Gators engage in battle to the (Barbs) wire
CL South, DeKalb finish 2-2 in useful friendly
By Steve Nemeth
DE KALB --- If Las Vegas offered a line on their upcoming high school conference openers, the odds just shifted heavily in favor of Crystal Lake South and DeKalb.
Consider this fair warning to Crystal Lake South's Fox Valley Conference opening foe McHenry, and Morris when they make their conference debut against DeKalb in the Northern Illinois Big XII Conference.
As anticipated by the respective coaches, Crystal Lake South’s Gators battled the host Barbs to the kind of 2-2 deadlock Tuesday that left both sides ready and eager for their league openers.
The Gators (5-1-1) erased the aftertaste of an unsavory 2-0 loss to Hampshire in the championship match of the Johnsburg Rigby Challenge tourney. DeKalb (3-0-2) will continue moving forward as an unbeaten team.
“We know McHenry will come out strong, but having a good challenge like this is just what we needed,” said South’s Nikolas Getzinger. “To go down 2-1 forced us to strengthen our defensive organization and really ramp up our attack.”
“Playing a team as aggressive as DeKalb showed us what we’ll see in conference,” Gators teammate Thomas Ciezadlo added. “There’s no better preparation and no better way to add to our hunger than a well-played draw.”
It's hard to imagine that Ciezadlo’s appetite for another celebration won’t be greater after the thrill he felt pulling South even midway through the second half.
Based on coach Brian Allen’s halftime plea for more shooting, Getzinger especially began testing DeKalb goalie Victor Guerrero, but it was Ciezadlo’s sharp blast from the right wing that the junior netminder couldn’t solve. Sailing just over a leaping Guerrero, the ball dipped perfectly under the crossbar with 25:24 left in regulation.
“Initially I was thinking cross but then also figured why not gamble,” Ciezadlo explained. “Watching it, I believed it had a chance.”
There was never a doubt in Getzinger’s mind, who gave South a 1-0 first half lead.
“He hit it so sweetly I knew to run away from the goal and head to him to celebrate,” Getzinger said.
However, Ciezadlo earning Chicagoland Soccer’s MVP of the Match accolade was more a result of the energy he gave his teammates and the numerous ways in which he helped South threaten offensively.
“He’s a senior who accepts being a role player, but tonight he was especially effective in the middle of the pitch,” Allen said. “Obviously he’s a big weapon with his throws and how he looks for teammates, but he also got the reward of getting a goal by not passing up a shot.”
While it was Ciezadlo’s first goal of the season, Getzinger netted his team-best sixth strike; he has three assists for a team-high 15 points. The opening goal came in the 19th minute thanks to the second set-up of the year from Ryan Coughlin (4 goals, 10 points), who ranks as one of three Gators with double-digit points on the season. The junior's pass enabled Getzinger to direct an eight-yard header to the back netting.
While South’s play was of textbook design, it was virtually an anomaly in an opening half that clearly favored the hosts.
It started following a restart when South goalie Brandon Gorka had to race out to cover a ball just before Angel Martinez could get his foot on it. Then with 22:39 elapsed, Jesus Becerra’s deft touch pass found Andrew Leon in the clear for a 14-yard laser from left of center that eluded Gorka’s reach.
Two minutes later, Gorka had to punch a Barbs corner kick clear to keep the game even. DeKalb remained on attack and compiled a 5-2 edge in overall attempts and 3-2 tally for shots on goal. The last of those gave DeKalb a 2-1 lead with 3:51 left.
Becerra earned his second assist of the match by setting up Luis Cabral in the middle for an 11-yard boot to the inside of the right post.
Unfortunately for Crystal Lake South, scoring in soccer is not like basketball, which allows an attempt to count if it's taken before the horn. As a result, a last-ditch cannon shot for South that was in flight but did not cross the goal line before the buzzer was not included on the scoreboard.
“Coach told us we had two shots on the stat sheet when we were aiming for 10,” Getzinger said. “Clearly we need to pick up our offensive tempo.”
“We weren’t moving the ball too well, and you could tell they practice and play on turf regularly,” Ciezadlo noted, not making excuses for the grass-based Gators but instead noting an additional value of facing DeKalb on the road.
“I think it took almost a whole half for us to really adjust,” added Getzinger, who didn’t mind the 75-yard width of the field.
Crystal Lake South came out with a purpose in the second half. Coughlin was near the right post for a head flick, but Guerrero gathered that one with ease. Then came Getzinger's 13-yarder from the left wing plus a 38-yard cracker that Guerrero took off his chest, but covered the rebound. At 53:11, Marcin Sliwinski had a solid free kick that Guerrero caught cleanly.
Then came Ciezadlo’s equalizer. That was followed by another Getzinger header that was too high as was another Coughlin kick. DeKalb’s Trevor Espy sent a Getzinger try out of bounds and on the ensuing corner kick, Dylan Kvapil headed it away for the Barbs.
With 17:02 left in regulation, DeKalb’s Benny Redzepi’s free kick required a block from South’s Nicolas McDaniel, who took over in goal for the second half. The senior keeper also handled a Becerra header.
Although Getzinger had a strong shot rise too much in flight, and Ciezadlo put another throw-in virtually into the goalie box that required Guerrero to make a soaring catch, those were overshadowed by DeKalb’s renewed sense of urgency. Just over five minutes remained when the Barbs had a cross from the right go begging for a re-direct before rolling past the far left post.
Redzepi stole a ball and had a 1-v.-1 with McDaniel whose deflection was put back into the middle and required a teammate’s defensive clear.
Crystal Lake South had one more push on a well-placed throw from Ciezadlo that was headed away by the DeKalb defense. On the ensuing corner kick, an off-balance try from Getzinger caromed off the crossbar with only 1:04 showing.
Ultimately, the Gators produced a 9-4 advantage in overall attempts and a 5-3 edge for shots on goal for the final 40 minutes. In addition to giving McDaniel challenging minutes in goal, Allen utilized his bench and was satisfied with some other position shifts.
“McDaniel had a really big save late, and (Nicholas) Langdon really helped organize things in back in the second half,” Allen said. “Zing (Getzinger) kind of took over the game offensively to adjust our tempo. When he does that, it’s pretty hard to slow our attack.”
From the opposite bench, DeKalb coach Brent McIntosh was elated with how his team battled the Gators, who surfaced in the no. 24 slot in this week’s Chicagoland Soccer Top 25.
“We put four points of emphasis on the board: (1) our first and last touches; (2) defending individually, as a line and as a unit; (3) our shape and organization; and (4) capitalizing on opportunities,” McIntosh explained. “I’m so proud that we hit all four points.
“Our spine answered every challenge against a team as solid as South,” McIntosh added referring to the stalwarts in the middle from end to end. Defenders Espy and Lincoln Draper, midfielders Martinez and Redzepi, plus forward Tristan Bujarski comprise that core for DeKalb.
McIntosh additionally complimented the play of Becerra.
“He may be on the quiet side, but he’s so talented, has a strong left foot, is creative, aggressive and has an appetite for the game like none other,” McIntosh said.
Having tallied two goals in the previous four contests, Becerra had assists on both goals for DeKalb. The scores from Leon and Cabral was the second of the season for each.
The Barbs begin their league schedule on Thursday visiting Morris. Crystal Lake South heads home to welcome McHenry that same day.
Starting lineups
Crystal Lake South
GK Brandon Gorka
D Marcin Sliwinski
D Alexander Canfield
D Ryan Yazel
D Andrew Edge
M Oscar Campos
M Nicolas Langdon
M John Wruck
M Ryan Coughlin
F Brad Grabowski
F Evan Carlson
DeKalb
GK Victor Guerrero
D Rohan Callaghan
D Lincoln Draper
D Trevor Espy
D Rami Lake
M Benny Redzepi
M Jesus Becerra
M Angel Martinez
M Ricardo Sanchez
F Tristan Bujarski
F Andrew Leon
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Thomas Ciezadlo, sr. MF, Crystal Lake South
Game summary
CL South 2, DeKalb 2
CL South 1 1 -- 2 5-1-1
DeKalb 2 0 -- 0 3-0-2
Scoring
CLS – Getzinger eight-yard header (Coughlin assist), 19:24 gone
DK – Leon 14-yarder from left of center (Becerra assist), 32:39 gone
DK – Cabral 11-yarder from middle inside right post (Becerra assist), 36:09 gone
CLS – Ciezadlo 22-yard blast from right wing (unassisted), 54:36 gone
Shots
CLS 3 – 9 -- 12
DK 5 – 4 -- 9
Shots on goal
CLS 2 – 5 -- 7
DK 3 – 3 -- 6
Saves (goalie)
CLS 4 (Gorka 1, McDaniel 3)
DK 5 (Guerrero 1 – 4)
Corner kicks
CLS 2 – 2 -- 4
DK 3 – 2 -- 5
Offsides
CLS 1 – 0 -- 1
DK 0 – 1 -- 1
Officials: Jeff Ryder (center), Sam Schmickley, Sam Nachampassak
CL South, DeKalb finish 2-2 in useful friendly
By Steve Nemeth
DE KALB --- If Las Vegas offered a line on their upcoming high school conference openers, the odds just shifted heavily in favor of Crystal Lake South and DeKalb.
Consider this fair warning to Crystal Lake South's Fox Valley Conference opening foe McHenry, and Morris when they make their conference debut against DeKalb in the Northern Illinois Big XII Conference.
As anticipated by the respective coaches, Crystal Lake South’s Gators battled the host Barbs to the kind of 2-2 deadlock Tuesday that left both sides ready and eager for their league openers.
The Gators (5-1-1) erased the aftertaste of an unsavory 2-0 loss to Hampshire in the championship match of the Johnsburg Rigby Challenge tourney. DeKalb (3-0-2) will continue moving forward as an unbeaten team.
“We know McHenry will come out strong, but having a good challenge like this is just what we needed,” said South’s Nikolas Getzinger. “To go down 2-1 forced us to strengthen our defensive organization and really ramp up our attack.”
“Playing a team as aggressive as DeKalb showed us what we’ll see in conference,” Gators teammate Thomas Ciezadlo added. “There’s no better preparation and no better way to add to our hunger than a well-played draw.”
It's hard to imagine that Ciezadlo’s appetite for another celebration won’t be greater after the thrill he felt pulling South even midway through the second half.
Based on coach Brian Allen’s halftime plea for more shooting, Getzinger especially began testing DeKalb goalie Victor Guerrero, but it was Ciezadlo’s sharp blast from the right wing that the junior netminder couldn’t solve. Sailing just over a leaping Guerrero, the ball dipped perfectly under the crossbar with 25:24 left in regulation.
“Initially I was thinking cross but then also figured why not gamble,” Ciezadlo explained. “Watching it, I believed it had a chance.”
There was never a doubt in Getzinger’s mind, who gave South a 1-0 first half lead.
“He hit it so sweetly I knew to run away from the goal and head to him to celebrate,” Getzinger said.
However, Ciezadlo earning Chicagoland Soccer’s MVP of the Match accolade was more a result of the energy he gave his teammates and the numerous ways in which he helped South threaten offensively.
“He’s a senior who accepts being a role player, but tonight he was especially effective in the middle of the pitch,” Allen said. “Obviously he’s a big weapon with his throws and how he looks for teammates, but he also got the reward of getting a goal by not passing up a shot.”
While it was Ciezadlo’s first goal of the season, Getzinger netted his team-best sixth strike; he has three assists for a team-high 15 points. The opening goal came in the 19th minute thanks to the second set-up of the year from Ryan Coughlin (4 goals, 10 points), who ranks as one of three Gators with double-digit points on the season. The junior's pass enabled Getzinger to direct an eight-yard header to the back netting.
While South’s play was of textbook design, it was virtually an anomaly in an opening half that clearly favored the hosts.
It started following a restart when South goalie Brandon Gorka had to race out to cover a ball just before Angel Martinez could get his foot on it. Then with 22:39 elapsed, Jesus Becerra’s deft touch pass found Andrew Leon in the clear for a 14-yard laser from left of center that eluded Gorka’s reach.
Two minutes later, Gorka had to punch a Barbs corner kick clear to keep the game even. DeKalb remained on attack and compiled a 5-2 edge in overall attempts and 3-2 tally for shots on goal. The last of those gave DeKalb a 2-1 lead with 3:51 left.
Becerra earned his second assist of the match by setting up Luis Cabral in the middle for an 11-yard boot to the inside of the right post.
Unfortunately for Crystal Lake South, scoring in soccer is not like basketball, which allows an attempt to count if it's taken before the horn. As a result, a last-ditch cannon shot for South that was in flight but did not cross the goal line before the buzzer was not included on the scoreboard.
“Coach told us we had two shots on the stat sheet when we were aiming for 10,” Getzinger said. “Clearly we need to pick up our offensive tempo.”
“We weren’t moving the ball too well, and you could tell they practice and play on turf regularly,” Ciezadlo noted, not making excuses for the grass-based Gators but instead noting an additional value of facing DeKalb on the road.
“I think it took almost a whole half for us to really adjust,” added Getzinger, who didn’t mind the 75-yard width of the field.
Crystal Lake South came out with a purpose in the second half. Coughlin was near the right post for a head flick, but Guerrero gathered that one with ease. Then came Getzinger's 13-yarder from the left wing plus a 38-yard cracker that Guerrero took off his chest, but covered the rebound. At 53:11, Marcin Sliwinski had a solid free kick that Guerrero caught cleanly.
Then came Ciezadlo’s equalizer. That was followed by another Getzinger header that was too high as was another Coughlin kick. DeKalb’s Trevor Espy sent a Getzinger try out of bounds and on the ensuing corner kick, Dylan Kvapil headed it away for the Barbs.
With 17:02 left in regulation, DeKalb’s Benny Redzepi’s free kick required a block from South’s Nicolas McDaniel, who took over in goal for the second half. The senior keeper also handled a Becerra header.
Although Getzinger had a strong shot rise too much in flight, and Ciezadlo put another throw-in virtually into the goalie box that required Guerrero to make a soaring catch, those were overshadowed by DeKalb’s renewed sense of urgency. Just over five minutes remained when the Barbs had a cross from the right go begging for a re-direct before rolling past the far left post.
Redzepi stole a ball and had a 1-v.-1 with McDaniel whose deflection was put back into the middle and required a teammate’s defensive clear.
Crystal Lake South had one more push on a well-placed throw from Ciezadlo that was headed away by the DeKalb defense. On the ensuing corner kick, an off-balance try from Getzinger caromed off the crossbar with only 1:04 showing.
Ultimately, the Gators produced a 9-4 advantage in overall attempts and a 5-3 edge for shots on goal for the final 40 minutes. In addition to giving McDaniel challenging minutes in goal, Allen utilized his bench and was satisfied with some other position shifts.
“McDaniel had a really big save late, and (Nicholas) Langdon really helped organize things in back in the second half,” Allen said. “Zing (Getzinger) kind of took over the game offensively to adjust our tempo. When he does that, it’s pretty hard to slow our attack.”
From the opposite bench, DeKalb coach Brent McIntosh was elated with how his team battled the Gators, who surfaced in the no. 24 slot in this week’s Chicagoland Soccer Top 25.
“We put four points of emphasis on the board: (1) our first and last touches; (2) defending individually, as a line and as a unit; (3) our shape and organization; and (4) capitalizing on opportunities,” McIntosh explained. “I’m so proud that we hit all four points.
“Our spine answered every challenge against a team as solid as South,” McIntosh added referring to the stalwarts in the middle from end to end. Defenders Espy and Lincoln Draper, midfielders Martinez and Redzepi, plus forward Tristan Bujarski comprise that core for DeKalb.
McIntosh additionally complimented the play of Becerra.
“He may be on the quiet side, but he’s so talented, has a strong left foot, is creative, aggressive and has an appetite for the game like none other,” McIntosh said.
Having tallied two goals in the previous four contests, Becerra had assists on both goals for DeKalb. The scores from Leon and Cabral was the second of the season for each.
The Barbs begin their league schedule on Thursday visiting Morris. Crystal Lake South heads home to welcome McHenry that same day.
Starting lineups
Crystal Lake South
GK Brandon Gorka
D Marcin Sliwinski
D Alexander Canfield
D Ryan Yazel
D Andrew Edge
M Oscar Campos
M Nicolas Langdon
M John Wruck
M Ryan Coughlin
F Brad Grabowski
F Evan Carlson
DeKalb
GK Victor Guerrero
D Rohan Callaghan
D Lincoln Draper
D Trevor Espy
D Rami Lake
M Benny Redzepi
M Jesus Becerra
M Angel Martinez
M Ricardo Sanchez
F Tristan Bujarski
F Andrew Leon
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Thomas Ciezadlo, sr. MF, Crystal Lake South
Game summary
CL South 2, DeKalb 2
CL South 1 1 -- 2 5-1-1
DeKalb 2 0 -- 0 3-0-2
Scoring
CLS – Getzinger eight-yard header (Coughlin assist), 19:24 gone
DK – Leon 14-yarder from left of center (Becerra assist), 32:39 gone
DK – Cabral 11-yarder from middle inside right post (Becerra assist), 36:09 gone
CLS – Ciezadlo 22-yard blast from right wing (unassisted), 54:36 gone
Shots
CLS 3 – 9 -- 12
DK 5 – 4 -- 9
Shots on goal
CLS 2 – 5 -- 7
DK 3 – 3 -- 6
Saves (goalie)
CLS 4 (Gorka 1, McDaniel 3)
DK 5 (Guerrero 1 – 4)
Corner kicks
CLS 2 – 2 -- 4
DK 3 – 2 -- 5
Offsides
CLS 1 – 0 -- 1
DK 0 – 1 -- 1
Officials: Jeff Ryder (center), Sam Schmickley, Sam Nachampassak