Downers Grove S. loses
momentum, lead after delay
Crosstown rivals are fit to be tied after Downers N. goal
By Matt Le Cren
DOWNERS GROVE – Downers Grove South was rolling toward an easy victory over crosstown rival Downers Grove North when lightning halted play Thursday night with 17:53 left in the game.
When play resumed 35 minutes later, the rain was pouring down and Downers North defender Sam Crowley delivered his own bolt from the blue, scoring a 35-yard rocket.
Two minutes later, the host Trojans scored again and the match at Carstens Field ended in a 2-2 tie.
For Downers North, the result seemed like a victory, while to Downers South it felt like a loss.
And it all started during the lightning delay.
“I pulled the kids in right before we [resumed play] and told them there’s 17 minutes left, and the entire time we were waiting, our guys’ mentality was the game was over,” Downers South coach Jon Stapleton said. “You could sense that a little bit, and the mentality [we needed] was we had to make sure we come out and play 17 minutes. We didn’t do it.
“So credit [the Trojans]. They took advantage of it. It’s one of the most disappointing games I’ve been a part of in my 13-year career.”
The Mustangs (9-1-4) led 2-0 when play resumed and nearly extended the lead in the first 30 seconds when Eric Diaz crossed into the box to Peter Becht, whose volley skimmed the top of the crossbar.
The tone of the game turned with 13:24 to play when Crowley unleashed his rocket into the upper left corner of the net to cut the gap to 2-1.
“I pretty much just saw that there was no one in front of me,” Crowley said. “We were down 2-0. I thought it was better to take it than not take it, just kick it as hard as I could and it went in.
“When I hit it I knew it was a good shot and just hoped for the best. I really think it helped us push forward and get some momentum instead of just sitting back and playing defense.”
Indeed, the goal ignited the Trojans (7-7-1), who tied the game with 11:32 to play. Crowley, the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match, sent a corner kick in from the left side. Three Downers South defenders stood still and watched the ball sail to Carter Tome on the far post for an easy tap-in.
“I feel like we came out and we got a really good shot on goal right away and then we just felt everything was going our way,” Downers South forward Nicholas Rohl said. “And then we just didn’t step on the one shot, and one shot turned into two goals.”
Rohl agreed with Stapleton that the Mustangs didn’t handle the break properly. “I feel like we just came out a little flat because we thought that we had it,” Rohl said.
The Mustangs nearly did get the victory but missed two scoring chances in the final minutes. Diaz, who was dangerous throughout but had nothing to show for it, unleashed a 10-yard shot while falling down with 6:10 remaining that hit the top of the crossbar, and Hunter Thoren’s drive from 25 yards out was saved by Downers North goalie Alex Wall with 3:50 left.
But the damage had been done, with the Trojans’ comeback undoing a solid first 60 minutes by the Mustangs.
“I think the break kind of helped,” Crowley said. “We got to re-evaluate what we were doing on the field, like re-establish what we wanted to do. So it was like a fresh start, instead of continuing the second half.”
The Trojans were glad about that because the Mustangs had made it 2-0 just two minutes before the interruption on a goal by Alexander Escamilla, who put a short rebound shot through the legs of Wall after Wall had rejected a shot from Diaz.
The visitors had struck first at the 29:49 mark of the first half on a great individual effort from Rohl. The sophomore took a pass from Diaz and used some fancy footwork to get by a defender into the right side of the box before beating Wall with a 12-yard shot inside the left post.
“I turned and I saw tons of space behind the defender,” Rohl said. “He was trying to shoulder me to my left, so I cut left and then cut right back to his back side and he had no chance. I beat him with speed.”
It was the fourth goal of the season for Rohl, who has combined with Diaz to form a solid 1-2 punch up front. Diaz didn’t score in this one but just missed several open shots from distance in the first half.
“Our center midfielder, Jason [Galik], he’s been giving me assists all year and he’s been the one really distributing balls and giving me and Eric chances on goal,” Rohl said. “That’s what it’s all about.”
Soccer is ultimately about finishing, whether it be goals or matches, and the Mustangs didn’t get that done.
“We came out strong at the beginning to get a two-goal lead,” Rohl said. “We had tons of chances. From the first play we were already testing [Wall]. We did all game, and it’s hard coming out with just a tie.”
Wall made seven saves for the Trojans, who have already doubled their win total from 2013. Dumford made four for the Mustangs, including a great leaping effort to punch a shot from Tome over the crossbar in the first half. The Mustangs were coming off their first loss of the season, a 2-0 setback Tuesday to top-ranked Morton.
“I felt really confident in how we bounced back, and we’ll take this tie as a loss and bounce back again on Saturday (against Naperville North),” Rohl said.
Stapleton hopes that will be the case.
“Our kids have been responsive to numerous challenges throughout the year,” Stapleton said. “This is one that failed tonight.
“I’m not going to sugarcoat it. Guys need to know we’ll praise them when they do well. They did poorly in the last 15 minutes, and that’s too bad.”
Starting lineups
Downers Grove South
GK Sam Dumford
D Griffin Overbeck
D Matthew Buczko
D Andrew Dobosenski
D Kyle Harty
M Peter Becht
M Hunter Thoren
M Jason Galik
F Eric Diaz
F Nicholas Rohl
F Joseph Caldarazzo
Downers Grove North
GK Alex Wall
D Liam Budnik
D Jack Drobny
D Jake Stevenson
D Brett Pyburn
M Tyler Winslow
M Matthew Metzler
M Trace Dimos
F Michael Malloy
F Steven Klasing
F Carter Tome
Man of the Match: Sam Crowley, Downers Grove North
Referees: Harold Cooper (center), Keith Abel, Katie Bates
momentum, lead after delay
Crosstown rivals are fit to be tied after Downers N. goal
By Matt Le Cren
DOWNERS GROVE – Downers Grove South was rolling toward an easy victory over crosstown rival Downers Grove North when lightning halted play Thursday night with 17:53 left in the game.
When play resumed 35 minutes later, the rain was pouring down and Downers North defender Sam Crowley delivered his own bolt from the blue, scoring a 35-yard rocket.
Two minutes later, the host Trojans scored again and the match at Carstens Field ended in a 2-2 tie.
For Downers North, the result seemed like a victory, while to Downers South it felt like a loss.
And it all started during the lightning delay.
“I pulled the kids in right before we [resumed play] and told them there’s 17 minutes left, and the entire time we were waiting, our guys’ mentality was the game was over,” Downers South coach Jon Stapleton said. “You could sense that a little bit, and the mentality [we needed] was we had to make sure we come out and play 17 minutes. We didn’t do it.
“So credit [the Trojans]. They took advantage of it. It’s one of the most disappointing games I’ve been a part of in my 13-year career.”
The Mustangs (9-1-4) led 2-0 when play resumed and nearly extended the lead in the first 30 seconds when Eric Diaz crossed into the box to Peter Becht, whose volley skimmed the top of the crossbar.
The tone of the game turned with 13:24 to play when Crowley unleashed his rocket into the upper left corner of the net to cut the gap to 2-1.
“I pretty much just saw that there was no one in front of me,” Crowley said. “We were down 2-0. I thought it was better to take it than not take it, just kick it as hard as I could and it went in.
“When I hit it I knew it was a good shot and just hoped for the best. I really think it helped us push forward and get some momentum instead of just sitting back and playing defense.”
Indeed, the goal ignited the Trojans (7-7-1), who tied the game with 11:32 to play. Crowley, the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match, sent a corner kick in from the left side. Three Downers South defenders stood still and watched the ball sail to Carter Tome on the far post for an easy tap-in.
“I feel like we came out and we got a really good shot on goal right away and then we just felt everything was going our way,” Downers South forward Nicholas Rohl said. “And then we just didn’t step on the one shot, and one shot turned into two goals.”
Rohl agreed with Stapleton that the Mustangs didn’t handle the break properly. “I feel like we just came out a little flat because we thought that we had it,” Rohl said.
The Mustangs nearly did get the victory but missed two scoring chances in the final minutes. Diaz, who was dangerous throughout but had nothing to show for it, unleashed a 10-yard shot while falling down with 6:10 remaining that hit the top of the crossbar, and Hunter Thoren’s drive from 25 yards out was saved by Downers North goalie Alex Wall with 3:50 left.
But the damage had been done, with the Trojans’ comeback undoing a solid first 60 minutes by the Mustangs.
“I think the break kind of helped,” Crowley said. “We got to re-evaluate what we were doing on the field, like re-establish what we wanted to do. So it was like a fresh start, instead of continuing the second half.”
The Trojans were glad about that because the Mustangs had made it 2-0 just two minutes before the interruption on a goal by Alexander Escamilla, who put a short rebound shot through the legs of Wall after Wall had rejected a shot from Diaz.
The visitors had struck first at the 29:49 mark of the first half on a great individual effort from Rohl. The sophomore took a pass from Diaz and used some fancy footwork to get by a defender into the right side of the box before beating Wall with a 12-yard shot inside the left post.
“I turned and I saw tons of space behind the defender,” Rohl said. “He was trying to shoulder me to my left, so I cut left and then cut right back to his back side and he had no chance. I beat him with speed.”
It was the fourth goal of the season for Rohl, who has combined with Diaz to form a solid 1-2 punch up front. Diaz didn’t score in this one but just missed several open shots from distance in the first half.
“Our center midfielder, Jason [Galik], he’s been giving me assists all year and he’s been the one really distributing balls and giving me and Eric chances on goal,” Rohl said. “That’s what it’s all about.”
Soccer is ultimately about finishing, whether it be goals or matches, and the Mustangs didn’t get that done.
“We came out strong at the beginning to get a two-goal lead,” Rohl said. “We had tons of chances. From the first play we were already testing [Wall]. We did all game, and it’s hard coming out with just a tie.”
Wall made seven saves for the Trojans, who have already doubled their win total from 2013. Dumford made four for the Mustangs, including a great leaping effort to punch a shot from Tome over the crossbar in the first half. The Mustangs were coming off their first loss of the season, a 2-0 setback Tuesday to top-ranked Morton.
“I felt really confident in how we bounced back, and we’ll take this tie as a loss and bounce back again on Saturday (against Naperville North),” Rohl said.
Stapleton hopes that will be the case.
“Our kids have been responsive to numerous challenges throughout the year,” Stapleton said. “This is one that failed tonight.
“I’m not going to sugarcoat it. Guys need to know we’ll praise them when they do well. They did poorly in the last 15 minutes, and that’s too bad.”
Starting lineups
Downers Grove South
GK Sam Dumford
D Griffin Overbeck
D Matthew Buczko
D Andrew Dobosenski
D Kyle Harty
M Peter Becht
M Hunter Thoren
M Jason Galik
F Eric Diaz
F Nicholas Rohl
F Joseph Caldarazzo
Downers Grove North
GK Alex Wall
D Liam Budnik
D Jack Drobny
D Jake Stevenson
D Brett Pyburn
M Tyler Winslow
M Matthew Metzler
M Trace Dimos
F Michael Malloy
F Steven Klasing
F Carter Tome
Man of the Match: Sam Crowley, Downers Grove North
Referees: Harold Cooper (center), Keith Abel, Katie Bates