High-octane 1st half propels
Crystal Lake South past Prairie View
Gators score 5 goals in 40 minutes in 5-1 Fox Valley win
By Gary Larsen
CRYSTAL LAKE -- With the postseason looming, four-year varsity player Tom Coughlin of Crystal Lake South was concise in describing the nature of play to expect once Illinois regionals begin.
“Cutthroat, I would say, is a good word,” Coughlin said.
The Chicagoland Soccer all-stater and his mates certainly came out with a that mentality in Thursday’s showdown against crosstown rival Prairie Ridge. The Gators scored five goals in the first half en route to a 5-1 Fox Valley Conference road win.
“I couldn’t ask for a better start,” Crystal Lake South coach Brian Allen said. “An early set-piece goal and then following it up with a goal in the run of play. We brought the energy, and we were consistent. That’s what we’ve been preaching all week.”
First came a Michal Dejworek goal on a Tomasz Slawek assist, then a Slawek goal on assists from Deven Tinajero and Coughlin.
Ali Ahmed got in on the action at 22 minutes, running onto a ball dummied by Coughlin sent into the box by a Slawek corner kick. The freshman buried it from 10 yards.
Two minutes later, Slawek lined up a free kick from 30 yards, poised to give himself a second goal to go with two assists in the game’s first 24 minutes.
Slawek’s boot had ill intentions from the time it left his foot. The ball tore a path under the crossbar to give the Gators a 4-0 lead.
Chicagoland Soccer’s Man of the Match was happy with his side’s fast start.
“We played well in the first half — high energy and buzzing around,” Slawek said. “It obviously showed, because we put five (goals) on them in the first half. In the second half the energy died down, but overall it was a good result.”
Coughlin was similarly happy to see his side bring the thunder from the opening whistle, and he likes the distance his boys have traveled since the season’s start.
“I think we’ve improved a lot. We’ve picked up a couple things along the way,” Coughlin said. “We’ve learned how to adapt at times, and I’m proud of everyone stepping up into their roles consistently and consistently getting better.”
Coughlin netted a penalty kick at 39 minutes to finish the Gators’ scoring for the day.
Henry Knoll scored for Prairie Ridge at 66 minutes on a Nathan O’Hanian assist. The Wolves went toe-to-toe with the Gators in the second half.
Prairie Ridge juniors Cade Collins and Jake Pinkerton were infinitely dangerous in the attack all day.
“They cause havoc,” Allen said of the two Wolves juniors. ““I thought Brendan Lewis and Blake Marunde helped neutralize them quite well. Because you could see in those moments when we didn’t account for them, we got ourselves into trouble.
“I thought Blake coming in next to Brendan really slowed down their attack in the middle and let us do our thing.”
Crystal Lake South, ranked 24th in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, improved to 15-2-2 overall and 8-0-0 in FVC play with the win. Prairie Ridge fell to 8-6-0, 4-4-0.
In 19 games, the Gators have gone 6-2-0 in the games that have been decided by a single goal this year. They also have a pair of 1-1 ties on their record.
Playing in so many close games against stiff competition has battle-tested Crystal Lake South, but the Gators enjoyed playing with a big lead Thursday.
“We’re a little disappointed not keeping the (shutout)," Allen said. "But it’s nice to give the defense a little bit of a break when we can put the ball in the back of the net. Then we don’t have to worry about maybe one mistake hurting us. So it was really good to get a cushion early.”
Allen was asked if he could name particular players for their role in Thursday’s win.
“All over the field, really,” Allen said. “Tom being Tom, even with man-marking all over the field, with a couple assists and a PK. On the outside Kevin (Cardoso) has really brought a lot of tenacity and energy on the right side, and the backline was solid. (Slawek) organizing and getting a goal on a free kick, and (Dejworek) just being a catalyst out there.
"The seniors know we’re late in the season. They’ve been here before and know what’s on the line, and they kind of put us on their backs today and said ‘Let’s go!’”
Coughlin was a freshman starter on the Gators’ 2018 state title team. As a veteran of three varsity postseasons, he and his fellow seniors will preach what they’ve learned to get younger players ready for the state tournament.
“It’s going to be harder to find those big results, and you’ve got to focus on the details at the end of the season and constantly be working on trying to find ways to get better at the little stuff,” Coughlin said.
The Gators will count on Coughlin as a catalyst in the attack as they try to make it back to the state finals. And if there’s a player anywhere in Illinois with better foot skills than Coughlin, soccer fans would be hard pressed to locate him. ‘He’s got the ball on a string’ may be a soccer cliche, but it’s appropriate in summarizing Coughlin.
Coughlin was named the Elite Clubs National League U-17 National Player of the Year after he and his Eclipse teammates won a national title.
“I don't think there is a list of superlatives that can do justice for what he's able to do with the ball at his feet,” Allen said.
“He's the most technical player I've ever coached and the best midfielder to come through the area since (Cary-Grove’s) Drew Conner, in my opinion. And it's not just his uncanny technical ability, where the ball seems glued to his feet. It’s his constant attention to every soccer detail that matters that puts him in that special category for me.
“Checking his shoulder, thinking two-to-three steps and plays ahead, knowing when to go and when to be patient, and the fact that he never stops moving makes him a menace for any opposing team, even when they try to man-mark him like Prairie Ridge did.”
Starting lineups
Crystal Lake South
GK Logan Vargas
D Andrew Smart
D Tomasz Slawek
D Dayton Murphy
D Josh Washington
MF Tom Coughlin
MF Brendan Lewis
MF Deven Tinajero
MF Michael Dejworek
MF Kevin Cardoso
F Matt Horvath
Prairie Ridge
GK Daniel Llanquiman
D Seth Matson
D Chase Vrba
D Zion Smeja
MF Henry Eriksen
MF Brady Rogers
MF Jake Pinkerton
MF Henry Knoll
MF Kaj Justesen
F Cade Collins
F Carter Fredrickson
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Tomasz Slawek, sr., D, Crystal Lake South
Scoring summary
First half
CLS: Dejworek (Slawek), 5th minute
CLS: Slawek (Tinajero, Coughlin), 9th minute
CLS: Ahmed (Slawek, Coughlin) 22nd minute
CLS: Slawek (FK) 24th minute
CLS: Coughlin (PK) 39th minute
Second half
PR: Knoll (O’Hanian) 67 minutes
Crystal Lake South past Prairie View
Gators score 5 goals in 40 minutes in 5-1 Fox Valley win
By Gary Larsen
CRYSTAL LAKE -- With the postseason looming, four-year varsity player Tom Coughlin of Crystal Lake South was concise in describing the nature of play to expect once Illinois regionals begin.
“Cutthroat, I would say, is a good word,” Coughlin said.
The Chicagoland Soccer all-stater and his mates certainly came out with a that mentality in Thursday’s showdown against crosstown rival Prairie Ridge. The Gators scored five goals in the first half en route to a 5-1 Fox Valley Conference road win.
“I couldn’t ask for a better start,” Crystal Lake South coach Brian Allen said. “An early set-piece goal and then following it up with a goal in the run of play. We brought the energy, and we were consistent. That’s what we’ve been preaching all week.”
First came a Michal Dejworek goal on a Tomasz Slawek assist, then a Slawek goal on assists from Deven Tinajero and Coughlin.
Ali Ahmed got in on the action at 22 minutes, running onto a ball dummied by Coughlin sent into the box by a Slawek corner kick. The freshman buried it from 10 yards.
Two minutes later, Slawek lined up a free kick from 30 yards, poised to give himself a second goal to go with two assists in the game’s first 24 minutes.
Slawek’s boot had ill intentions from the time it left his foot. The ball tore a path under the crossbar to give the Gators a 4-0 lead.
Chicagoland Soccer’s Man of the Match was happy with his side’s fast start.
“We played well in the first half — high energy and buzzing around,” Slawek said. “It obviously showed, because we put five (goals) on them in the first half. In the second half the energy died down, but overall it was a good result.”
Coughlin was similarly happy to see his side bring the thunder from the opening whistle, and he likes the distance his boys have traveled since the season’s start.
“I think we’ve improved a lot. We’ve picked up a couple things along the way,” Coughlin said. “We’ve learned how to adapt at times, and I’m proud of everyone stepping up into their roles consistently and consistently getting better.”
Coughlin netted a penalty kick at 39 minutes to finish the Gators’ scoring for the day.
Henry Knoll scored for Prairie Ridge at 66 minutes on a Nathan O’Hanian assist. The Wolves went toe-to-toe with the Gators in the second half.
Prairie Ridge juniors Cade Collins and Jake Pinkerton were infinitely dangerous in the attack all day.
“They cause havoc,” Allen said of the two Wolves juniors. ““I thought Brendan Lewis and Blake Marunde helped neutralize them quite well. Because you could see in those moments when we didn’t account for them, we got ourselves into trouble.
“I thought Blake coming in next to Brendan really slowed down their attack in the middle and let us do our thing.”
Crystal Lake South, ranked 24th in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, improved to 15-2-2 overall and 8-0-0 in FVC play with the win. Prairie Ridge fell to 8-6-0, 4-4-0.
In 19 games, the Gators have gone 6-2-0 in the games that have been decided by a single goal this year. They also have a pair of 1-1 ties on their record.
Playing in so many close games against stiff competition has battle-tested Crystal Lake South, but the Gators enjoyed playing with a big lead Thursday.
“We’re a little disappointed not keeping the (shutout)," Allen said. "But it’s nice to give the defense a little bit of a break when we can put the ball in the back of the net. Then we don’t have to worry about maybe one mistake hurting us. So it was really good to get a cushion early.”
Allen was asked if he could name particular players for their role in Thursday’s win.
“All over the field, really,” Allen said. “Tom being Tom, even with man-marking all over the field, with a couple assists and a PK. On the outside Kevin (Cardoso) has really brought a lot of tenacity and energy on the right side, and the backline was solid. (Slawek) organizing and getting a goal on a free kick, and (Dejworek) just being a catalyst out there.
"The seniors know we’re late in the season. They’ve been here before and know what’s on the line, and they kind of put us on their backs today and said ‘Let’s go!’”
Coughlin was a freshman starter on the Gators’ 2018 state title team. As a veteran of three varsity postseasons, he and his fellow seniors will preach what they’ve learned to get younger players ready for the state tournament.
“It’s going to be harder to find those big results, and you’ve got to focus on the details at the end of the season and constantly be working on trying to find ways to get better at the little stuff,” Coughlin said.
The Gators will count on Coughlin as a catalyst in the attack as they try to make it back to the state finals. And if there’s a player anywhere in Illinois with better foot skills than Coughlin, soccer fans would be hard pressed to locate him. ‘He’s got the ball on a string’ may be a soccer cliche, but it’s appropriate in summarizing Coughlin.
Coughlin was named the Elite Clubs National League U-17 National Player of the Year after he and his Eclipse teammates won a national title.
“I don't think there is a list of superlatives that can do justice for what he's able to do with the ball at his feet,” Allen said.
“He's the most technical player I've ever coached and the best midfielder to come through the area since (Cary-Grove’s) Drew Conner, in my opinion. And it's not just his uncanny technical ability, where the ball seems glued to his feet. It’s his constant attention to every soccer detail that matters that puts him in that special category for me.
“Checking his shoulder, thinking two-to-three steps and plays ahead, knowing when to go and when to be patient, and the fact that he never stops moving makes him a menace for any opposing team, even when they try to man-mark him like Prairie Ridge did.”
Starting lineups
Crystal Lake South
GK Logan Vargas
D Andrew Smart
D Tomasz Slawek
D Dayton Murphy
D Josh Washington
MF Tom Coughlin
MF Brendan Lewis
MF Deven Tinajero
MF Michael Dejworek
MF Kevin Cardoso
F Matt Horvath
Prairie Ridge
GK Daniel Llanquiman
D Seth Matson
D Chase Vrba
D Zion Smeja
MF Henry Eriksen
MF Brady Rogers
MF Jake Pinkerton
MF Henry Knoll
MF Kaj Justesen
F Cade Collins
F Carter Fredrickson
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Tomasz Slawek, sr., D, Crystal Lake South
Scoring summary
First half
CLS: Dejworek (Slawek), 5th minute
CLS: Slawek (Tinajero, Coughlin), 9th minute
CLS: Ahmed (Slawek, Coughlin) 22nd minute
CLS: Slawek (FK) 24th minute
CLS: Coughlin (PK) 39th minute
Second half
PR: Knoll (O’Hanian) 67 minutes