Naperville N. records 2nd
shutout in win over Lyons
Goalie Robert thwarts breakaway to spark 2-0 victory
By Matt Le Cren
NAPERVILLE -- Lyons Township thought it was going to take the lead on Naperville North when a perfect pass from Patrick Duncan sprung Cole Gilchrist on a breakaway.
It didn’t happen.
Naperville North goalie Christian Robert rushed off his line and smothered Gilchrist’s shot 15 yards from the goal to keep Thursday night’s game scoreless.
Four minutes later, the Huskies broke the ice when first one defender, then another scored their first career varsity goals. That proved to be the difference as host Naperville North won 2-0 and remained unscored on this year.
Afterward, Gilchrist gave kudos to Robert, the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match.
“That was a pretty good save,” Gilchrist said. “I mistouched it a little bit, but he came out really fast. I tried to get it over him but he got a hand on it and made a good save.
“He was quick. I definitely had to try to get used to his speed at the start. I tried to adjust to it later in the game but just couldn’t put one away.”
Robert made five saves in recording his second shutout for the Huskies (2-0). The senior made a couple of other alert plays, but the stop on Gilchrist was his most memorable.
“They say to be a goalkeeper you have to have a couple of loose screws, so those are definitely some of my favorite saves,” Robert said. “That’s something I’ve been working in the offseason a lot -- my quickness and getting off the line. Every once in a while the defense has a little lapse, and that’s what I have to do is come out and extinguish all the threats.”
Robert has done a great job of that so far and has gotten plenty of help from defenders Matty Sylvester, Kevin Keane, Wesley Wong and Brandon Hipp.
“I think the MVPs of these couple games have been the defense,” Robert said. “They’re really limiting (opponents’) opportunities and keeping them to a low amount of shots, which makes it easier.
“I think today is a testament to that. LT definitely ranks higher than we are, and we found a way to pull out the win.”
Indeed, the clean sheet against Lyons was impressive considering the Lions (1-1) were coming off a 6-1 rout of Whitney Young in their opener on Tuesday.
“I think in the first half we were a bit shaky at times,” Naperville North coach Jim Konrad said. “Our tackling was a bit suspect, but in the second half I thought the boys did a great job. They started to communicate more.
“The thing I was most proud of tonight was that on every restart, our guys were battling for every ball in the air. In the air I thought we were very, very good tonight. That’s why we were able to hang in there because on the field I think it was a very even game.”
Naperville North’s defenders got the job done at both ends of the field. They’ve scored three of the Huskies’ four goals this season. Hipp scored in Tuesday’s 2-0 victory over Oswego East, and Sylvester and Keane dented the net against the Lions.
Keane and Sylvester scored their first career goals just 2:05 apart in the first half, and they came on the Huskies’ first two shots of the match. Keane’s was a 12-yard blast from in traffic following a long throw-in with 25:27 left in opening period; Sylvester’s was the offensive play of the night, coming off a corner kick from sophomore Chris Sullivan.
“Our defensive set pieces got us both times,” Lyons coach Paul Labbato said. “It was a long throw and a corner kick. I’d like to think in the future that maybe we get those balls away, but today they didn’t and it’s a learning experience. But we like having a test like this.”
The Lions failed the test because of Sylvester’s quick, accurate release on a one-timer from the near post that caught Lyons goalie Donald Darrus by surprise. Darrus dove to his right, but the ball cut sharply across the crease and rolled by him.
“Chris Sullivan played in a great ball,” Sylvester said. “Last game he made an adjustment. He told me before the game to hit it differently.
“I usually try to flick it back with my heel every time, but this time he told me just hit it forward and put it on goal and hope it goes in, and it went in. Those misdirections just catch the goalie off guard every time.”
Aside from Gilchrist’s breakaway, the Lions were unable to catch the Huskies off guard despite putting on some good pressure in the second half when they launched five of their seven shots.
“It was just relentless the whole time,” Sylvester said. “It was a tough game. I’m just happy for us. Two shutouts is a good start. Just got to keep working.”
Labbato said the Lions will do the same.
“You’re working hard to win games, but you’ve also got to find things this early in the season that help your team,” Labbato said. “We played all our players, we got them all in this action with a good team like Naperville North.
“[The Huskies] are a solid team. They’re very difficult to break down. They’re well coached in the back, and their goalkeeper played very well.”
Konrad had similar sentiments about the Lions, saying midfielder Harry Hilling had a fantastic game and is one of the best players Naperville North will see all year.
While disappointed with the loss, Gilchrist thinks his squad will bounce back quickly.
“I think we possessed the ball pretty well, but we’ve just got to work on finishing in the final third,” Gilchrist said. “I think our team is just trying to meld at the moment, and I’m sure we’ll get together and play soccer the right way.”
Starting lineups
Lyons
GK Donald Darrus
D Daniel Thomas
D Leo Gabrek
D Grant Thomas
D John Mazur
M Harry Hilling
M Paul Fulop
M Pijus Dzidolikas
F Cole Gilchrist
F Diego Lopez
F Patrick Duncan
Naperville North
GK Christian Robert
D Matty Sylvester
D Kevin Keane
D Wesley Wong
D Brandon Hipp
M Chris Sullivan
M Connor McBride
M Grant Borg
F Carl Zaba
F Chris Ensign
F Adonay Hammond
Man of the Match: Christian Robert, Naperville North.
Referees: Jose Gonzalez, Miguel Chavez, third referee's name unavailable.
shutout in win over Lyons
Goalie Robert thwarts breakaway to spark 2-0 victory
By Matt Le Cren
NAPERVILLE -- Lyons Township thought it was going to take the lead on Naperville North when a perfect pass from Patrick Duncan sprung Cole Gilchrist on a breakaway.
It didn’t happen.
Naperville North goalie Christian Robert rushed off his line and smothered Gilchrist’s shot 15 yards from the goal to keep Thursday night’s game scoreless.
Four minutes later, the Huskies broke the ice when first one defender, then another scored their first career varsity goals. That proved to be the difference as host Naperville North won 2-0 and remained unscored on this year.
Afterward, Gilchrist gave kudos to Robert, the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match.
“That was a pretty good save,” Gilchrist said. “I mistouched it a little bit, but he came out really fast. I tried to get it over him but he got a hand on it and made a good save.
“He was quick. I definitely had to try to get used to his speed at the start. I tried to adjust to it later in the game but just couldn’t put one away.”
Robert made five saves in recording his second shutout for the Huskies (2-0). The senior made a couple of other alert plays, but the stop on Gilchrist was his most memorable.
“They say to be a goalkeeper you have to have a couple of loose screws, so those are definitely some of my favorite saves,” Robert said. “That’s something I’ve been working in the offseason a lot -- my quickness and getting off the line. Every once in a while the defense has a little lapse, and that’s what I have to do is come out and extinguish all the threats.”
Robert has done a great job of that so far and has gotten plenty of help from defenders Matty Sylvester, Kevin Keane, Wesley Wong and Brandon Hipp.
“I think the MVPs of these couple games have been the defense,” Robert said. “They’re really limiting (opponents’) opportunities and keeping them to a low amount of shots, which makes it easier.
“I think today is a testament to that. LT definitely ranks higher than we are, and we found a way to pull out the win.”
Indeed, the clean sheet against Lyons was impressive considering the Lions (1-1) were coming off a 6-1 rout of Whitney Young in their opener on Tuesday.
“I think in the first half we were a bit shaky at times,” Naperville North coach Jim Konrad said. “Our tackling was a bit suspect, but in the second half I thought the boys did a great job. They started to communicate more.
“The thing I was most proud of tonight was that on every restart, our guys were battling for every ball in the air. In the air I thought we were very, very good tonight. That’s why we were able to hang in there because on the field I think it was a very even game.”
Naperville North’s defenders got the job done at both ends of the field. They’ve scored three of the Huskies’ four goals this season. Hipp scored in Tuesday’s 2-0 victory over Oswego East, and Sylvester and Keane dented the net against the Lions.
Keane and Sylvester scored their first career goals just 2:05 apart in the first half, and they came on the Huskies’ first two shots of the match. Keane’s was a 12-yard blast from in traffic following a long throw-in with 25:27 left in opening period; Sylvester’s was the offensive play of the night, coming off a corner kick from sophomore Chris Sullivan.
“Our defensive set pieces got us both times,” Lyons coach Paul Labbato said. “It was a long throw and a corner kick. I’d like to think in the future that maybe we get those balls away, but today they didn’t and it’s a learning experience. But we like having a test like this.”
The Lions failed the test because of Sylvester’s quick, accurate release on a one-timer from the near post that caught Lyons goalie Donald Darrus by surprise. Darrus dove to his right, but the ball cut sharply across the crease and rolled by him.
“Chris Sullivan played in a great ball,” Sylvester said. “Last game he made an adjustment. He told me before the game to hit it differently.
“I usually try to flick it back with my heel every time, but this time he told me just hit it forward and put it on goal and hope it goes in, and it went in. Those misdirections just catch the goalie off guard every time.”
Aside from Gilchrist’s breakaway, the Lions were unable to catch the Huskies off guard despite putting on some good pressure in the second half when they launched five of their seven shots.
“It was just relentless the whole time,” Sylvester said. “It was a tough game. I’m just happy for us. Two shutouts is a good start. Just got to keep working.”
Labbato said the Lions will do the same.
“You’re working hard to win games, but you’ve also got to find things this early in the season that help your team,” Labbato said. “We played all our players, we got them all in this action with a good team like Naperville North.
“[The Huskies] are a solid team. They’re very difficult to break down. They’re well coached in the back, and their goalkeeper played very well.”
Konrad had similar sentiments about the Lions, saying midfielder Harry Hilling had a fantastic game and is one of the best players Naperville North will see all year.
While disappointed with the loss, Gilchrist thinks his squad will bounce back quickly.
“I think we possessed the ball pretty well, but we’ve just got to work on finishing in the final third,” Gilchrist said. “I think our team is just trying to meld at the moment, and I’m sure we’ll get together and play soccer the right way.”
Starting lineups
Lyons
GK Donald Darrus
D Daniel Thomas
D Leo Gabrek
D Grant Thomas
D John Mazur
M Harry Hilling
M Paul Fulop
M Pijus Dzidolikas
F Cole Gilchrist
F Diego Lopez
F Patrick Duncan
Naperville North
GK Christian Robert
D Matty Sylvester
D Kevin Keane
D Wesley Wong
D Brandon Hipp
M Chris Sullivan
M Connor McBride
M Grant Borg
F Carl Zaba
F Chris Ensign
F Adonay Hammond
Man of the Match: Christian Robert, Naperville North.
Referees: Jose Gonzalez, Miguel Chavez, third referee's name unavailable.