Golden Eagles (3-11-1) were conversely unable to generate any significant scoring opportunities in the second half.
Crystal Lake South keeper Dalton Kause was rarely tested because the Eagles’ biggest chances were disallowed on offsides infractions.
The Gators (9-4-1) were far from content offensively. Tapia continued to wreak havoc with his quickness and dribbling ability, and Charlie Ruff was the primary instigator of the second score.
Taking a corner right from the right side, the ball deflected to the right foot of Canfield in heavy traffic. But the junior had the presence of mind, even though in a prone position, to punch the ball past Pickering.
“It was a great team effort,” Russmann said of the Gators’ overall play.
“You could feel the goals coming,” Jacobs coach Anthony Cappelllo said. “We lacked composure in the final third.”
“We had a decent first half,” Pickering said. “We got a little weaker in the second half.”
Russmann then ended all doubt about the final outcome. The senior midfielder scored from 25 yards out on a gorgeously struck ball that Pickering had virtually no chance to defend.
“I haven’t scored a goal all year,” Russmann said. “(The Golden Eagles) are our big rivals. It was a great team win. I don’t want to (single myself) out.”
Though he failed to dent the scoring column, Tapia was clearly the Gators’ most valuable asset on the field. “He came out on top and turned the game around,” Allen said.
Cappello said Crystal Lake South showed some new looks after the halftime intermission.
“They made some adjustments in the second half,” Cappello said.
The first half was not nearly as one-sided as its counterpart, but Crystal Lake South still had the better scoring chances.
Tapia had a blistering shot late in the opening half that Eduardo Guimaray stoned in near self-defense.
Much of the action was centered in the middle of the field.
Stefan Harris’ back-to-back headers constituted the Gators’ other significant scoring attempts in the first half. Both balls, though, sailed wide of the mark.
But the momentum of the scoreless draw changed dramatically in the second half.
Dominating possession time, Crystal Lake South was knocking at the door for the first salvo.
One hundred seconds after Campos missed a wide-open goal, the senior converted off the Tapia cross.
“That was a great goal by Julio,” Russmann said.
Canfield and Jeff Kirshenbaum both returned from ankle injuries for the Gators.
Starting lineups
Jacobs
Eduardo Guimaray, GK
Andrew Craig, MF/F
Daniel Kim, MF
Eric Merdinger, D
Julian Sandoval, MF/F
Chris Rigby, MF/F
Colin Walsh, F
Konrad Wasilewski, F
Noah Melick, F
Jacob Moser, D
Ean Wilson, F/D
Crystal Lake South
Dalton Kause, GK
Zach Schmidt, D
Kennan Grissom, D
Ryan Russmann, MF
Jake Canfield, D
Orlando Tapia, MF
Charlie Ruff, MF
Nikolas Getzinger, MF
Zach Bimbi, D
Andrew Perrine, D
Andrew Grabowski, F
Man of the Match: Orlando Tapia, Crystal Lake South midfielder
Last 25 minutes belong to Gators in 3-0 victory
By Kevin McGavin
CRYSTAL LAKE -- Julio Campos was not about to let another golden opportunity get away from him.
The Crystal Lake South senior, taking a feed from Orlando Tapia, scored exactly 15 minutes into the second half of the Gators’ Valley Division soccer opener Tuesday afternoon.
Crystal Lake South dominated the final 25 minutes of action against Jacobs, as Jake Canfield and Ryan Russmann added scores two minutes apart late to cement its 3-0 win.
The Gators are seeking their first Fox Valley Conference championship in four years.
Campos’ score came only moments after he had another collaboration with Tapia.
But Campos’ point-blank shot sailed innocuously over the crossbar.
“It was an open-goal shot, and I blew it over the goal,” Campos said. “I got motivated to get the next one in, which was the one I got a couple of minutes later.”
Campos’ shot was a thing of beauty. Despite an awkward angle to the left of Jacobs keeper Ethan Pickering, Campos hit a deft floater that arched in perfectly, just under the upper-right crossbar.
Tapia, Chicagoland Soccer's Man of the Match, was clearly the Eagles’ primary defensive antagonist. The senior midfielder orchestrated attack after attack for the Gators, energizing his teammates with his frenetic style of play.
“We have to lean on our seniors,” Crystal Lake Central coach Brian Allen said. “(Tapia) is a four-year player. They know the expectations of playing in a conference match.”
The Golden Eagles (3-11-1) were conversely unable to generate any significant scoring opportunities in the second half.
Crystal Lake South keeper Dalton Kause was rarely tested because the Eagles’ biggest chances were disallowed on offsides infractions.
The Gators (9-4-1) were far from content offensively. Tapia continued to wreak havoc with his quickness and dribbling ability, and Charlie Ruff was the primary instigator of the second score.
Taking a corner right from the right side, the ball deflected to the right foot of Canfield in heavy traffic. But the junior had the presence of mind, even though in a prone position, to punch the ball past Pickering.
“It was a great team effort,” Russmann said of the Gators’ overall play.
“You could feel the goals coming,” Jacobs coach Anthony Cappelllo said. “We lacked composure in the final third.”
“We had a decent first half,” Pickering said. “We got a little weaker in the second half.”
Russmann then ended all doubt about the final outcome. The senior midfielder scored from 25 yards out on a gorgeously struck ball that Pickering had virtually no chance to defend.
“I haven’t scored a goal all year,” Russmann said. “(The Golden Eagles) are our big rivals. It was a great team win. I don’t want to (single myself) out.”
Though he failed to dent the scoring column, Tapia was clearly the Gators’ most valuable asset on the field. “He came out on top and turned the game around,” Allen said.
Cappello said Crystal Lake South showed some new looks after the halftime intermission.
“They made some adjustments in the second half,” Cappello said.
The first half was not nearly as one-sided as its counterpart, but Crystal Lake South still had the better scoring chances.
Tapia had a blistering shot late in the opening half that Eduardo Guimaray stoned in near self-defense.
Much of the action was centered in the middle of the field.
Stefan Harris’ back-to-back headers constituted the Gators’ other significant scoring attempts in the first half. Both balls, though, sailed wide of the mark.
But the momentum of the scoreless draw changed dramatically in the second half.
Dominating possession time, Crystal Lake South was knocking at the door for the first salvo.
One hundred seconds after Campos missed a wide-open goal, the senior converted off the Tapia cross.
“That was a great goal by Julio,” Russmann said.
Canfield and Jeff Kirshenbaum both returned from ankle injuries for the Gators.
Starting lineups
Jacobs
Eduardo Guimaray, GK
Andrew Craig, MF/F
Daniel Kim, MF
Eric Merdinger, D
Julian Sandoval, MF/F
Chris Rigby, MF/F
Colin Walsh, F
Konrad Wasilewski, F
Noah Melick, F
Jacob Moser, D
Ean Wilson, F/D
Crystal Lake South
Dalton Kause, GK
Zach Schmidt, D
Kennan Grissom, D
Ryan Russmann, MF
Jake Canfield, D
Orlando Tapia, MF
Charlie Ruff, MF
Nikolas Getzinger, MF
Zach Bimbi, D
Andrew Perrine, D
Andrew Grabowski, F
Man of the Match: Orlando Tapia, Crystal Lake South midfielder