Whiteman helps Prospect grind out 1-0 win
Senior's late goal decides physical 1-0 battle with Glenbrook S.
By Dave Owen
MT. PROSPECT – Whether it’s wide-open offensive style or a grind it out defensive battle, Prospect is finding a way to get the job done.
Coming off a 4-1 win over Vernon Hills in its season opener, Prospect (2-0-0) endured an admittedly ragged first half performance Wednesday against Glenbrook South (1-1-0).
Then after relying on its defense to maintain a 0-0 deadlock for 67 minutes, the Knights used a great set piece, all-captain combination play from Nico Mho to Aaron Whiteman to produce a hard-fought 1-0 nonconference win.
With just 12:37 left, Mho’s 40-yard direct kick deflected wide of net off a Glenbrook South player to create a Knights corner kick.
Mho’s send from the right corner found Whiteman dashing to just in front of the net inside the 6. Whiteman’s full-impact header rocket was somehow partially blocked by Titans goalkeeper Mateusz Odziamek, but caromed behind into the net for the deciding score.
“Nico just sent a great ball in,” said Whiteman, whose point-blank power putaway earned him Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honors. “I was quick off the line and got there first, and I thought I got a good head on the ball.
“He (Odziamek) saved it, but he was already in the net. But I had to blast it just for insurance. He was a good keeper.”
Mho’s strategy for the corner kick was perfectly executed.
“Just try to get it into a dangerous spot so one of our guys could get a head on it,” Mho said. “It worked out pretty well.”
The looming likelihood of ending in a 0-0 tie was no cause for concern for the Knights.
“No desperation – we knew it would be a tough game today,” Whiteman said. “It felt like it was going to be a dead ball to decide the game, and we were lucky enough to get that.”
Said Prospect senior goalkeeper Kevin Shane: “Especially on a set piece I knew we could score. I’m confident in this team to pull out victories and results.”
After the 4-1 win over Vernon Hills (in which Patrick Limanowka scored two goals and Mho and Sid Gaire each scored once), the Knights endured a sluggish first half Wednesday that ended in a 0-0 tie and a halftime message.
“We had a talk before the second half that we had to be more relaxed and composed,” Prospect first-year coach Mike Andrews said. “And play our brand of soccer which is get the ball on the ground, settle and play a passing game.
“That was pretty absent in the first half. We’d get the ball, send it long and nothing was happening for us.
“We calmed down a little bit, and all of a sudden we were more composed and put away our opportunity,” Andrews added. “That game could have gone either way, but my guys didn’t let up. I was proud of that for sure.”
Andrews also had a lot to be proud of when it came to his defense.
“Obviously Aaron’s goal was pretty stellar, but I have to give it up to our defense,” he said. “I have two sophomores back there in Jonny Keane and Edmund Conroy. Edmund has played 80 minutes in both games this week, and he’s really rising to the level we need him to rise to.
“And (juniors) Daniel LaCost and Tengis Tulga our center backs really kept things together, and they were really tenacious. Anything outside the 18 we pressured, and the result was favorable.”
Tulga was one of the key factors in controlling access to the box.
“I’d say us communicating the whole game helped us stay together, stay focused and just defend,” Tulga said.
And when Shane was tested, he often faced shots of many kinds.
With 22:51 left and the score 0-0, Shane and Glenbrook South forward Jeremy Weber collided going for a loose ball in the box – with a foul called on Weber.
The same scenario played out on the Titans’ last quality chance with 3:47 to go.
On a long high send from the Titans' Lucas Balbinot, Shane and Weber each went airborne vying for the checkered sphere 12 yards out. Milliseconds before midair contact, Weber deflected a try just wide right – with no foul called either way.
The Knights’ defense also faced a more conventional threat with 17:10 left. Jimmy McMahon’s 23-yard straight-on direct kick was blocked by Joey Boduch at the Prospect wall, and Balbinot sent the rebound just wide.
Chances with 5:50 left (Conroy cleared the ball from the crease on a Balbinot attack) and 4:40 to go (Conroy’s clear of a corner kick) added to the offensive
frustrations for the visitors.
“Very choppy, broken, sporadic ... not the way we wanted to be playing,” Glenbrook South coach Reggie Lara said. “We wanted to be the more physical team, but hats off to them (Prospect). I think they won on that part, being more physical. And it got our boys flustered at times.”
The physical play also included a rugged sideline battle for the ball with 7:10 left in which Prospect’s Jacob Keil was fouled.
“As things got stacked against our guys and they faced obstacles,” Lara said, “it seemed obvious that they were starting to strain in terms of composure and poise.
“And they (Prospect) were stifling our attack when we wanted to generate it. We’re a team that really likes to possess and knock the ball around, and we just weren’t able to.”
Beyond handling the bruising style of the game, Shane summed up the Knights’ effective defensive strategy.
“We wanted to play safe and not mess with the ball at the back,” Shane said. “We knew they were overloading the back post, so we always tried to keep the opposite or right back moved over to make sure they couldn’t get any uncontested shots at the back post.”
But at the offensive end, Prospect faced its own tough puzzle to solve. The teams combined for just two corner kicks in the first 55 minutes, as quality chances inside the box were few.
“Yesterday (Vernon Hills) was a big win for us,” Mho said. “Coming in to this game we knew GBS would be a good team.
“They started out really strong, and we started off pretty slow I’d have to say. But the second half was a completely different team for us. We came out and didn’t show any signs of nervousness.”
But chances still didn’t come easy until late.
A developing passing combination 12 minutes into the second half from Limanowka-to-Gaire-to Boduch was broken up on a nice steal 30 yards out by Glenbrook South's Gavin Morse.
Another attack by Gaire and Limanowka with 22:05 left also was thwarted 20 yards out by a Morse steal and dribble upfield.
Then just 50 seconds after the go-ahead goal, Prospect extra effort nearly produced another score. A Michael Kaczowka bouncing chip to the box was kicked free of the reach of the goalkeeper by Limanowka, but Julian Issar of the Titans was able to control and clear a potential open net chance.
“In the first game we were the more dominant team,” Whiteman said, “and we were able to play our game with counterattacks and how we finished. This game, defense was going to win the game for us.”
Defense and Whiteman’s goal would shine for Prospect. And new coach Andrews’ philosophies are showing early results.
“I’ve had a lot of discussions with the guys,” Andrews said, “that ‘You’re out here for 80 minutes, give all you have those 80 minutes with no lapses in heart and intensity. I don’t care if you’re down 4-0 or up 2-0; you’re going to give everything you have.’
“In terms of tactics, if we settle off the ball, create combination play up top , we don’t want to be the team that is predictable and constantly sending over the top, which is what we saw a bit of in the first half. They readjusted in the second half, and it turned out in our favor. But they (the Titans) were a fantastic team that came out really aggressive and got us panicking for most of the first half. I give them credit for keeping us on our toes.”
Whiteman has seen the impact of the new coach.
“It’s good to get off to a start like this,” he said. “Last year we weren’t like this. Andrews came in this year, and we’re really happy to have him. We believed in what he does, and we trust him.”
But even with a 2-0-0 record, Prospect knows more work is needed.
“We can’t have first halves like that,” Mho said. “We have to stay together as a team. But that’s going to grow throughout the season. That’s what I want to work on, bonding as a team.”
Said Shane: “We just have to stay together. If it gets tough, we have to realize there’s more games and get past the bad results as they come.”
But so far, the clouds have been few.
“It’s too early to say, after two games and a few practices,” Tengos said. “But right now this is the dream start – you can’t get better than this.”
Starting lineups
Glenbrook South:
GK Mateusz Odziomek
D Matthew Ruth
D Gavin Morse
D David Zlotnik
D Daniel Ochab
M Adam White
M David Joseph
M Gabriel Diculescu
M Lucas Balbinot
F Jeremy Weber
F Jimmy McMahon
Prospect
GK Kevin Shane
D Daniel LaCost
D Edmund Conroy
D Jonny Keane
D Tengis Tulga
M Bryan Morrison
M Joey Boduch
M Aaron Whiteman
M Sid Gaire
F Nico Mho
F Patrick Limanowka
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Aaron Whiteman, sr., MF, Prospect
Senior's late goal decides physical 1-0 battle with Glenbrook S.
By Dave Owen
MT. PROSPECT – Whether it’s wide-open offensive style or a grind it out defensive battle, Prospect is finding a way to get the job done.
Coming off a 4-1 win over Vernon Hills in its season opener, Prospect (2-0-0) endured an admittedly ragged first half performance Wednesday against Glenbrook South (1-1-0).
Then after relying on its defense to maintain a 0-0 deadlock for 67 minutes, the Knights used a great set piece, all-captain combination play from Nico Mho to Aaron Whiteman to produce a hard-fought 1-0 nonconference win.
With just 12:37 left, Mho’s 40-yard direct kick deflected wide of net off a Glenbrook South player to create a Knights corner kick.
Mho’s send from the right corner found Whiteman dashing to just in front of the net inside the 6. Whiteman’s full-impact header rocket was somehow partially blocked by Titans goalkeeper Mateusz Odziamek, but caromed behind into the net for the deciding score.
“Nico just sent a great ball in,” said Whiteman, whose point-blank power putaway earned him Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honors. “I was quick off the line and got there first, and I thought I got a good head on the ball.
“He (Odziamek) saved it, but he was already in the net. But I had to blast it just for insurance. He was a good keeper.”
Mho’s strategy for the corner kick was perfectly executed.
“Just try to get it into a dangerous spot so one of our guys could get a head on it,” Mho said. “It worked out pretty well.”
The looming likelihood of ending in a 0-0 tie was no cause for concern for the Knights.
“No desperation – we knew it would be a tough game today,” Whiteman said. “It felt like it was going to be a dead ball to decide the game, and we were lucky enough to get that.”
Said Prospect senior goalkeeper Kevin Shane: “Especially on a set piece I knew we could score. I’m confident in this team to pull out victories and results.”
After the 4-1 win over Vernon Hills (in which Patrick Limanowka scored two goals and Mho and Sid Gaire each scored once), the Knights endured a sluggish first half Wednesday that ended in a 0-0 tie and a halftime message.
“We had a talk before the second half that we had to be more relaxed and composed,” Prospect first-year coach Mike Andrews said. “And play our brand of soccer which is get the ball on the ground, settle and play a passing game.
“That was pretty absent in the first half. We’d get the ball, send it long and nothing was happening for us.
“We calmed down a little bit, and all of a sudden we were more composed and put away our opportunity,” Andrews added. “That game could have gone either way, but my guys didn’t let up. I was proud of that for sure.”
Andrews also had a lot to be proud of when it came to his defense.
“Obviously Aaron’s goal was pretty stellar, but I have to give it up to our defense,” he said. “I have two sophomores back there in Jonny Keane and Edmund Conroy. Edmund has played 80 minutes in both games this week, and he’s really rising to the level we need him to rise to.
“And (juniors) Daniel LaCost and Tengis Tulga our center backs really kept things together, and they were really tenacious. Anything outside the 18 we pressured, and the result was favorable.”
Tulga was one of the key factors in controlling access to the box.
“I’d say us communicating the whole game helped us stay together, stay focused and just defend,” Tulga said.
And when Shane was tested, he often faced shots of many kinds.
With 22:51 left and the score 0-0, Shane and Glenbrook South forward Jeremy Weber collided going for a loose ball in the box – with a foul called on Weber.
The same scenario played out on the Titans’ last quality chance with 3:47 to go.
On a long high send from the Titans' Lucas Balbinot, Shane and Weber each went airborne vying for the checkered sphere 12 yards out. Milliseconds before midair contact, Weber deflected a try just wide right – with no foul called either way.
The Knights’ defense also faced a more conventional threat with 17:10 left. Jimmy McMahon’s 23-yard straight-on direct kick was blocked by Joey Boduch at the Prospect wall, and Balbinot sent the rebound just wide.
Chances with 5:50 left (Conroy cleared the ball from the crease on a Balbinot attack) and 4:40 to go (Conroy’s clear of a corner kick) added to the offensive
frustrations for the visitors.
“Very choppy, broken, sporadic ... not the way we wanted to be playing,” Glenbrook South coach Reggie Lara said. “We wanted to be the more physical team, but hats off to them (Prospect). I think they won on that part, being more physical. And it got our boys flustered at times.”
The physical play also included a rugged sideline battle for the ball with 7:10 left in which Prospect’s Jacob Keil was fouled.
“As things got stacked against our guys and they faced obstacles,” Lara said, “it seemed obvious that they were starting to strain in terms of composure and poise.
“And they (Prospect) were stifling our attack when we wanted to generate it. We’re a team that really likes to possess and knock the ball around, and we just weren’t able to.”
Beyond handling the bruising style of the game, Shane summed up the Knights’ effective defensive strategy.
“We wanted to play safe and not mess with the ball at the back,” Shane said. “We knew they were overloading the back post, so we always tried to keep the opposite or right back moved over to make sure they couldn’t get any uncontested shots at the back post.”
But at the offensive end, Prospect faced its own tough puzzle to solve. The teams combined for just two corner kicks in the first 55 minutes, as quality chances inside the box were few.
“Yesterday (Vernon Hills) was a big win for us,” Mho said. “Coming in to this game we knew GBS would be a good team.
“They started out really strong, and we started off pretty slow I’d have to say. But the second half was a completely different team for us. We came out and didn’t show any signs of nervousness.”
But chances still didn’t come easy until late.
A developing passing combination 12 minutes into the second half from Limanowka-to-Gaire-to Boduch was broken up on a nice steal 30 yards out by Glenbrook South's Gavin Morse.
Another attack by Gaire and Limanowka with 22:05 left also was thwarted 20 yards out by a Morse steal and dribble upfield.
Then just 50 seconds after the go-ahead goal, Prospect extra effort nearly produced another score. A Michael Kaczowka bouncing chip to the box was kicked free of the reach of the goalkeeper by Limanowka, but Julian Issar of the Titans was able to control and clear a potential open net chance.
“In the first game we were the more dominant team,” Whiteman said, “and we were able to play our game with counterattacks and how we finished. This game, defense was going to win the game for us.”
Defense and Whiteman’s goal would shine for Prospect. And new coach Andrews’ philosophies are showing early results.
“I’ve had a lot of discussions with the guys,” Andrews said, “that ‘You’re out here for 80 minutes, give all you have those 80 minutes with no lapses in heart and intensity. I don’t care if you’re down 4-0 or up 2-0; you’re going to give everything you have.’
“In terms of tactics, if we settle off the ball, create combination play up top , we don’t want to be the team that is predictable and constantly sending over the top, which is what we saw a bit of in the first half. They readjusted in the second half, and it turned out in our favor. But they (the Titans) were a fantastic team that came out really aggressive and got us panicking for most of the first half. I give them credit for keeping us on our toes.”
Whiteman has seen the impact of the new coach.
“It’s good to get off to a start like this,” he said. “Last year we weren’t like this. Andrews came in this year, and we’re really happy to have him. We believed in what he does, and we trust him.”
But even with a 2-0-0 record, Prospect knows more work is needed.
“We can’t have first halves like that,” Mho said. “We have to stay together as a team. But that’s going to grow throughout the season. That’s what I want to work on, bonding as a team.”
Said Shane: “We just have to stay together. If it gets tough, we have to realize there’s more games and get past the bad results as they come.”
But so far, the clouds have been few.
“It’s too early to say, after two games and a few practices,” Tengos said. “But right now this is the dream start – you can’t get better than this.”
Starting lineups
Glenbrook South:
GK Mateusz Odziomek
D Matthew Ruth
D Gavin Morse
D David Zlotnik
D Daniel Ochab
M Adam White
M David Joseph
M Gabriel Diculescu
M Lucas Balbinot
F Jeremy Weber
F Jimmy McMahon
Prospect
GK Kevin Shane
D Daniel LaCost
D Edmund Conroy
D Jonny Keane
D Tengis Tulga
M Bryan Morrison
M Joey Boduch
M Aaron Whiteman
M Sid Gaire
F Nico Mho
F Patrick Limanowka
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Aaron Whiteman, sr., MF, Prospect