Genoa-Kingston vanquishes nemesis Dixon
Leon, Reams provide offense, eliminate any drama in 5-0 win
By Len Eisele
DIXON -- Genoa-Kingston finally slayed its dragon in the form of conference foe Dixon with a 5-0 win Tuesday.
The seniors on the Cogs team had never beaten the Dukes, including a heartbreaking 1-0 lost last year in the conference final.
“They’re a good team,” Cogs senior Eagan Reams said. “It hurt last year to lose to them in the conference tournament last year. We knew we had to come out and play hard to get the win today.”
Both teams came into the game undefeated in the Big Northern Conference. The Cogs sat atop the league with the Dukes perched in third place.
Genoa-Kingston’s offense was on its usual mission – attack and score in bunches. It was led by forwards Eagan Reams and Junior Leon who scored all five of the team’s goals.
“Every time we can get it down into the attacking third and get one of them the ball, they’re always looking for each other,” Cogs coach Randy Tate said. “When they’re clicking, good things happen.”
Leon and Reams got the scoring started in the sixth minute. Reams took an entry pass and executed a behind-the-back touch pass as Leon streaked behind him on the left side of the box.
The junior took the pass and smashed it inside the far post under the diving arms of Dixon goalkeeper Zach Clevenger from 10 yards.
“We definitely find each other pretty easily on the pitch,” Reams said. “That’s something we discussed. We knew we could play some one-two give-and-goes in the midfield and even look long sometimes.”
Genoa-Kingston (11-1-0, 4-0-0) struck again in the 27th minute with a long-range attack. Cogs midfielder Leonardo Rocha lofted a pass behind the defense from just inside midfield. Reams dashed down the field, splitting the Dukes’ defenders and was left one-on-one with Clevenger centrally placed in front of the goal. The senior booted the ball into the right side of the net from 15 yards for a 2-0 lead.
The Cogs then ended any chance of suspense with two quick strikes right before the end of the half.
Reams and Leon connected on their second scoring combo with less than two minutes left in the second half. Reams kicked a high-entry pass from beyond the midfield stripe as Leon drove to the goal. Leon outraced the onrushing goalkeeper, kicked the ball out of his reach, and then nailed the open-net score for a three-goal lead.
“It just feels amazing because I just have a great partnership with (Reams),” Leon said. “It feels great between us, and we just try to make the best of it.”
Less than a minute later, Leon returned the favor on an assist to Reams. The long pass from just inside midfield that again left Reams face-to-face with the goalkeeper. He booted home the score from five yards for the 4-0 lead less than a minute from the half.
“Our confidence was up, and I’m sure their confidence dropped a little,” Tate said. “We wanted to make sure we kept the hammer on them.
“It was great going in with a 4-0 lead. That’s about what I need. Anything under that I don’t feel too good.”
Leon finished off his hat-trick with another assist from Reams in the 47th minute. Reams scooted another pass through the Dixon defense, and Leon came charging on to put the ball in the net from the left side of the goal from 18 yards.
“It feels great (to be undefeated in conference),” Leon said. “Our big, big goal is to win conference, and I feel like it’s this year we can do it.”
The Dukes were short-handed in the game due to injury and illness. Clevenger, a sophomore field player making his goalkeeping debut, didn’t have much of a chance to stop the potent Cogs offense. He made several sharp saves, including pulling the ball out of the air on a header attempt by Cogs midfielder Jacob Barton.
Damien Beck, regularly a junior defender, took over the net duties in the second half.
“We survived,” Dukes coach Joshua Brigl said. “We’ve got a number of starters out with illness reasons and injuries. We didn’t even have a goalkeeper tonight. We just took two kids off the bench and threw them out there.”
The scoring attempts were few and far between for the Dukes, who couldn’t get the ball past the back line of the Cogs defense.
Senior team captain Ben Younker anchored the defense and directed the midfield action, while fellow defensemen Breck Pearson and Eduardo Mercado each came up with big plays to keep the ball out the attacking zone.
The Dukes (4-4-1, 3-1-1) boast a fast front line with Bradyn Langloss, Jacob Duet and Luis Xique. They all are able to fly down the field and score quickly, but Genoa-Kingston was up to the challenge.
“Our defense has been stepping up this year big time,” Tate said. “I also believe our midfield has really stepped up where we’re controlling the midfield and limiting the passes into the defense. As a defensive team, we’re playing the best we have in 15 years.”
Duet broke away behind the defense with what looked like a scoring chance in the ninth minute, but Mercado recovered quickly to poke the ball away.
Pearson also played a big game that won’t show up on the stat sheet. The junior defenseman stoned the Dukes attack time and time again.
“He works hard,” Tate said. “He might not be the most ‘skilled’ player on the team, but he still works hard and is doing a great job for us on the outside this year.”
The Dukes rare scoring chances came late in the game when the outcome was decided.
Xique rifled a shot from just inside the box over the outstretched hands of Cogs goalkeeper Aaron Acosta, but the shot sailed just over the net.
Langloss got into the box late when he tried to get a header attempt, but Acosta reached in and took the ball off his head.
For Acosta, the clean-sheet was his ninth of the season.
Starting lineups
Genoa-Kingston
GK Aaron Acosta
FB Nate Skarzynski
FB Eduardo Mercado
FB Ben Younker
FB Breck Pearson
MF Aiden Tomlinson
MF Leonardo Rocha
MF Diego Espinoza
FW Eagan Reams
FW Junior Leon
FW Julian Lara-Para
Dixon
GK Zack Clevenger
FB Quade Richards
FB Jameson Jeffery
FB Lucas Healy
FB Owen Grot
MF Kristian Prather
MF Damien Beck
MF Jayden Jimenez
FW Luis Xique
FW Jacob Duet
FW Bradyn Langloss
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match - Junior Leon, jr., F, Genoa-Kingston
Scoring summary
First half
Genoa-Kingston - Leon (Reams) 6th minute
Genoa-Kingston - Reams (Rocha) 27th minute
Genoa-Kingston - Leon (Reams) 39th minute
Genoa-Kingston - Reams (Leon) 40th minute
Second half
Genoa-Kingston - Leon (Reams) 47th minute
Leon, Reams provide offense, eliminate any drama in 5-0 win
By Len Eisele
DIXON -- Genoa-Kingston finally slayed its dragon in the form of conference foe Dixon with a 5-0 win Tuesday.
The seniors on the Cogs team had never beaten the Dukes, including a heartbreaking 1-0 lost last year in the conference final.
“They’re a good team,” Cogs senior Eagan Reams said. “It hurt last year to lose to them in the conference tournament last year. We knew we had to come out and play hard to get the win today.”
Both teams came into the game undefeated in the Big Northern Conference. The Cogs sat atop the league with the Dukes perched in third place.
Genoa-Kingston’s offense was on its usual mission – attack and score in bunches. It was led by forwards Eagan Reams and Junior Leon who scored all five of the team’s goals.
“Every time we can get it down into the attacking third and get one of them the ball, they’re always looking for each other,” Cogs coach Randy Tate said. “When they’re clicking, good things happen.”
Leon and Reams got the scoring started in the sixth minute. Reams took an entry pass and executed a behind-the-back touch pass as Leon streaked behind him on the left side of the box.
The junior took the pass and smashed it inside the far post under the diving arms of Dixon goalkeeper Zach Clevenger from 10 yards.
“We definitely find each other pretty easily on the pitch,” Reams said. “That’s something we discussed. We knew we could play some one-two give-and-goes in the midfield and even look long sometimes.”
Genoa-Kingston (11-1-0, 4-0-0) struck again in the 27th minute with a long-range attack. Cogs midfielder Leonardo Rocha lofted a pass behind the defense from just inside midfield. Reams dashed down the field, splitting the Dukes’ defenders and was left one-on-one with Clevenger centrally placed in front of the goal. The senior booted the ball into the right side of the net from 15 yards for a 2-0 lead.
The Cogs then ended any chance of suspense with two quick strikes right before the end of the half.
Reams and Leon connected on their second scoring combo with less than two minutes left in the second half. Reams kicked a high-entry pass from beyond the midfield stripe as Leon drove to the goal. Leon outraced the onrushing goalkeeper, kicked the ball out of his reach, and then nailed the open-net score for a three-goal lead.
“It just feels amazing because I just have a great partnership with (Reams),” Leon said. “It feels great between us, and we just try to make the best of it.”
Less than a minute later, Leon returned the favor on an assist to Reams. The long pass from just inside midfield that again left Reams face-to-face with the goalkeeper. He booted home the score from five yards for the 4-0 lead less than a minute from the half.
“Our confidence was up, and I’m sure their confidence dropped a little,” Tate said. “We wanted to make sure we kept the hammer on them.
“It was great going in with a 4-0 lead. That’s about what I need. Anything under that I don’t feel too good.”
Leon finished off his hat-trick with another assist from Reams in the 47th minute. Reams scooted another pass through the Dixon defense, and Leon came charging on to put the ball in the net from the left side of the goal from 18 yards.
“It feels great (to be undefeated in conference),” Leon said. “Our big, big goal is to win conference, and I feel like it’s this year we can do it.”
The Dukes were short-handed in the game due to injury and illness. Clevenger, a sophomore field player making his goalkeeping debut, didn’t have much of a chance to stop the potent Cogs offense. He made several sharp saves, including pulling the ball out of the air on a header attempt by Cogs midfielder Jacob Barton.
Damien Beck, regularly a junior defender, took over the net duties in the second half.
“We survived,” Dukes coach Joshua Brigl said. “We’ve got a number of starters out with illness reasons and injuries. We didn’t even have a goalkeeper tonight. We just took two kids off the bench and threw them out there.”
The scoring attempts were few and far between for the Dukes, who couldn’t get the ball past the back line of the Cogs defense.
Senior team captain Ben Younker anchored the defense and directed the midfield action, while fellow defensemen Breck Pearson and Eduardo Mercado each came up with big plays to keep the ball out the attacking zone.
The Dukes (4-4-1, 3-1-1) boast a fast front line with Bradyn Langloss, Jacob Duet and Luis Xique. They all are able to fly down the field and score quickly, but Genoa-Kingston was up to the challenge.
“Our defense has been stepping up this year big time,” Tate said. “I also believe our midfield has really stepped up where we’re controlling the midfield and limiting the passes into the defense. As a defensive team, we’re playing the best we have in 15 years.”
Duet broke away behind the defense with what looked like a scoring chance in the ninth minute, but Mercado recovered quickly to poke the ball away.
Pearson also played a big game that won’t show up on the stat sheet. The junior defenseman stoned the Dukes attack time and time again.
“He works hard,” Tate said. “He might not be the most ‘skilled’ player on the team, but he still works hard and is doing a great job for us on the outside this year.”
The Dukes rare scoring chances came late in the game when the outcome was decided.
Xique rifled a shot from just inside the box over the outstretched hands of Cogs goalkeeper Aaron Acosta, but the shot sailed just over the net.
Langloss got into the box late when he tried to get a header attempt, but Acosta reached in and took the ball off his head.
For Acosta, the clean-sheet was his ninth of the season.
Starting lineups
Genoa-Kingston
GK Aaron Acosta
FB Nate Skarzynski
FB Eduardo Mercado
FB Ben Younker
FB Breck Pearson
MF Aiden Tomlinson
MF Leonardo Rocha
MF Diego Espinoza
FW Eagan Reams
FW Junior Leon
FW Julian Lara-Para
Dixon
GK Zack Clevenger
FB Quade Richards
FB Jameson Jeffery
FB Lucas Healy
FB Owen Grot
MF Kristian Prather
MF Damien Beck
MF Jayden Jimenez
FW Luis Xique
FW Jacob Duet
FW Bradyn Langloss
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match - Junior Leon, jr., F, Genoa-Kingston
Scoring summary
First half
Genoa-Kingston - Leon (Reams) 6th minute
Genoa-Kingston - Reams (Rocha) 27th minute
Genoa-Kingston - Leon (Reams) 39th minute
Genoa-Kingston - Reams (Leon) 40th minute
Second half
Genoa-Kingston - Leon (Reams) 47th minute