Adame, Saucedo lead St. Pat's past Carmel
Juniors combine to wreak havoc on Corsairs in 5-2 ESCC win
By Mike Garofola
RiVER GROVE -- St. Patrick raced into a four-goal lead before claiming a 5-2 victory in its East Suburban Catholic Conference opener Monday night in River Grove at Triton College's Athletic Complex.
Angel Adame and Luis Saucedo led the Shamrocks (9-3-0, 1-0-0) offensive onslaught. The two juniors had a hand in most of the mischief the home side conjured up, as did teammate Aaron Moreno-Lopez who helped St. Patrick get off to a terrific start in an important stretch of league play.
"This is the way we wanted to begin our week," began Saucedo, who all but put this one out of reach for Carmel (4-3-1, 1-1-1) who endured a nearly two-hour bus ride from Mundelein in advance of its disappointing road loss.
"We all know what this week means for us in the race for a conference championship," continued Saucedo. "To get a big win over a good team like Carmel to set up our Wednesday game with Notre Dame, then Benet Academy on Saturday, meant a lot for all of us
Carmel showed little sign of traffic fatigue and began the contest on its front foot.
The Corsairs played the high-powered Shamrocks even until captain Eli Larson was sent off in the 37th minute to force Ray Krawzak's club to play a man down the rest of the way. The senior was dispatched for dissent after a call in the box that sent St. Patrick's Adam Przytula to the spot.
"We're a young club, with several sophomore and junior players earning a lot of playing time thus far," said Krawzak. "We've had a few ups and downs thus far. The one thing we didn't need was to have our top player going out, because it set a chain reaction of sorts along our backline.
"Eli is the glue that holds our backline together. With us losing Joey (Baude) our other center back to an injury (later in the game), we found ourselves in a lot of trouble defensively.
"We battled and held up pretty well under their pressure, but once they put that second one right after the half, we were in trouble.
"Credit St. Patrick -- a lot of talent in the attack. But I have to say that I am very proud of how we battled right until the final whistle - even pulling two back which was very encouraging for us having just 10 men out there for the last 43 minutes."
When St. Patrick plays like it did for long stretches on this night, manager Kyle McClure's men can wreak havoc on even the best defensive sides they face.
After bagging five goals on Monday, St. Patrick has now scored 50 goals, which is eight more than this point in the season last year.
"We're a year older and stronger, and the guys are beginning to really come together on both sides of the ball," McClure said. "So it was good to see us beat a team like Carmel that always plays hard, and is very well coached. It will give us the added confidence needed for a week like this one that will go a long way towards us reaching a goal of winning an ESCC title this fall."
It was Adame, later named Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match, who led the home side from the opening whistle and proved to be the architect of most every trip forward for the Shamrocks.
Whether working from tight space or with plenty of room on this extra-wide soccer pitch, Adame was irrepressible and forced Carmel to defend far more than they would have liked during the first quarter hour.
On the flipside, the visitors did well to put pressure on the Shamrocks backline with Ian McKernan, Tim Milner and Sean Seidl running hard at their opponents with the hope of turning a poor St. Patrick connection into a quality chance for themselves.
"We pressure a lot up-top the way we play all of the time, but tonight we knew we had to work even harder up top in order to keep them from building quickly from the back," said Krawczak.
Adame would go close with three chances on frame, while Saucedo just missed at the back post after a wonderful little combination beginning with Adame and Jonathan Rodriguez in the 16th minute.
"We wanted to come out and dominate possession right from the start which we did, (but) we didn't finish any of our chances until after the break," said Saucedo.
"We talked about coming out and starting strong, and everyone was pretty much involved in the offense. The only thing we didn't do well in that first half was score."
Part of the Shamrocks inability to pry open the Corsairs in the final third was due to the strong work of Shane Farrell. He sat just in front of his backline, and intercepted countless attempted balls inside the box while winning nearly every 50-50 ball, whether in the air or on the floor.
"Our plan was to defend, then look to counter to Sean, Ian and Tim up-top. For almost all of the first half, we did really well with that," said the senior Farrell. "But things quickly changed after the break."
St. Patrick continued to pour forward and opened the scoring when outside back Przytula ventured far from his post along the back to get involved in the attack and was hauled down in the box.
Przytula buried his 37th minute spot-kick to give the home side a lead it never relinquished.
At the start of the second period, the Corsairs nearly drew back level after McKernan tested St. Patrick keeper Jorge Cebrero.
Moments later, however, St. Patrick's Saucedo doubled the advantage.
Saucedo's first of two goals was a peach of a finish as he strolled in freely from the left side before using a sublime touch past Camden Krautsack to find the far inside netting.
Moreno-Lopez recorded his second-straight helper when Jonathan Rodriguez met his corner to add to the Shamrocks lead three minutes after Saucedo's goal.
"That was a tough break for Carmel to lose a man at the end of the half, but it was great to see our guys stay focused and to go after them right after the break," said McClure.
Cebrero did well to come off his line to haul down a well-placed corner from Carmel's Michael Handel in the 48th minute. Then the Shamrocks completed 16-consecutive passes before an effort from Saucedo on frame. That was followed by the junior's second goal moments later.
"We didn't want to let up and let (Carmel) stay close," said Saucedo. Sebastian Modrzejewski manufactured his second goal.
Carmel, to its credit, did not fold up and go away despite chasing four goals. The Corsairs pulled one back when Milner blasted a long-range bomb.
Joshua Torres canceled out the goal 60 seconds later, but the Corsairs continued fight-back pleased their manager who watched his men come after the Shamrocks during the final 12 minutes.
"We played with a lot of pride, and, as I said before, until the very end, which is something that I appreciate about this team," said Krawczak.
Seidl was at the center of three good chances, as were Handel, Milner and Ryan Long. But it was a superb effort from McKernan, who dribbled a trio of Shamrock' players before slotting under an approaching Cebrero, that highlighted the Corsairs attack.
"I was happy that we put two on the scoreboard despite playing a man down, but of course, you cannot be pleased with the result," began Krawzak.
"We'll have to sort things out quickly in order to be ready for Marian Central on Wednesday, then Joilet Catholic on Saturday in order to compete like I know we can."
After a five-game win streak to start the season followed by a stretch of .500 soccer (3-3-0), St. Patrick will look to regain its momentum.
"Again, big win for us tonight," began McClure.
"This year we've learned a lot about ourselves in our losses. And it's helped to have some disappointing results.
"Wednesday is a huge night for us because Notre Dame is a big rival of ours, and their stadium should be packed. It will make for a fun atmosphere for everyone."
Starting lineups
Carmel Catholic (4-1-3-2)
G- Camden Krautsack
D- Michael Handel
D- Eli Larson
D- Joe Baude
D- Riley Pierson
DM- Shane Farrell
M- Ryan Long
M- Ian McKernan
M- Matt Grzesiak
F- Sean Seidl
F- Tim Milner
St. Patrick (3-5-2)
G- Jorge Cebrero
D- Juan Leon
D- Collin Kroegen
D- Adam Przytula
M- Jonathan Rodriguez
M- Aaron Moreno-Lopez
M- Angel Adame
M- Sebastian Modrzejewski
M- Ivan A. Guerrero
F- Joshua Torres
F- Luis Saucedo
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Angel Adame, jr., M, St. Patrick
Referee: Andrew Parker
Scoring summary
First half
St. Patrick: Przytula (PK) 37'
Second half
St. Patrick: Saucedo (Moreno-Lopez) 44'
St. Patrick: Rodriguez (Moreno-Lopez) 47'
St. Patrick: Saucedo (Modrzejewski) 52'
Carmel: Milner (U/A) 53'
St. Patrick: Torres (Moreno-Lopez) 54'
Carmel: McKernan (U/A) 77'
Juniors combine to wreak havoc on Corsairs in 5-2 ESCC win
By Mike Garofola
RiVER GROVE -- St. Patrick raced into a four-goal lead before claiming a 5-2 victory in its East Suburban Catholic Conference opener Monday night in River Grove at Triton College's Athletic Complex.
Angel Adame and Luis Saucedo led the Shamrocks (9-3-0, 1-0-0) offensive onslaught. The two juniors had a hand in most of the mischief the home side conjured up, as did teammate Aaron Moreno-Lopez who helped St. Patrick get off to a terrific start in an important stretch of league play.
"This is the way we wanted to begin our week," began Saucedo, who all but put this one out of reach for Carmel (4-3-1, 1-1-1) who endured a nearly two-hour bus ride from Mundelein in advance of its disappointing road loss.
"We all know what this week means for us in the race for a conference championship," continued Saucedo. "To get a big win over a good team like Carmel to set up our Wednesday game with Notre Dame, then Benet Academy on Saturday, meant a lot for all of us
Carmel showed little sign of traffic fatigue and began the contest on its front foot.
The Corsairs played the high-powered Shamrocks even until captain Eli Larson was sent off in the 37th minute to force Ray Krawzak's club to play a man down the rest of the way. The senior was dispatched for dissent after a call in the box that sent St. Patrick's Adam Przytula to the spot.
"We're a young club, with several sophomore and junior players earning a lot of playing time thus far," said Krawzak. "We've had a few ups and downs thus far. The one thing we didn't need was to have our top player going out, because it set a chain reaction of sorts along our backline.
"Eli is the glue that holds our backline together. With us losing Joey (Baude) our other center back to an injury (later in the game), we found ourselves in a lot of trouble defensively.
"We battled and held up pretty well under their pressure, but once they put that second one right after the half, we were in trouble.
"Credit St. Patrick -- a lot of talent in the attack. But I have to say that I am very proud of how we battled right until the final whistle - even pulling two back which was very encouraging for us having just 10 men out there for the last 43 minutes."
When St. Patrick plays like it did for long stretches on this night, manager Kyle McClure's men can wreak havoc on even the best defensive sides they face.
After bagging five goals on Monday, St. Patrick has now scored 50 goals, which is eight more than this point in the season last year.
"We're a year older and stronger, and the guys are beginning to really come together on both sides of the ball," McClure said. "So it was good to see us beat a team like Carmel that always plays hard, and is very well coached. It will give us the added confidence needed for a week like this one that will go a long way towards us reaching a goal of winning an ESCC title this fall."
It was Adame, later named Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match, who led the home side from the opening whistle and proved to be the architect of most every trip forward for the Shamrocks.
Whether working from tight space or with plenty of room on this extra-wide soccer pitch, Adame was irrepressible and forced Carmel to defend far more than they would have liked during the first quarter hour.
On the flipside, the visitors did well to put pressure on the Shamrocks backline with Ian McKernan, Tim Milner and Sean Seidl running hard at their opponents with the hope of turning a poor St. Patrick connection into a quality chance for themselves.
"We pressure a lot up-top the way we play all of the time, but tonight we knew we had to work even harder up top in order to keep them from building quickly from the back," said Krawczak.
Adame would go close with three chances on frame, while Saucedo just missed at the back post after a wonderful little combination beginning with Adame and Jonathan Rodriguez in the 16th minute.
"We wanted to come out and dominate possession right from the start which we did, (but) we didn't finish any of our chances until after the break," said Saucedo.
"We talked about coming out and starting strong, and everyone was pretty much involved in the offense. The only thing we didn't do well in that first half was score."
Part of the Shamrocks inability to pry open the Corsairs in the final third was due to the strong work of Shane Farrell. He sat just in front of his backline, and intercepted countless attempted balls inside the box while winning nearly every 50-50 ball, whether in the air or on the floor.
"Our plan was to defend, then look to counter to Sean, Ian and Tim up-top. For almost all of the first half, we did really well with that," said the senior Farrell. "But things quickly changed after the break."
St. Patrick continued to pour forward and opened the scoring when outside back Przytula ventured far from his post along the back to get involved in the attack and was hauled down in the box.
Przytula buried his 37th minute spot-kick to give the home side a lead it never relinquished.
At the start of the second period, the Corsairs nearly drew back level after McKernan tested St. Patrick keeper Jorge Cebrero.
Moments later, however, St. Patrick's Saucedo doubled the advantage.
Saucedo's first of two goals was a peach of a finish as he strolled in freely from the left side before using a sublime touch past Camden Krautsack to find the far inside netting.
Moreno-Lopez recorded his second-straight helper when Jonathan Rodriguez met his corner to add to the Shamrocks lead three minutes after Saucedo's goal.
"That was a tough break for Carmel to lose a man at the end of the half, but it was great to see our guys stay focused and to go after them right after the break," said McClure.
Cebrero did well to come off his line to haul down a well-placed corner from Carmel's Michael Handel in the 48th minute. Then the Shamrocks completed 16-consecutive passes before an effort from Saucedo on frame. That was followed by the junior's second goal moments later.
"We didn't want to let up and let (Carmel) stay close," said Saucedo. Sebastian Modrzejewski manufactured his second goal.
Carmel, to its credit, did not fold up and go away despite chasing four goals. The Corsairs pulled one back when Milner blasted a long-range bomb.
Joshua Torres canceled out the goal 60 seconds later, but the Corsairs continued fight-back pleased their manager who watched his men come after the Shamrocks during the final 12 minutes.
"We played with a lot of pride, and, as I said before, until the very end, which is something that I appreciate about this team," said Krawczak.
Seidl was at the center of three good chances, as were Handel, Milner and Ryan Long. But it was a superb effort from McKernan, who dribbled a trio of Shamrock' players before slotting under an approaching Cebrero, that highlighted the Corsairs attack.
"I was happy that we put two on the scoreboard despite playing a man down, but of course, you cannot be pleased with the result," began Krawzak.
"We'll have to sort things out quickly in order to be ready for Marian Central on Wednesday, then Joilet Catholic on Saturday in order to compete like I know we can."
After a five-game win streak to start the season followed by a stretch of .500 soccer (3-3-0), St. Patrick will look to regain its momentum.
"Again, big win for us tonight," began McClure.
"This year we've learned a lot about ourselves in our losses. And it's helped to have some disappointing results.
"Wednesday is a huge night for us because Notre Dame is a big rival of ours, and their stadium should be packed. It will make for a fun atmosphere for everyone."
Starting lineups
Carmel Catholic (4-1-3-2)
G- Camden Krautsack
D- Michael Handel
D- Eli Larson
D- Joe Baude
D- Riley Pierson
DM- Shane Farrell
M- Ryan Long
M- Ian McKernan
M- Matt Grzesiak
F- Sean Seidl
F- Tim Milner
St. Patrick (3-5-2)
G- Jorge Cebrero
D- Juan Leon
D- Collin Kroegen
D- Adam Przytula
M- Jonathan Rodriguez
M- Aaron Moreno-Lopez
M- Angel Adame
M- Sebastian Modrzejewski
M- Ivan A. Guerrero
F- Joshua Torres
F- Luis Saucedo
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Angel Adame, jr., M, St. Patrick
Referee: Andrew Parker
Scoring summary
First half
St. Patrick: Przytula (PK) 37'
Second half
St. Patrick: Saucedo (Moreno-Lopez) 44'
St. Patrick: Rodriguez (Moreno-Lopez) 47'
St. Patrick: Saucedo (Modrzejewski) 52'
Carmel: Milner (U/A) 53'
St. Patrick: Torres (Moreno-Lopez) 54'
Carmel: McKernan (U/A) 77'