Genoa-Kingston, Indian Creek
match scoring sprees
Cogs lose 2 2-goal leads, settle for 5-5 nonconference tie
By Lenny Eisele
WATERMAN -- The final score between Genoa-Kingston and Indian Creek ended in a tie after more fireworks than the Fourth of July.
There were six goals and three yellow cards, and then they flipped the field and played the second half.
“We knew it was going to be a physical game,” Cogs coach Randy Tate said. “We knew it was going to be a high-scoring game. We’re both offensive-minded teams, so we knew it was going to be that way.”
The nonconference game ended 5-5 in a rematch of the 2019 Class A Genoa-Kingston Regional that Indian Creek won 4-3 in overtime.
“I think we were looking forward to it,” Cogs’ junior forward Eagan Reams said. "Obviously we didn’t get the result we wanted, but we knew it was going to be a physical game. We wanted to get the game back, and we came out to win.”
The hard-fought game featured seven yellow cards and one soft-red card.
Despite the pushing, shoving and jawing throughout the game, both teams brought smooth and potent offenses to the pitch Friday afternoon led by a pair of dynamic duos.
For the Cogs (3-1-1), Reams and sophomore forward Junior Leon combined for all five goals and two assists.
Not to be outdone, the Timberwolves (3-0-1) top pair of Drew Gaston and Cameron Russell combined for all five goals and three assists.
With two sets of offensive whizzes on the field, offensive punches were traded back and forth.
“It was a roller coaster,” Tate said. “We knew there’d be attacking. No matter what kind of lead we had, they’d be coming back.”
The whirlwind started with the Cogs jumping out quickly to a 2-0 lead.
Sophomore Junior Leon, the freshman state leader in goals in 2019, rifled a shot at the net on a pinpoint pass from Reams that ricocheted off a Timberwolves defender into the goal in the eighth minute.
Leon returned the favor eight minutes later, dropping a dime to Reams who snapped the ball into the back of the net with a big boot for the 2-0 edge in the 15th minute.
“We wanted to get the ball up-top to me and Junior, because we have a lot of chemistry, really,” Reams said. “We were just looking for the runs and the through-balls to put it into the back of the net.”
Indian Creek swooped back in quickly to cut into the lead. Russell found Gaston who punched in a header from about three yards to cut the lead to 2-1 less than a minute later.
The Timberwolves kept the momentum swinging their way with another header from Gaston in the 20th minute. Russell again provided the set-up for his teammate.
Gaston scored his third-straight goal on a pass from senior forward Brennan McNally in the 29th minute for Indian Creek’s first lead of the game.
Leon answered for the Cogs with an assist from freshman John Walcott for the second tie of the game with just under four minutes left in the half.
“It’s the same thing that happened last time we played them,” Leon said. “It was back and forth, back and forth. We knew it was going to be that way. They’re a good team, and we’re a good team.”
The scoring onslaught continued four minutes into the second half with another tally from Reams for his second goal of the game after another Walcott assist.
“It was very stressful,” Indian Creek assistant coach Nick Gaston said. “I’m pretty sure I lost a few years of my life, too. The boys played their butts off.
“In my mind (the tie) is a win, (having) to go against a team that’s very patient. They played well. They know how to slow the ball down and move it very, very well. It is what it is.”
Nick Gaston has been serving in the head role for the last week with head coach Eric Schrader out of town.
Reams picked up the hat-trick in the 51st minute on a penalty kick after he was knocked down on breakaway. That penalty kick was a redemption for an earlier try that Timberwolves goalkeeper Logan Bend stoned him on in the in 46th minute.
The Cogs two-goal lead was halved Drew Gaston and Russell connected again on a quick pass-and-shoot combo in the 54th minute for Gaston’s fourth goal of the game.
“We’ve just been playing for a while and know each other’s strengths and weaknesses,” Gaston said. “We just focus on our strengths and attack the defense whenever we see a weak link.”
Indian Creek tied the game on a free kick from Russell’s against Genoa-Kingston’s sophomore back-up goalie Javier Pizano in the 66th minute. Starting goalkeeper Rony Vasquez had to sit out the play after getting a yellow card for coming in high with his feet on a contested ball.
Gaston had two solid chances to win the game but fell just short. Gaston’s first chance came with three minutes left in the game. He had a one-on-one against Vasquez but lifted the ball over the net from six yards.
Gaston looked like he a game-winning goal with only one minute left in the game but was ruled offside as he just barely snuck behind the defender before the ball arrived.
Game notes: Reams finished with three goals and two assists, which Timberwolves may consider a win for their defense. Reams had scored four goals apiece in his previous two games after missing the first game of the season due to COVID-19 quarantine… Gaston and Reams are both their school’s leader in career goals. Reams set the record for the Cogs earlier in the week. Gaston went over 100-career goals after Friday’s performance … Indian Creek was forced to play with only 10 players for the last 12 minutes after junior forward Luke Barton got his second yellow card of the game for arguing with the official.
Starting lineups
Genoa-Kingston
G Rony Vasquez
D Ben Younker
D Alan Rangel
D Marco Beltran
M Angel Tapia
M Diego Espinoza
M Alejo Pacheco
M Leonardo Rocha
F Eagan Reams
F Jorge Leon
F John Walcott
Indian Creek
G Logan Bend
D Davis Stryker
D Aidan Sawyer
D Miah Herrmann
D Zach Bogle
M Mason Gauger
M Colton Headon
M Cameron Russell
F Drew Gaston
F Luke Barton
F Brennen McNally
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match - Drew Gaston, sr., F, Indian Creek
Scoring summary
First half
G - Leon (Reams) 8th minute
G - Reams (Leon) 16th minute
I - Gaston (Russell) 17th minute
I - Gaston (Russell) 19th minute
I - Gaston (Russell) 28th minute
G - Leon (Walcott) 36th minute
Second half
G - Reams (Walcott) 43rd minute
G - Reams (PK) 51st minute
I - Gaston (Russell) 54th minute
I - Russell (FK) 66th minute
match scoring sprees
Cogs lose 2 2-goal leads, settle for 5-5 nonconference tie
By Lenny Eisele
WATERMAN -- The final score between Genoa-Kingston and Indian Creek ended in a tie after more fireworks than the Fourth of July.
There were six goals and three yellow cards, and then they flipped the field and played the second half.
“We knew it was going to be a physical game,” Cogs coach Randy Tate said. “We knew it was going to be a high-scoring game. We’re both offensive-minded teams, so we knew it was going to be that way.”
The nonconference game ended 5-5 in a rematch of the 2019 Class A Genoa-Kingston Regional that Indian Creek won 4-3 in overtime.
“I think we were looking forward to it,” Cogs’ junior forward Eagan Reams said. "Obviously we didn’t get the result we wanted, but we knew it was going to be a physical game. We wanted to get the game back, and we came out to win.”
The hard-fought game featured seven yellow cards and one soft-red card.
Despite the pushing, shoving and jawing throughout the game, both teams brought smooth and potent offenses to the pitch Friday afternoon led by a pair of dynamic duos.
For the Cogs (3-1-1), Reams and sophomore forward Junior Leon combined for all five goals and two assists.
Not to be outdone, the Timberwolves (3-0-1) top pair of Drew Gaston and Cameron Russell combined for all five goals and three assists.
With two sets of offensive whizzes on the field, offensive punches were traded back and forth.
“It was a roller coaster,” Tate said. “We knew there’d be attacking. No matter what kind of lead we had, they’d be coming back.”
The whirlwind started with the Cogs jumping out quickly to a 2-0 lead.
Sophomore Junior Leon, the freshman state leader in goals in 2019, rifled a shot at the net on a pinpoint pass from Reams that ricocheted off a Timberwolves defender into the goal in the eighth minute.
Leon returned the favor eight minutes later, dropping a dime to Reams who snapped the ball into the back of the net with a big boot for the 2-0 edge in the 15th minute.
“We wanted to get the ball up-top to me and Junior, because we have a lot of chemistry, really,” Reams said. “We were just looking for the runs and the through-balls to put it into the back of the net.”
Indian Creek swooped back in quickly to cut into the lead. Russell found Gaston who punched in a header from about three yards to cut the lead to 2-1 less than a minute later.
The Timberwolves kept the momentum swinging their way with another header from Gaston in the 20th minute. Russell again provided the set-up for his teammate.
Gaston scored his third-straight goal on a pass from senior forward Brennan McNally in the 29th minute for Indian Creek’s first lead of the game.
Leon answered for the Cogs with an assist from freshman John Walcott for the second tie of the game with just under four minutes left in the half.
“It’s the same thing that happened last time we played them,” Leon said. “It was back and forth, back and forth. We knew it was going to be that way. They’re a good team, and we’re a good team.”
The scoring onslaught continued four minutes into the second half with another tally from Reams for his second goal of the game after another Walcott assist.
“It was very stressful,” Indian Creek assistant coach Nick Gaston said. “I’m pretty sure I lost a few years of my life, too. The boys played their butts off.
“In my mind (the tie) is a win, (having) to go against a team that’s very patient. They played well. They know how to slow the ball down and move it very, very well. It is what it is.”
Nick Gaston has been serving in the head role for the last week with head coach Eric Schrader out of town.
Reams picked up the hat-trick in the 51st minute on a penalty kick after he was knocked down on breakaway. That penalty kick was a redemption for an earlier try that Timberwolves goalkeeper Logan Bend stoned him on in the in 46th minute.
The Cogs two-goal lead was halved Drew Gaston and Russell connected again on a quick pass-and-shoot combo in the 54th minute for Gaston’s fourth goal of the game.
“We’ve just been playing for a while and know each other’s strengths and weaknesses,” Gaston said. “We just focus on our strengths and attack the defense whenever we see a weak link.”
Indian Creek tied the game on a free kick from Russell’s against Genoa-Kingston’s sophomore back-up goalie Javier Pizano in the 66th minute. Starting goalkeeper Rony Vasquez had to sit out the play after getting a yellow card for coming in high with his feet on a contested ball.
Gaston had two solid chances to win the game but fell just short. Gaston’s first chance came with three minutes left in the game. He had a one-on-one against Vasquez but lifted the ball over the net from six yards.
Gaston looked like he a game-winning goal with only one minute left in the game but was ruled offside as he just barely snuck behind the defender before the ball arrived.
Game notes: Reams finished with three goals and two assists, which Timberwolves may consider a win for their defense. Reams had scored four goals apiece in his previous two games after missing the first game of the season due to COVID-19 quarantine… Gaston and Reams are both their school’s leader in career goals. Reams set the record for the Cogs earlier in the week. Gaston went over 100-career goals after Friday’s performance … Indian Creek was forced to play with only 10 players for the last 12 minutes after junior forward Luke Barton got his second yellow card of the game for arguing with the official.
Starting lineups
Genoa-Kingston
G Rony Vasquez
D Ben Younker
D Alan Rangel
D Marco Beltran
M Angel Tapia
M Diego Espinoza
M Alejo Pacheco
M Leonardo Rocha
F Eagan Reams
F Jorge Leon
F John Walcott
Indian Creek
G Logan Bend
D Davis Stryker
D Aidan Sawyer
D Miah Herrmann
D Zach Bogle
M Mason Gauger
M Colton Headon
M Cameron Russell
F Drew Gaston
F Luke Barton
F Brennen McNally
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match - Drew Gaston, sr., F, Indian Creek
Scoring summary
First half
G - Leon (Reams) 8th minute
G - Reams (Leon) 16th minute
I - Gaston (Russell) 17th minute
I - Gaston (Russell) 19th minute
I - Gaston (Russell) 28th minute
G - Leon (Walcott) 36th minute
Second half
G - Reams (Walcott) 43rd minute
G - Reams (PK) 51st minute
I - Gaston (Russell) 54th minute
I - Russell (FK) 66th minute