Oliynyk seizes moment,
Lockport bests Juarez for title
Late goal caps comeback, Porters prevail 2-1
By Patrick Z. McGavin
BRIDGEVIEW — In moviemaking, they call it the “magic hour,” that perfect, idealized moment when the natural light is ideal for capturing a mood or evoking a special atmosphere.
Damir Oliynyk felt something similar, a rush of excitement and adrenaline. It was a backdrop to a privileged moment.
As the light cast over the long field, there were other players to be sure. But the junior forward for Lockport felt all by himself.
Oliynyk blasted home a free kick from the top of the box in the 66th minute to give Porters, ranked no. 21 in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, a thrilling 2-1 comeback victory over Juarez in the championship match of the 32-team Windy City Ram Classic on Thursday at SeatGeek Stadium.
The title contest was played under the special tournament format of two 35-minute halves.
Just 4:21 remained on the clock following the game-winner.
“As I approached the ball, I just told myself to relax and play it like I do in practice,” Oliynyk said. “I have practiced this shot hundreds of times over the summer.”
He is a specialist, accurate and dangerous. All four of his goals are a result of free kicks this year.
As a southwest sider, Oliynyk has been a spectator at the professional field. Playing on this beautiful pitch, with its immaculate and deep spaces, was a transcendent experience.
“You come here to watch the Fire, but you don’t truly feel the ambience of the field,” he said. “When you are on the field, you truly experience what it is like. You have all of your supporters watching you and cheering you on.
“It’s a different world.”
Oliynyk earned the tournament Most Valuable Player award. For his accomplishments, he also garnered the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honor.
The victory was not his alone. It had many layers and many stories.
The play of Juarez, the first Chicago Public League team team to reach the Windy City Ram Classic final, was also something to celebrate.
The Eagles emerged as a program to watch a year ago when they advanced to the Final Four of the city championship. They lost in heartbreaking fashion, on penalty kicks against Washington in a semifinal at Winnemac Stadium.
“Our coach has a saying: ‘We never lose. We just learn.’ From this we are going to learn our biggest lesson of the year,” senior midfielder and captain Manny Santiago said.
Santiago created the beautiful opening goal, early in the second half, as he served a beautiful ball from the right wing that forward Peter Gonzalez drilled home in the 40th minute.
Forward Joshua Quijano also impressed with his quickness and the incredible ability to generate velocity on his shots. Lockport keeper Pat Marshall recorded seven saves, including two lunging and spectacular saves in the second half.
“There are a lot of things that we need to work on,” Santiago said. “I am proud of my team and of what we did. They were faster. They were bigger, but man, we gave them a fight.
“It feels so good because we come from a school where people think we are unorganized. When you come from a high school like that, there is no better feeling than seeing our parents watching us play on this professional field.”
The city tournament last year was not just memorable. It set the stage for something bigger and bolder this year.
“We talked about that all off-season about how we belong,” Juarez coach Daniel Michmerhuizen said. “We need to understand how to play in the big games. We deserve to be there for talent. Now we just need to understand how to be there for the environment.”
Juarez (5-1-1) was playing its seventh game in eight days. They posted impressive wins over Lemont, Joliet West and Homewood-Flossmoor.
Michmerhuizen had sought out the tournament organizers the last couple of years and asked to be invited. This was their first year in the 32-team field.
“That has been a big thing for us,” Michmerhuizen said. “This summer we played in a couple of really high-level summer leagues. There was one we played in where it was tied, and I asked the coach if we could do overtime and penalty kicks to create that pressure.
“Doing it in practice is not the same as doing it when it counts. We won two of our games in this tournament on penalty kicks, and we went 5-for-5 both times. That is a lesson learned from last year.”
The Juarez goal shook up the Porters. The team is heady and talented and showed a nice mixture of fire and poise. Junior midfielders David Panszczyk and Ramon Garcia brought a solidity and began to break down the Eagles’ back.
“I just feel, with our team, we had very high motivations going into the match,” Oliynyk said. “Sometimes chances do not get off or go our way. I feel like when we get that lust, that thirst for goals, any game is ours.”
Lockport found its rhythm and shape during the final 15 minutes as its superior depth began to wear out the Eagles. Junior forward Seba Molek also began to wreak havoc.
Elusive and quick, Molek was able to piece together a series of runs and force the Eagles to backpedal into the final third.
In the 53rd minute, he took charge by controlling a deflected ball and driving hard before unleashing a howitzer from 19 yards for the equalizer.
“As soon as we got scored on, we needed to get right back into the game,” Molek said. “I saw the ball in the back of the air, and I knew I needed to put a foot on it.”
Lockport was relieved and inspired. The players showed greater confidence and verve and aggressiveness. The Porters established the rhythm and speed of play.
“Our energy just rose,” Molek said. “There was a big roar. We felt it right away. It means a lot to win here. Not a lot of players could win at this stadium. Since the field is much wider, we had to spread out more and play quicker and move the ball faster than usual.
“This was a once in a lifetime opportunity to play here. It was unbelievable.”
The goal was his second of the year. Molek appeared to put the Porters ahead moments later but his goal was nullified by an offsides call.
Juarez did not go quietly into that good night. The Eagles exerted tremendous pressure in the closing minutes, with Marshall and a back anchored by senior Quinn Roth that was put to the test.
Santiago had a strong shot as did midfielder Francisco Magana. Juarez made a striking impression.
“We are just showing that talent comes out of nowhere,” Santiago said. “It comes from anywhere in the world. You don’t need money. You don’t need better shoes.
“You just need that heart and passion.”
The Eagles’ city title run was neither a fluke nor an outlier. This is a team built for the moment and the future. Lockport won the game. Juarez won a reputation.
“It is incredibly bittersweet, but every experience now we know what we have to work on in order to compete with everybody else,” Michmerhuizen said.
“We believe that we belong. We just need to taste it.”
Starting lineups
Lockport
GK: Pat Marshall
D: George Andretich
D: David Vetrinas
D: Gabe Czako
D: Quinn Roth
D: Nolan McNab
MF: Devin Cronin
MF: David Panszczyk
MF: Ramon Garcia
F: Seba Molek
F: Damir Oliynyk
Juarez
GK: Jhosep Garduno
D: Bryan Soto
D: Roberto Valencia
D: Omar Cardinal
D: Ernesto Arellano
MF: Fabian Ballesteros
MF: Francisco Magana
MF: Manny Santiago
F: Peter Gonzalez
F: Joshua Quijano
F: Jarrell Harris
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Damir Oliynyk, jr., F, Lockport
Scoring summary
First half
No scoring
Second half
Juarez—Peter Gonzalez (Manny Santiago), 40th minute
Lockport—Seba Molek (unassisted), 53rd minute
Lockport—Damir Oliynyk (free kick), 66th minute
Lockport bests Juarez for title
Late goal caps comeback, Porters prevail 2-1
By Patrick Z. McGavin
BRIDGEVIEW — In moviemaking, they call it the “magic hour,” that perfect, idealized moment when the natural light is ideal for capturing a mood or evoking a special atmosphere.
Damir Oliynyk felt something similar, a rush of excitement and adrenaline. It was a backdrop to a privileged moment.
As the light cast over the long field, there were other players to be sure. But the junior forward for Lockport felt all by himself.
Oliynyk blasted home a free kick from the top of the box in the 66th minute to give Porters, ranked no. 21 in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, a thrilling 2-1 comeback victory over Juarez in the championship match of the 32-team Windy City Ram Classic on Thursday at SeatGeek Stadium.
The title contest was played under the special tournament format of two 35-minute halves.
Just 4:21 remained on the clock following the game-winner.
“As I approached the ball, I just told myself to relax and play it like I do in practice,” Oliynyk said. “I have practiced this shot hundreds of times over the summer.”
He is a specialist, accurate and dangerous. All four of his goals are a result of free kicks this year.
As a southwest sider, Oliynyk has been a spectator at the professional field. Playing on this beautiful pitch, with its immaculate and deep spaces, was a transcendent experience.
“You come here to watch the Fire, but you don’t truly feel the ambience of the field,” he said. “When you are on the field, you truly experience what it is like. You have all of your supporters watching you and cheering you on.
“It’s a different world.”
Oliynyk earned the tournament Most Valuable Player award. For his accomplishments, he also garnered the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honor.
The victory was not his alone. It had many layers and many stories.
The play of Juarez, the first Chicago Public League team team to reach the Windy City Ram Classic final, was also something to celebrate.
The Eagles emerged as a program to watch a year ago when they advanced to the Final Four of the city championship. They lost in heartbreaking fashion, on penalty kicks against Washington in a semifinal at Winnemac Stadium.
“Our coach has a saying: ‘We never lose. We just learn.’ From this we are going to learn our biggest lesson of the year,” senior midfielder and captain Manny Santiago said.
Santiago created the beautiful opening goal, early in the second half, as he served a beautiful ball from the right wing that forward Peter Gonzalez drilled home in the 40th minute.
Forward Joshua Quijano also impressed with his quickness and the incredible ability to generate velocity on his shots. Lockport keeper Pat Marshall recorded seven saves, including two lunging and spectacular saves in the second half.
“There are a lot of things that we need to work on,” Santiago said. “I am proud of my team and of what we did. They were faster. They were bigger, but man, we gave them a fight.
“It feels so good because we come from a school where people think we are unorganized. When you come from a high school like that, there is no better feeling than seeing our parents watching us play on this professional field.”
The city tournament last year was not just memorable. It set the stage for something bigger and bolder this year.
“We talked about that all off-season about how we belong,” Juarez coach Daniel Michmerhuizen said. “We need to understand how to play in the big games. We deserve to be there for talent. Now we just need to understand how to be there for the environment.”
Juarez (5-1-1) was playing its seventh game in eight days. They posted impressive wins over Lemont, Joliet West and Homewood-Flossmoor.
Michmerhuizen had sought out the tournament organizers the last couple of years and asked to be invited. This was their first year in the 32-team field.
“That has been a big thing for us,” Michmerhuizen said. “This summer we played in a couple of really high-level summer leagues. There was one we played in where it was tied, and I asked the coach if we could do overtime and penalty kicks to create that pressure.
“Doing it in practice is not the same as doing it when it counts. We won two of our games in this tournament on penalty kicks, and we went 5-for-5 both times. That is a lesson learned from last year.”
The Juarez goal shook up the Porters. The team is heady and talented and showed a nice mixture of fire and poise. Junior midfielders David Panszczyk and Ramon Garcia brought a solidity and began to break down the Eagles’ back.
“I just feel, with our team, we had very high motivations going into the match,” Oliynyk said. “Sometimes chances do not get off or go our way. I feel like when we get that lust, that thirst for goals, any game is ours.”
Lockport found its rhythm and shape during the final 15 minutes as its superior depth began to wear out the Eagles. Junior forward Seba Molek also began to wreak havoc.
Elusive and quick, Molek was able to piece together a series of runs and force the Eagles to backpedal into the final third.
In the 53rd minute, he took charge by controlling a deflected ball and driving hard before unleashing a howitzer from 19 yards for the equalizer.
“As soon as we got scored on, we needed to get right back into the game,” Molek said. “I saw the ball in the back of the air, and I knew I needed to put a foot on it.”
Lockport was relieved and inspired. The players showed greater confidence and verve and aggressiveness. The Porters established the rhythm and speed of play.
“Our energy just rose,” Molek said. “There was a big roar. We felt it right away. It means a lot to win here. Not a lot of players could win at this stadium. Since the field is much wider, we had to spread out more and play quicker and move the ball faster than usual.
“This was a once in a lifetime opportunity to play here. It was unbelievable.”
The goal was his second of the year. Molek appeared to put the Porters ahead moments later but his goal was nullified by an offsides call.
Juarez did not go quietly into that good night. The Eagles exerted tremendous pressure in the closing minutes, with Marshall and a back anchored by senior Quinn Roth that was put to the test.
Santiago had a strong shot as did midfielder Francisco Magana. Juarez made a striking impression.
“We are just showing that talent comes out of nowhere,” Santiago said. “It comes from anywhere in the world. You don’t need money. You don’t need better shoes.
“You just need that heart and passion.”
The Eagles’ city title run was neither a fluke nor an outlier. This is a team built for the moment and the future. Lockport won the game. Juarez won a reputation.
“It is incredibly bittersweet, but every experience now we know what we have to work on in order to compete with everybody else,” Michmerhuizen said.
“We believe that we belong. We just need to taste it.”
Starting lineups
Lockport
GK: Pat Marshall
D: George Andretich
D: David Vetrinas
D: Gabe Czako
D: Quinn Roth
D: Nolan McNab
MF: Devin Cronin
MF: David Panszczyk
MF: Ramon Garcia
F: Seba Molek
F: Damir Oliynyk
Juarez
GK: Jhosep Garduno
D: Bryan Soto
D: Roberto Valencia
D: Omar Cardinal
D: Ernesto Arellano
MF: Fabian Ballesteros
MF: Francisco Magana
MF: Manny Santiago
F: Peter Gonzalez
F: Joshua Quijano
F: Jarrell Harris
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Damir Oliynyk, jr., F, Lockport
Scoring summary
First half
No scoring
Second half
Juarez—Peter Gonzalez (Manny Santiago), 40th minute
Lockport—Seba Molek (unassisted), 53rd minute
Lockport—Damir Oliynyk (free kick), 66th minute