Lyons dominates 2nd half vs. DG North
Lions score 5 goals after break in 7-1 league win
By Gary Larsen
LAGRANGE — No one involved in Tuesday’s game between Lyons and Downers Grove North could have seen it coming.
No one on either side would have predicted that host Lyons would come away with a 7-1 win, especially since both teams entered the game tied atop the West Suburban Conference Silver Division standings with perfect 4-0-0 records.
But Lyons senior Jack Swicionis has a theory. It hinges on the 2-1 lead Lyons earned with only three seconds remaining before halftime.
“We converted that set piece and then we went into the second half with momentum after getting that second goal,” he said. “Then things started to fall into place, and the floodgates opened.”
With time running out before halftime, Lyons earned a free kick deep along the left side of North’s penalty area. With the scoreboard at Lyons west soccer complex temporarily malfunctioning, the middle official began counting down aloud from 10, seconds and Swicionis hurried to get the kick off.
He bent a perfect ball in toward the goalmouth, and sophomore Brian Salvino headed it home to give Lyons a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
“I think once we scored that goal at the end of the first half, it affected them,” Salvino said. “They had no momentum coming out after halftime. Then I think we got their confidence down in the second half.”
Lyons (8-1-0, 5-0-0) rode that momentum to five five second half goals and a place alone atop the Silver standings.
DG North senior Brian Benton also noted the difference between Tuesday’s halves.
“We had the fight in the first half. It was only 2 -1, but then they kept scoring and scoring, and that's how it turned out,” Benton said. “I think we got the first goal,and we just thought the game was in our hands.”
It was Benton who put North (5-2-1, 4-1-0) up early, thanks to a momentous long-range free kick. Benton teed off from the right touchline near midfield at eight minutes and after the ball hung in the air for what seemed like a minute, Benton’s boot fell from the sky and kissed the underside of the crossbar near the post to give North a 1-0 lead.
"They had that great free kick, and it just carried and sailed,” Lyons coach Paul Labbato said. “We misjudged it, and it was just one of those things. But kudos to him for a great kick."
Lyons found an equalizer eight minutes later. Senior forward Jack Luttrell took a pass from J.J. Schmitt on the left side in the box, beat a defender, then went around sprawling North keeper Gavin Crowson to poke the tying goal into an empty net.
For much of the remaining 25 minutes of the first half, North had its best spell of attacking pressure. And with a dynamic attacking player like senior Trygve Hansen in the fold, anything is always possible for the Trojans.
But finding a truly threatening scoring chance against Lyons was another matter altogether, however.
“Hansen was dangerous but we were able to contain him and keep them from taking shots,” Swicionis said. “That was a big thing. When he got into a dangerous position we always had a couple players around him to keep him from getting a shot off or making a dangerous play.”
Labbato liked the way his side kept North from scoring during the run of play.
“They had some space in the first half with dribbling at our goal a little bit, but our center backs are very good,” Labbato said. “Jackson Sullivan and J.J. Schmitt are both very good. One of our best players in (defender) Jackson Turner is sitting ou, and they’ve done a good job for us.”
Things couldn’t have gone better for Lyons or worse for DG North after halftime. The Lions sent dangerous crosses and free kicks to the Trojans’ goalmouth with regularity, and it paid off at 56 minutes when Cam Labbato got on the end of a Luttrell serve at the post on the left side to make it 3-1.
The next 25 minutes effectively belonged to Lyons. Finn Mahaney buried a header off a Jonathan Hill serve at 64 minutes; Salvino struck again at 68 minutes on a Mahaney feed; Erik Nelson-Sandall scored off a Matt Drobny pass at 74 minutes; and Zach Steck finished the day’s scoring at 75 minutes with Aidan Hilling on the assist.
All five of Lyons’ second half goals came from relatively close-range. Afterwards, North coach Mike Schmitt summed up his boys’ day this way:
“I think we knew what was on the line. It was a very big game, and maybe the event got a little too big,” he said. “We went up a goal, and we're in a good position but from there we just kind of lost our way. We got a little too hyped up and maybe forgot to focus on the little things.
“We just lost track of the game plan, and everything was long and over-the-top instead of playing through the lines the way we normally do. We lost our way a little bit and unfortunately against a really good team like Lyons, they're going to make you pay for it. And they punished us.”
If not for the strong play of Crowson in net, things might have gone even worse for North. The senior keeper made several nice stops in the loss; he had no chance on most of Lyons’ goals Tuesday.
“I thought he did a fantastic job keeping the ball out as much as he did,” Schmitt said. “Maybe we didn’t take shots when we had the opportunities. (Hansen) was dangerous, and I thought Ben Schaub had a really strong game from a technical standpoint. But unfortunately we didn't have a lot going forward today.”
Singling out any one player for Lyons after a seven-goal outburst is difficult, but Salvino earned Chicagoland Soccer’s Man of the Match honors for subbing in and striking twice in the win.
“Good for him,” Labbato said. “He got two goals, and I know he’s been pushing hard for a day like that.”
As the lone underclassmen on Lyons’ roster, sophomore Salvino is enjoying the ride.
“I didn't play here last year, so it's definitely cool to be a part of the high school experience,” he said. “And the seniors have been great to me; they've been very accepting. The bench was definitely on their ‘A’ game today, and and it was a good win for the team.”
North aims to put Tuesday’s loss in its rearview mirror as quickly as possible and write it off as just one of those days.
“What I like about our team is that for the most part, this game aside, we don't give up in games,” Benton said. “But for some reason today everyone came out lousy and slow.
"The grass (field) didn't help but that's no excuse. We just didn't play well. For the most part we usually defend as a unit and lift each other up. For some reason today, we just weren't there. It was not a good day.”
Starting lineups
DGN
GK Gavin Crowson
D Brian Benton
D Sam Bull
D Owen Lesley
D Bradley Szyklowski
M Ben Schaub
M Lucas Turk
M Ryan Wilson
F Colin Nuttall
F Alexander Dilkovksi
F Trygve Hansen
Lyons
GK: Johnny Laczynski
D: Robert Sullivan
D: Jackson Sullivan
D: John Schmitt
D: Dominik Panopoulos
MF: John Swicionis
MF: Jonathan Hill
MF: Cameron Labbato
F: Timothy Slusarczyk
F: Jack Luttrell
F: Maxwell Behm
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Brian Salvino, so. F, Lyons
Scoring summary
First half
DG North — Benton (UA) 8 minutes
Lyons — Luttrell (Schmitt) 16 minutes
Lyons — Salvino (Swicionis) 40 minutes
Second half
Lyons — Labbato (Luttrell) 56 minutes
Lyons — Mahaney (Hill) 64 minutes
Lyons — Salvino (Mahaney) 68 minutes
Lyons — Nelson-Sandall (Drobny) 74 minutes
Lyons — Steck (Hilling) 75 minutes
Lions score 5 goals after break in 7-1 league win
By Gary Larsen
LAGRANGE — No one involved in Tuesday’s game between Lyons and Downers Grove North could have seen it coming.
No one on either side would have predicted that host Lyons would come away with a 7-1 win, especially since both teams entered the game tied atop the West Suburban Conference Silver Division standings with perfect 4-0-0 records.
But Lyons senior Jack Swicionis has a theory. It hinges on the 2-1 lead Lyons earned with only three seconds remaining before halftime.
“We converted that set piece and then we went into the second half with momentum after getting that second goal,” he said. “Then things started to fall into place, and the floodgates opened.”
With time running out before halftime, Lyons earned a free kick deep along the left side of North’s penalty area. With the scoreboard at Lyons west soccer complex temporarily malfunctioning, the middle official began counting down aloud from 10, seconds and Swicionis hurried to get the kick off.
He bent a perfect ball in toward the goalmouth, and sophomore Brian Salvino headed it home to give Lyons a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
“I think once we scored that goal at the end of the first half, it affected them,” Salvino said. “They had no momentum coming out after halftime. Then I think we got their confidence down in the second half.”
Lyons (8-1-0, 5-0-0) rode that momentum to five five second half goals and a place alone atop the Silver standings.
DG North senior Brian Benton also noted the difference between Tuesday’s halves.
“We had the fight in the first half. It was only 2 -1, but then they kept scoring and scoring, and that's how it turned out,” Benton said. “I think we got the first goal,and we just thought the game was in our hands.”
It was Benton who put North (5-2-1, 4-1-0) up early, thanks to a momentous long-range free kick. Benton teed off from the right touchline near midfield at eight minutes and after the ball hung in the air for what seemed like a minute, Benton’s boot fell from the sky and kissed the underside of the crossbar near the post to give North a 1-0 lead.
"They had that great free kick, and it just carried and sailed,” Lyons coach Paul Labbato said. “We misjudged it, and it was just one of those things. But kudos to him for a great kick."
Lyons found an equalizer eight minutes later. Senior forward Jack Luttrell took a pass from J.J. Schmitt on the left side in the box, beat a defender, then went around sprawling North keeper Gavin Crowson to poke the tying goal into an empty net.
For much of the remaining 25 minutes of the first half, North had its best spell of attacking pressure. And with a dynamic attacking player like senior Trygve Hansen in the fold, anything is always possible for the Trojans.
But finding a truly threatening scoring chance against Lyons was another matter altogether, however.
“Hansen was dangerous but we were able to contain him and keep them from taking shots,” Swicionis said. “That was a big thing. When he got into a dangerous position we always had a couple players around him to keep him from getting a shot off or making a dangerous play.”
Labbato liked the way his side kept North from scoring during the run of play.
“They had some space in the first half with dribbling at our goal a little bit, but our center backs are very good,” Labbato said. “Jackson Sullivan and J.J. Schmitt are both very good. One of our best players in (defender) Jackson Turner is sitting ou, and they’ve done a good job for us.”
Things couldn’t have gone better for Lyons or worse for DG North after halftime. The Lions sent dangerous crosses and free kicks to the Trojans’ goalmouth with regularity, and it paid off at 56 minutes when Cam Labbato got on the end of a Luttrell serve at the post on the left side to make it 3-1.
The next 25 minutes effectively belonged to Lyons. Finn Mahaney buried a header off a Jonathan Hill serve at 64 minutes; Salvino struck again at 68 minutes on a Mahaney feed; Erik Nelson-Sandall scored off a Matt Drobny pass at 74 minutes; and Zach Steck finished the day’s scoring at 75 minutes with Aidan Hilling on the assist.
All five of Lyons’ second half goals came from relatively close-range. Afterwards, North coach Mike Schmitt summed up his boys’ day this way:
“I think we knew what was on the line. It was a very big game, and maybe the event got a little too big,” he said. “We went up a goal, and we're in a good position but from there we just kind of lost our way. We got a little too hyped up and maybe forgot to focus on the little things.
“We just lost track of the game plan, and everything was long and over-the-top instead of playing through the lines the way we normally do. We lost our way a little bit and unfortunately against a really good team like Lyons, they're going to make you pay for it. And they punished us.”
If not for the strong play of Crowson in net, things might have gone even worse for North. The senior keeper made several nice stops in the loss; he had no chance on most of Lyons’ goals Tuesday.
“I thought he did a fantastic job keeping the ball out as much as he did,” Schmitt said. “Maybe we didn’t take shots when we had the opportunities. (Hansen) was dangerous, and I thought Ben Schaub had a really strong game from a technical standpoint. But unfortunately we didn't have a lot going forward today.”
Singling out any one player for Lyons after a seven-goal outburst is difficult, but Salvino earned Chicagoland Soccer’s Man of the Match honors for subbing in and striking twice in the win.
“Good for him,” Labbato said. “He got two goals, and I know he’s been pushing hard for a day like that.”
As the lone underclassmen on Lyons’ roster, sophomore Salvino is enjoying the ride.
“I didn't play here last year, so it's definitely cool to be a part of the high school experience,” he said. “And the seniors have been great to me; they've been very accepting. The bench was definitely on their ‘A’ game today, and and it was a good win for the team.”
North aims to put Tuesday’s loss in its rearview mirror as quickly as possible and write it off as just one of those days.
“What I like about our team is that for the most part, this game aside, we don't give up in games,” Benton said. “But for some reason today everyone came out lousy and slow.
"The grass (field) didn't help but that's no excuse. We just didn't play well. For the most part we usually defend as a unit and lift each other up. For some reason today, we just weren't there. It was not a good day.”
Starting lineups
DGN
GK Gavin Crowson
D Brian Benton
D Sam Bull
D Owen Lesley
D Bradley Szyklowski
M Ben Schaub
M Lucas Turk
M Ryan Wilson
F Colin Nuttall
F Alexander Dilkovksi
F Trygve Hansen
Lyons
GK: Johnny Laczynski
D: Robert Sullivan
D: Jackson Sullivan
D: John Schmitt
D: Dominik Panopoulos
MF: John Swicionis
MF: Jonathan Hill
MF: Cameron Labbato
F: Timothy Slusarczyk
F: Jack Luttrell
F: Maxwell Behm
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Brian Salvino, so. F, Lyons
Scoring summary
First half
DG North — Benton (UA) 8 minutes
Lyons — Luttrell (Schmitt) 16 minutes
Lyons — Salvino (Swicionis) 40 minutes
Second half
Lyons — Labbato (Luttrell) 56 minutes
Lyons — Mahaney (Hill) 64 minutes
Lyons — Salvino (Mahaney) 68 minutes
Lyons — Nelson-Sandall (Drobny) 74 minutes
Lyons — Steck (Hilling) 75 minutes