Willowbrook adds Senior Night to Oct. run
Warriors use late goal to edge Hinsdale South 2-1
By Dave Owen
VILLA PARK -- Willowbrook’s special Senior Night tradition continues.
Norman Deci’s goal with four minutes left on Tuesday broke a 1-1 tie with Hinsdale South and earned the Warriors (6-12-0, 1-5-0 in the WSC Gold) a 2-1 win over the visiting Hornets (2-17-1, 0-6-0).
“The past three years we’re 3-0-0 on Senior Night,” Willowbrook goalkeeper Mario Giase said. “It really shows that the seniors like to step up, and the juniors really respect the seniors and know they want that win.
“Everybody plays well on Senior Night, and we got the victory.”
Beyond providing another element of celebration to Senior Night, Tuesday’s effort added to another big goal -- to close the regular season on a roll.
After beating Montini 6-0 on Saturday, the Warriors are playing their best soccer of the season at the right time.
“We set a goal last Thursday in regards to what we have coming up this week, in regards to four games in I think seven days,” Willowbrook coach Eddie DeLaCruz said. “Right now we’re 50 percent there (with two-straight wins).
“Your goal at the end of the season is to try to get as much momentum going into the playoffs as possible. A lot more smiles nowadays than what we were having.”
A great final push Tuesday produced the newest late-season highlight.
The deciding play was initiated by a Warriors’ attack that produced a throw-in from the left sideline eight yards out. Defender Mohamed Ali came upfield to take the throw-in.
“I saw on the throw-ins we weren’t really connecting,” Ali said, “so I was like ‘I might as well take one, try to put one deep and hope for the best.’”
The best possible result came. After a would-be clearing attempt near the left post, Deci fielded the loose ball and lined a low 12-yard drive inside the left post for the winning margin.
“I knew something was going to happen (on the throw-in),” Deci said. “I knew the ball was going to bounce out, and I just wanted to be in the right spot to hit it.
“It was time for me to step up mostly and do my job, start scoring goals.”
The winning goal was Deci’s fourth of 2018, and capped a great half for the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match.
Just 56 seconds into the second half, Deci’s long right side run and drive inside the right post had given the Warriors a 1-0 lead.
Ali was also the initiator of that play, powering a long clear of a Hinsdale South offensive zone throw-in towards Deci on the 1-v.-1 run upfield.
“It was a great pass by Mo obviously,” Deci said, “and then I just outran him (the defender) and finished it.”
Ali’s send turned a would-be defensive stand into an instant counterattack.
“I just try to see who’s open and try to do my part,” Ali said. “And I was told the number one goal for a defensive player is to get the ball out of there. So I just saw Norman open, booted it over to go right to his feet, and he did his job.”
Both the initiator and finisher on Willowbrook’s two goals were worthy of big praise.
“We call him ‘Mo Mo Magic,” DeLaCruz said of Ali. “And obviously my Player of the Game today is Norman Deci. He out-bodied and out-physicaled the defender (on the first goal), and he’s just a smart player. And I’m really happy to say he’s just a junior. He came to play for sure.”
All the Warriors came out determined.
Even with an unusually senior-packed lineup, Willowbrook produced an excellent chance in front just two minutes in by Aldin Perviz (saved by Hornets goalkeeper Bryan Alcantara).
Another near miss came in the 26th minute. Dorian Mahone nicely stole the ball from a Hinsdale South defender right of the box, drove in and sent a cross to David Rizzo. The ensuing 10-yard rocket from the right side was denied on a high block save by Alcantara.
Tuesday’s win followed a runaway win Saturday in which Rizzo, Perviz, Eric Hoda, Tommy Marczewski, Francisco Perez and Hugo Gutierrez all scored goals.
“In practice we’ve done more shooting drills and more combinations,” Deci said, “trying to get the ball in the back of the net because we had been struggling with that.”
The offensive surge has followed a stretch of only putting one ball in the net in three games for the Warriors.
“Offensively we had some chances today,” DeLaCruz said. “We probably easily had 15-16 (shots). And we were placing the ball instead of just striking it, and making the goalkeeper make some plays.
“Mario (Giase at goalkeeper) is usually a guy who stands out for us, but today we probably doubled or tripled their shots on goal for sure. So Mario had more of a quiet night, but I’ll take a quiet night for the goalkeeper any day of the week for sure.”
But after Deci’s first goal had put the Warriors 1-0, things were hardly quiet for the Warriors defense on a strange play with 26:53 left.
After the side official appeared to raise his flag, play nonetheless continued with big results for the Hornets.
With many Willowbrook players having stopped their pursuit with the apparent offsides call, Hinsdale South’s Dylan Chen raced in on the right side as part of a two-man breakaway. His cross to Chris Wayman in front for a wide open putaway tied the game 1-1.
“The linesman went up three-quarters of the way (with the flag), and then he put it down,” DeLaCruz said. “He apologized, but it is a little frustrating for sure.
“Peripherally the runner (Wayman), the guy who scored, that guy was open, and he was not offside. I agreed with (the no offside call), but it was just the inadvertent flag (up).
“They make mistakes, and he did apologize,” DeLaCruz added. “And I was confident. I knew we’d probably have a couple extra chances on net.”
Before Willowbrook returned on the offensive, the Warriors’ defense produced two nice stands.
On the second of two-straight Hornets corner kicks with 22:10 left, Devin Guallpa first blocked the initial corner send, then blocked an ensuing shot attempt.
Then with 19:45 to go, Ali made a nice block of an 18-yard shot by Hinsdale South’s Benny Metzger.
“I think these last couple games we’re finally just realizing it’s the end of the season,” Giase said. “Saturday (the regional quartefinal match vs. Bartlett) could be our last game, and we’re finally buckling down, playing good defense, finding balls to feet and playing a possession game.
“That’s actually how Norman got his (first) goal. Mo played a good ball through, and it was a beautiful cross ball. That’s the stuff we’ve been working on in practice, and you can see it’s coming into games.”
Before Willowbrook’s second goal would come, the Warriors’ offense continued to produce chances.
Mahone’s interception and 35-yard shot over the net with 25:50 left began the push for the tiebreaker, followed five minutes later by Deci’s header wide off a Rizzo corner kick.
“I’ve been taking Rizzo at outside mid and moving him from left to right,” DeLaCruz said of recent offensive changes, “and we’re starting games with one forward.
“And tonight I did something different. For the first five minutes I had all the seniors in, which I thought was pretty special for the parents. I was trying to get more players in the game later, but it was such a close game I just couldn’t do it.”
With the score still knotted 1-1, great Willowbrook teamwork produced another chance with 15:30 to go.
Passes by Jeff Wolski and Hoda produced a Guallpa chance initially cleared by Hinsdale South’s Adam Krupa, but Kalep Martinez’s send back into the box resulted in a Rizzo header that was saved by Alcantara.
Three minutes later, Rizzo sent a right end line shot off a Perviz pass onto the top of the net.
Giase’s long punts added an offensive wrinkle to the goalkeeper’s strong defense. His booming, high-bouncing send with six minutes left sprung Deci for a left side 1-v.-1 rush that ended with a goal kick.
Then came a push by Mahone, Rizzo and Hoda that generated the throw-in -- and Deci’s big putaway.
“I think the chemistry was really good today,” Deci said. “Everybody was trying really hard, and it worked out.”
What worked out as a game-winner for Willowbrook brought added frustration for Hinsdale South.
“All season we have the problem that we miss our chances,” Hornets coach Danny Makaric said. “If we realistically finish the chances we’ve got, we should have a record of 10 wins and probably six losses. We just cannot finish, and that was tonight and the game before and all season.
“We’ve played decent. We lost a game to Downers Grove South 1-0, against Oak Park 2-0. We’re in almost every game.
“And today we’re in the game,” Makaric added. “It was what I call a lucky goal, a loose ball bouncing to them. And down at the other end in the same situations, we didn’t put it in the net. That’s followed us all year.”
Up 2-1 in the waning minutes, Willowbrook never let the Hornets threaten the rest of the way.
Wolski’s header block at midfield with 2:30 left denied one send attempt by Hinsdale South.
Brian Fuentes then slammed the door with 15 seconds left. Off a Hornets’ throw-in inside midfield, Fuentes won the ball 35 yards out and drove a long send up the sideline as the final seconds ticked away.
With that, the latest chapter in Willowbrook’s string of Senior Night successes was complete.
“It’s a special evening for all the guys, Senior Night, and back-to-back home wins,” DeLaCruz said. Last year we beat Downers Grove South on Senior Night, and now Hinsdale South.”
The dramatic win was extra special to seniors like Ali.
“I’m getting a little emotional right now, but I’m really happy,” Ali said. “It’s like last year’s Senior Night. It was a close game, very intense.”
It was also an emotional night for longtime goalkeeper Giase.
“I’ve been a three-year starter, and seen three classes of seniors go through,” he said. “It’s pretty cool to see (another Senior Night win). But it’s upsetting because for four years of my life I’ve spent playing soccer at Willowbrook. It’ll be tough (when it ends), but I’m excited to start a new chapter in my life and see how college goes.”
Before that happens, the Warriors hope their October turnaround can continue.
“It’s not the record we wanted to have in conference and stuff like that,” DeLaCruz said, “but you keep building in terms of momentum for the playoffs.
“It’s time to prep for playoffs, you know? We’re so happy to host on Saturday.”
Starting lineups
Hinsdale South
GK Bryan Alcantara
D Adam Krupa
D Tristan Tegtmeyer
D Asharif Abbas
M Jake Hospes
M Jacob Deszcz
M Benny Metzger
M Mahmood Shah
M Jack Metcalf
F Dylan Chen
F Chris Wayman
Willowbrook
GK Mario Giase
D Mohamed Ali
D Esteban Saenz
D Aaron Guillpa
D Jeff Wolski
M Hugo Gutierrez
M David Rizzo
M Tommy Marczewski
M Casey Rosas
M Jonathan Ramirez
F Aldin Perviz
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Norman Deci, jr., F, Willowbrook
Scoring summary
First half
No scoring
Second half
W – Norman Deci, 41st minute
HS – Chris Wayman, 54th minute
W – Deci, 76th minute
Warriors use late goal to edge Hinsdale South 2-1
By Dave Owen
VILLA PARK -- Willowbrook’s special Senior Night tradition continues.
Norman Deci’s goal with four minutes left on Tuesday broke a 1-1 tie with Hinsdale South and earned the Warriors (6-12-0, 1-5-0 in the WSC Gold) a 2-1 win over the visiting Hornets (2-17-1, 0-6-0).
“The past three years we’re 3-0-0 on Senior Night,” Willowbrook goalkeeper Mario Giase said. “It really shows that the seniors like to step up, and the juniors really respect the seniors and know they want that win.
“Everybody plays well on Senior Night, and we got the victory.”
Beyond providing another element of celebration to Senior Night, Tuesday’s effort added to another big goal -- to close the regular season on a roll.
After beating Montini 6-0 on Saturday, the Warriors are playing their best soccer of the season at the right time.
“We set a goal last Thursday in regards to what we have coming up this week, in regards to four games in I think seven days,” Willowbrook coach Eddie DeLaCruz said. “Right now we’re 50 percent there (with two-straight wins).
“Your goal at the end of the season is to try to get as much momentum going into the playoffs as possible. A lot more smiles nowadays than what we were having.”
A great final push Tuesday produced the newest late-season highlight.
The deciding play was initiated by a Warriors’ attack that produced a throw-in from the left sideline eight yards out. Defender Mohamed Ali came upfield to take the throw-in.
“I saw on the throw-ins we weren’t really connecting,” Ali said, “so I was like ‘I might as well take one, try to put one deep and hope for the best.’”
The best possible result came. After a would-be clearing attempt near the left post, Deci fielded the loose ball and lined a low 12-yard drive inside the left post for the winning margin.
“I knew something was going to happen (on the throw-in),” Deci said. “I knew the ball was going to bounce out, and I just wanted to be in the right spot to hit it.
“It was time for me to step up mostly and do my job, start scoring goals.”
The winning goal was Deci’s fourth of 2018, and capped a great half for the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match.
Just 56 seconds into the second half, Deci’s long right side run and drive inside the right post had given the Warriors a 1-0 lead.
Ali was also the initiator of that play, powering a long clear of a Hinsdale South offensive zone throw-in towards Deci on the 1-v.-1 run upfield.
“It was a great pass by Mo obviously,” Deci said, “and then I just outran him (the defender) and finished it.”
Ali’s send turned a would-be defensive stand into an instant counterattack.
“I just try to see who’s open and try to do my part,” Ali said. “And I was told the number one goal for a defensive player is to get the ball out of there. So I just saw Norman open, booted it over to go right to his feet, and he did his job.”
Both the initiator and finisher on Willowbrook’s two goals were worthy of big praise.
“We call him ‘Mo Mo Magic,” DeLaCruz said of Ali. “And obviously my Player of the Game today is Norman Deci. He out-bodied and out-physicaled the defender (on the first goal), and he’s just a smart player. And I’m really happy to say he’s just a junior. He came to play for sure.”
All the Warriors came out determined.
Even with an unusually senior-packed lineup, Willowbrook produced an excellent chance in front just two minutes in by Aldin Perviz (saved by Hornets goalkeeper Bryan Alcantara).
Another near miss came in the 26th minute. Dorian Mahone nicely stole the ball from a Hinsdale South defender right of the box, drove in and sent a cross to David Rizzo. The ensuing 10-yard rocket from the right side was denied on a high block save by Alcantara.
Tuesday’s win followed a runaway win Saturday in which Rizzo, Perviz, Eric Hoda, Tommy Marczewski, Francisco Perez and Hugo Gutierrez all scored goals.
“In practice we’ve done more shooting drills and more combinations,” Deci said, “trying to get the ball in the back of the net because we had been struggling with that.”
The offensive surge has followed a stretch of only putting one ball in the net in three games for the Warriors.
“Offensively we had some chances today,” DeLaCruz said. “We probably easily had 15-16 (shots). And we were placing the ball instead of just striking it, and making the goalkeeper make some plays.
“Mario (Giase at goalkeeper) is usually a guy who stands out for us, but today we probably doubled or tripled their shots on goal for sure. So Mario had more of a quiet night, but I’ll take a quiet night for the goalkeeper any day of the week for sure.”
But after Deci’s first goal had put the Warriors 1-0, things were hardly quiet for the Warriors defense on a strange play with 26:53 left.
After the side official appeared to raise his flag, play nonetheless continued with big results for the Hornets.
With many Willowbrook players having stopped their pursuit with the apparent offsides call, Hinsdale South’s Dylan Chen raced in on the right side as part of a two-man breakaway. His cross to Chris Wayman in front for a wide open putaway tied the game 1-1.
“The linesman went up three-quarters of the way (with the flag), and then he put it down,” DeLaCruz said. “He apologized, but it is a little frustrating for sure.
“Peripherally the runner (Wayman), the guy who scored, that guy was open, and he was not offside. I agreed with (the no offside call), but it was just the inadvertent flag (up).
“They make mistakes, and he did apologize,” DeLaCruz added. “And I was confident. I knew we’d probably have a couple extra chances on net.”
Before Willowbrook returned on the offensive, the Warriors’ defense produced two nice stands.
On the second of two-straight Hornets corner kicks with 22:10 left, Devin Guallpa first blocked the initial corner send, then blocked an ensuing shot attempt.
Then with 19:45 to go, Ali made a nice block of an 18-yard shot by Hinsdale South’s Benny Metzger.
“I think these last couple games we’re finally just realizing it’s the end of the season,” Giase said. “Saturday (the regional quartefinal match vs. Bartlett) could be our last game, and we’re finally buckling down, playing good defense, finding balls to feet and playing a possession game.
“That’s actually how Norman got his (first) goal. Mo played a good ball through, and it was a beautiful cross ball. That’s the stuff we’ve been working on in practice, and you can see it’s coming into games.”
Before Willowbrook’s second goal would come, the Warriors’ offense continued to produce chances.
Mahone’s interception and 35-yard shot over the net with 25:50 left began the push for the tiebreaker, followed five minutes later by Deci’s header wide off a Rizzo corner kick.
“I’ve been taking Rizzo at outside mid and moving him from left to right,” DeLaCruz said of recent offensive changes, “and we’re starting games with one forward.
“And tonight I did something different. For the first five minutes I had all the seniors in, which I thought was pretty special for the parents. I was trying to get more players in the game later, but it was such a close game I just couldn’t do it.”
With the score still knotted 1-1, great Willowbrook teamwork produced another chance with 15:30 to go.
Passes by Jeff Wolski and Hoda produced a Guallpa chance initially cleared by Hinsdale South’s Adam Krupa, but Kalep Martinez’s send back into the box resulted in a Rizzo header that was saved by Alcantara.
Three minutes later, Rizzo sent a right end line shot off a Perviz pass onto the top of the net.
Giase’s long punts added an offensive wrinkle to the goalkeeper’s strong defense. His booming, high-bouncing send with six minutes left sprung Deci for a left side 1-v.-1 rush that ended with a goal kick.
Then came a push by Mahone, Rizzo and Hoda that generated the throw-in -- and Deci’s big putaway.
“I think the chemistry was really good today,” Deci said. “Everybody was trying really hard, and it worked out.”
What worked out as a game-winner for Willowbrook brought added frustration for Hinsdale South.
“All season we have the problem that we miss our chances,” Hornets coach Danny Makaric said. “If we realistically finish the chances we’ve got, we should have a record of 10 wins and probably six losses. We just cannot finish, and that was tonight and the game before and all season.
“We’ve played decent. We lost a game to Downers Grove South 1-0, against Oak Park 2-0. We’re in almost every game.
“And today we’re in the game,” Makaric added. “It was what I call a lucky goal, a loose ball bouncing to them. And down at the other end in the same situations, we didn’t put it in the net. That’s followed us all year.”
Up 2-1 in the waning minutes, Willowbrook never let the Hornets threaten the rest of the way.
Wolski’s header block at midfield with 2:30 left denied one send attempt by Hinsdale South.
Brian Fuentes then slammed the door with 15 seconds left. Off a Hornets’ throw-in inside midfield, Fuentes won the ball 35 yards out and drove a long send up the sideline as the final seconds ticked away.
With that, the latest chapter in Willowbrook’s string of Senior Night successes was complete.
“It’s a special evening for all the guys, Senior Night, and back-to-back home wins,” DeLaCruz said. Last year we beat Downers Grove South on Senior Night, and now Hinsdale South.”
The dramatic win was extra special to seniors like Ali.
“I’m getting a little emotional right now, but I’m really happy,” Ali said. “It’s like last year’s Senior Night. It was a close game, very intense.”
It was also an emotional night for longtime goalkeeper Giase.
“I’ve been a three-year starter, and seen three classes of seniors go through,” he said. “It’s pretty cool to see (another Senior Night win). But it’s upsetting because for four years of my life I’ve spent playing soccer at Willowbrook. It’ll be tough (when it ends), but I’m excited to start a new chapter in my life and see how college goes.”
Before that happens, the Warriors hope their October turnaround can continue.
“It’s not the record we wanted to have in conference and stuff like that,” DeLaCruz said, “but you keep building in terms of momentum for the playoffs.
“It’s time to prep for playoffs, you know? We’re so happy to host on Saturday.”
Starting lineups
Hinsdale South
GK Bryan Alcantara
D Adam Krupa
D Tristan Tegtmeyer
D Asharif Abbas
M Jake Hospes
M Jacob Deszcz
M Benny Metzger
M Mahmood Shah
M Jack Metcalf
F Dylan Chen
F Chris Wayman
Willowbrook
GK Mario Giase
D Mohamed Ali
D Esteban Saenz
D Aaron Guillpa
D Jeff Wolski
M Hugo Gutierrez
M David Rizzo
M Tommy Marczewski
M Casey Rosas
M Jonathan Ramirez
F Aldin Perviz
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Norman Deci, jr., F, Willowbrook
Scoring summary
First half
No scoring
Second half
W – Norman Deci, 41st minute
HS – Chris Wayman, 54th minute
W – Deci, 76th minute