BG falls to revenge-minded Wheeling
By Mike Garofola
LINCOLNSHIRE -- The 2017 storybook soccer season for Buffalo Grove came to an end Saturday morning at Stevenson High School when its longtime rival Wheeling sent the Bison packing after a 2-0 victory.
The regional final triumph sends the Wildcats (14-5-1) into the Fremd Sectional on Tuesday where they will meet no. 1-seeded and Chicagoland Soccer top-ranked Libertyville at 5 p.m. at Hildebrandt Field in Palatine.
Buffalo Grove battled its way to a 0-0 stalemate at the break with its trademark high work rate, incredible energy and the tactical organization of a brilliant military general, but the Wildcats enjoyed the better of the first half.
"This game has been on the minds of all the guys ever since they beat us 1-0 (Sept. 29) to all but ended our chances of a second-straight division title. So to see us come out right from the start, and play at a high level told me they were ready for this one," said Wheeling manager Kevin Lennon.
The Bison had the advantage of a strong wind at their backs in the first half. But except for a couple of half-chances, one by Michael Botello and another from top scorer Kyle Adams, the play was in the Buffalo Grove end nearly 75 percent of the time.
Possession dominance aside, Wheeling was unable to make their pressure payoff after Jared Urueta and Vincente Castro (twice) were stopped by Buffalo Grove keeper Daniel Sempoch. Castro came close but steered a shot off the post in the closing moments of the half following a Jose Mariscal corner.
"Mariscal was maybe the difference in this game today," said Bison manager Brad Abel.
"He is normally found up-top, where he distributes and scores a ton of goals for them," Abel said. "But Kevin moved him into the midfield for this game. And his presence there gave us all sorts of matching-up problems, and we never could quite get that under control."
Said Lennon: "All the credit for that switch goes to our assistants, Leo Elizalde and Tim King, who came up with that plan. And it really made a big difference in the way we played today."
The Bison began to chase the game when Wheeling sophomore Jason Rivas, who has not been known as a scorer, bagged the opener, and eventual game-winner, in the 48th minute.
That's when his superb one-timer at the near post went into the far inside netting past a helpless Sempoch, who could only watch the strike nestle into the his net.
Rivas was at it again in the 59th minute, elevating above everyone else to thump in his header from another Mariscal corner.
Abel pushed extra numbers forward in an attempt to halve the Wildcats lead, but Wheeling's often overlooked sturdy backline led by David Soto and Randy Pietrowski, insured nothing of quality would be thrown at Brian Arambula the rest of the way.
"They have so many amazing attacking players, plus their center backs (Soto and Pietrowski) are very good as well. Today, they were the much better team who deserved the result they earned," said Abel.
"I told the guys afterwards the same thing I said after lost the MSL Soccer Cup to Barrington: that I never had been more proud of a team that I've coached than this group.
"I expected us to be better than last year, but you could never expect the type of turnaround season we had in 2017. It was all because of the incredible hard work each guy put in. The seniors led the way with the way they played so hard, as a team in each and every game."
The Bison (15-6-1) put together a magnificent 10-0-1 regular season run to capture the MSL East crown.
With its 1-0 victory over Warren in its regional semifinal, the Bison earned an impressive seventh 1-0 win of the season, a testament to its keeper, Daniel Sempoch and the back four of Jack Keady, Brian Hanus, Brian Kozackzka and Shane Adams who conceded just six goals in the last 15 games.
"It was a year to remember, and after the guys get over this defeat, they'll know how special it was," Abel said in closing.
By Mike Garofola
LINCOLNSHIRE -- The 2017 storybook soccer season for Buffalo Grove came to an end Saturday morning at Stevenson High School when its longtime rival Wheeling sent the Bison packing after a 2-0 victory.
The regional final triumph sends the Wildcats (14-5-1) into the Fremd Sectional on Tuesday where they will meet no. 1-seeded and Chicagoland Soccer top-ranked Libertyville at 5 p.m. at Hildebrandt Field in Palatine.
Buffalo Grove battled its way to a 0-0 stalemate at the break with its trademark high work rate, incredible energy and the tactical organization of a brilliant military general, but the Wildcats enjoyed the better of the first half.
"This game has been on the minds of all the guys ever since they beat us 1-0 (Sept. 29) to all but ended our chances of a second-straight division title. So to see us come out right from the start, and play at a high level told me they were ready for this one," said Wheeling manager Kevin Lennon.
The Bison had the advantage of a strong wind at their backs in the first half. But except for a couple of half-chances, one by Michael Botello and another from top scorer Kyle Adams, the play was in the Buffalo Grove end nearly 75 percent of the time.
Possession dominance aside, Wheeling was unable to make their pressure payoff after Jared Urueta and Vincente Castro (twice) were stopped by Buffalo Grove keeper Daniel Sempoch. Castro came close but steered a shot off the post in the closing moments of the half following a Jose Mariscal corner.
"Mariscal was maybe the difference in this game today," said Bison manager Brad Abel.
"He is normally found up-top, where he distributes and scores a ton of goals for them," Abel said. "But Kevin moved him into the midfield for this game. And his presence there gave us all sorts of matching-up problems, and we never could quite get that under control."
Said Lennon: "All the credit for that switch goes to our assistants, Leo Elizalde and Tim King, who came up with that plan. And it really made a big difference in the way we played today."
The Bison began to chase the game when Wheeling sophomore Jason Rivas, who has not been known as a scorer, bagged the opener, and eventual game-winner, in the 48th minute.
That's when his superb one-timer at the near post went into the far inside netting past a helpless Sempoch, who could only watch the strike nestle into the his net.
Rivas was at it again in the 59th minute, elevating above everyone else to thump in his header from another Mariscal corner.
Abel pushed extra numbers forward in an attempt to halve the Wildcats lead, but Wheeling's often overlooked sturdy backline led by David Soto and Randy Pietrowski, insured nothing of quality would be thrown at Brian Arambula the rest of the way.
"They have so many amazing attacking players, plus their center backs (Soto and Pietrowski) are very good as well. Today, they were the much better team who deserved the result they earned," said Abel.
"I told the guys afterwards the same thing I said after lost the MSL Soccer Cup to Barrington: that I never had been more proud of a team that I've coached than this group.
"I expected us to be better than last year, but you could never expect the type of turnaround season we had in 2017. It was all because of the incredible hard work each guy put in. The seniors led the way with the way they played so hard, as a team in each and every game."
The Bison (15-6-1) put together a magnificent 10-0-1 regular season run to capture the MSL East crown.
With its 1-0 victory over Warren in its regional semifinal, the Bison earned an impressive seventh 1-0 win of the season, a testament to its keeper, Daniel Sempoch and the back four of Jack Keady, Brian Hanus, Brian Kozackzka and Shane Adams who conceded just six goals in the last 15 games.
"It was a year to remember, and after the guys get over this defeat, they'll know how special it was," Abel said in closing.